Teacher to trainer? Classroom to corporate? Teacher to teacherpreneur? Or maybe it’s the reverse? How do you pivot and use LinkedIn for your reinvention?

Not only have I already reinvented myself six times, but I am still evolving with the business acumen I have gained. I’ve been in several corporate industries, earning two administrative and seven teaching K-12 education certifications, setting up a 501(c)3 nonprofit, and building a board from scratch.

After all of the career pivots I have made, I know what I like and what I don’t like. Yet, I am still seeking to check off more items on my bucket list, including higher education.

Lately, I have been having many conversations with clients and attendees at my workshops. They want to leave K-12 or higher ed and head to corporate or start a business. Others want to leave corporate or the military and head into the world of education.

With all the pondering about reshuffling, I thought I would share some general tips with a few basics just to get you started (though there are many other resources). I also wanted to share some LinkedIn tips.

Resources to Go into K-12

• Visit the Pennsylvania Department of Education page
• You will need a Criminal History Background Check Clearance, a Child Abuse History Clearance, and an FBI Clearance with Fingerprinting from Identogo
• Fill out a standard teaching application
• Start an application on pareap.net or paeducator.net or teachinginpa.com or visit individual district or IU career pages
• Connect with staffing agencies who arrange for substitute teachers

Resources to Go into Higher Ed

• Seek positions on higheredjobs.com, on jobs.chronicle.com,  careers.insidehighered.com, hercjobs.org, or on individual college or university sites career pages
• Connect with recruiters who may staff for higher ed

Resources for Nonprofits

• See Nonprofit Resources

Resources to Start a Business

• Get a free mentor and attend workshops with SCORE: Chester and Delaware Counties, Montco & Bucks, Montco, Chester & Berks, or score.org to look up your area

Resources to Go into Corporate

• Best tip > NETWORKING!
• Job boards like Indeed, Monster, Simply Hired, etc.
• LinkedIn Jobs, but you need your profile in order before you apply

LinkedIn Tips

• First, you need 30 connections at a minimum, and then you need to shoot for over 500
• Optimize your profile with keywords in your headline (220 characters), About section (2600 characters), Embellished Job Titles (100 characters), and Skills section (50)
• Take workshops if you don’t know to use LinkedIn
• Read about Rebranding, Pivots, Keywords, Great Resignation, LinkedIn for Educators, Tips for Job Seekers, and see the entire list of my articles
• Learn how to do Boolean searches for people and companies

Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side, and sometimes it is not. Write out your pros and cons for making a move and evaluate your benefits, pensions, salary, vacation time, and more.

If you are going to start a business, it may take 3-4 years to build the business and 7-10 to make it a real success. I started my business in 1994 but changed the offerings in 2013 and had it as a side gig while I worked a W-2 job until 2017.

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best. If you need a resume or LinkedIn profile to get you to your next step, book a call to chat!

Missed the previous article, “The Conundrum of Peak Productivity & Technology Skills”?

NEXT STEPS

• Subscribe to my newsletter on LinkedIn for bright ideas to manage your career.

• Join as a member at https://greatcareersphl.org/membership of the #1 business networking association on the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Book of Lists two years in a row!

• Register on the events page for these upcoming online events noted below.

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• 2/25 Fri – Interviewing Techniques
• 2/25 Fri – Driving Justice, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The JEDI Journey Panel
• 2/25 Fri – Getting Noticed in a Crowded Job Market – The Recruiter Confidential (on Clubhouse)
• 2/28 Mon – Handling Tough Interview Questions
• 3/1 Tues – The Subconscious Aspect of Business: Think for the Job You Want
• 3/1 Tues – The Top Three Things You Need to Do to Be Credible on LinkedIn (mini lunch & learn)
• 3/1 Tues – Virtual Job Seeker Support Group
• 3/2 Wed – PowerThinking: Rejuvenating Your Amazing Mind Resilience Building Call
• 3/2 LinkedIn for Beginners
• 3/3 Thurs – How to Use Clubhouse Step-by-Step Hands-on Live
• 3/3 Thurs – LGBTQ+ OUTstanding Careers Group
• 3/4 Fri – Interviewing Techniques
• 3/4 Fri –  The Subconscious: Think for the Job You Want (on Clubhouse)
• 3/7 Mon – Career Success Group