What are teaching jobs outside the classroom?

Teaching jobs outside the classroom include roles like curriculum designer, facilitator, learning designer, instructional designer, corporate trainer, education consultant, and professional development specialist. These positions leverage teaching skills in non-traditional educational settings.

What skills do teachers have that are valuable outside the classroom?

Teachers have highly transferable skills including lesson planning (project management), classroom facilitation (public speaking and group facilitation), understanding how people learn, adaptability, communication, and the ability to manage complex projects with multiple stakeholders.

How can I find teaching jobs outside the classroom?

Use LinkedIn to search for roles like 'curriculum designer', 'facilitator', 'learning designer', or 'education and training'. Reach out to people in these roles to learn about their career transitions. Network intentionally and realize that you already have valuable skills for these positions.

Do I need additional qualifications to transition from teaching to other education roles?

While some roles may require specific qualifications, many teaching jobs outside the classroom value your existing teaching experience and transferable skills. Your foundation as a teacher is stronger than you think, and you can learn additional skills as you transition.

Teaching Jobs Outside the Classroom: Chantelle Kohn's Career Transition

If you've ever typed "teaching jobs outside the classroom" into Google with hope and hesitation, you're not alone. Chantelle Kohn did exactly that. The result? A transformative career transition that took her from primary school teacher to the founder of The Change Collab, an organisation supporting leaders, teams, and educators across sectors.

In this candid conversation, Chantelle shared her real-world career transition out of the classroom and into the broader learning ecosystem. Her experience is a roadmap for any teacher considering a career transition, and a hopeful reminder that you're not stuck. Far from it.

From classroom confines to global facilitation

Chantelle's first career transition wasn't about escaping education, it was about expanding its possibilities. "I love education," she shared, "but I felt confined by what success looked like in the traditional system."

So, she did what many of us do when change is brewing. She Googled "teaching jobs outside the classroom." That search led to a facilitator role in a nonprofit that opened doors to workshops in schools, professional development for teachers, and eventually, international expansion into Canada, the US, and Brazil.

Her journey underscores something crucial: a career transition doesn't mean leaving education, it means redefining it. Chantelle unlocked new pathways through teaching jobs outside the classroom and her skillset is more valuable than she thought.

Transferable skills: the hidden superpower of a career transition

One of the strongest themes that emerged was just how valuable teachers' skills are outside the classroom.

"It was daunting and terrifying at first," Chantelle admitted. "But I realised just how transferable the skills are. Lesson planning becomes project management. Classroom facilitation becomes public speaking. And understanding how people learn? That's gold in every industry."

This recognition of transferable skills is often the first hurdle in a career transition. But as Chantelle discovered, every organisation is now a learning organisation, and teachers are uniquely positioned to thrive in them.

LinkedIn, coffee machines, and confidence

It wasn't just Google that helped Chantelle's career transition. LinkedIn played a pivotal role in expanding her vision of what's possible.

"I started searching for terms like 'curriculum designer', 'facilitator', 'education and training'. I was blown away by the roles that came up," she said. She also used the platform to reach out to people doing similar work or who had undertaken a similar career transition, and they responded.

One tip she swears by for any educator considering teaching jobs outside the classroom: "Use LinkedIn to see what roles are out there and to realise, you already have the skills to do many of them."

Also, let's not forget the perks of non-school workplaces. "Coffee provided!" she laughed. It's the little things that count.

Space, not content

If you've ever endured PD that felt like information overload, Chantelle has a message for you: teachers don't need teachers, they need facilitators.

In her career transition to adult learning, she discovered that real professional development doesn't mean more content. "Teachers need space. Space to think, to reflect, to apply. Not more worksheets."

This insight shaped her approach at The Change Collab, where she supports adult learning across corporate and education sectors, while remaining deeply grounded in pedagogy.

Confidence, timing, and saying yes to yourself through a career transition

Like many educators contemplating a career transition, Chantelle didn't leap into entrepreneurship overnight. "I knew I wanted to start my own business back in 2018, but I didn't feel ready," she shared.

It wasn't until she returned to Australia post-pandemic, did a term of teaching, and took on a short Department of Education role that she found the confidence to go all in.

"I finished the contract and a week later, I had my ABN. It was time." It's a reminder that not every career transition needs to be fast, it needs to be aligned.

Advice for anyone exploring teaching jobs outside the classroom

Chantelle offered two key pieces of advice for any teachers looking to take the leap of a career transition:

Use LinkedIn intentionally.

"Not just to see jobs, but to find people. Reach out. Ask questions. You'll be amazed at how many are willing to help."

Trust your experience.

"As teachers, we already bring so much to the table. Yes, there's more to learn, but your foundation is stronger than you think."

And perhaps most importantly, she reminds us: "We've lived the life. We've stood in front of the room. That empathy, that connection, you can't fake it. And it's powerful."

Why this conversation matters

Teaching is often a calling, but it doesn't have to be a cage. With so many systems in flux, from curriculum to tech, more educators are contemplating a career transition than ever before.

Whether you want to work in learning design, corporate training, nonprofit facilitation, or start your own business, there are teaching jobs outside the classroom for you.

And guess what? You don't have to reinvent yourself. You just have to reframe what you already do.

There's no shame in wanting change. There's strength in exploring it.

So, if you're thinking about making your own career transition, ask yourself this: What would you type into Google right now, if fear wasn't part of the equation?

Because chances are, the first hit might just change your life, just like it did for Chantelle.

And remember, there are countless teaching jobs outside the classroom waiting for your skill, your story, and your spark.

Teaching jobs outside the classroom: Chantelle Kohn's career transition