Teacher Career ChangerI have been teaching in the public school system for over 18 years and am really burned out. I am seeking to move to the technology industry, IT if possible. I will turn 49 on Wednesday and am trying to decide the best route. Options are (1) go back to school to get Cisco Certification by next Christmas, (2) go to school to get a degree in Computer Science, (3) try to enter the workforce in another fashion. I already have a Master's degree in Music Education and am somewhat savvy in technology. I am thinking of seeking a position in training in the technology sector somehow. Any positive suggestions are welcome. Thanks! Mrmus I think this is going to be a tougher transition than you might be thinking. IT Instructors are definitely more specific than other corporate trainers. If you go to the job search section of Monster and put in "IT Trainer" you'll see what I mean. They're looking for a really solid IT background that is going to involve more than CISCO certification. They all seem to want both a degree in an IT related topic AND at least 3-5 years of progressively higher experience in IT. You'll also need at least some courses/workshops whatever in Adult Education which is quite different from teaching children AND some training in WBT (Web Based Training) development and programming. I think this is going to mean that you're going to need to get either CISCO certification and/or a computer science degree and then get a "help desk" sort of job for a while before you can hit the IT training spots you want.
Tess
I do not necessarily need to be teaching IT, but rather get into the IT field at all. I like data, technology and helping others is great too. So, I don't necessarily have to go into training. I am just looking into moving into the technology sector. Thanks!
I'm actually doing the reverse of what you are doing. I have an MBA in IT but have not been able to take advantage of it because of lack of experience. I agree with what was said regarding what they are looking for in the IT field. This combine with some personal situations, have made me rethink my career & I think teaching would be a fit for me. I will be going into an area that there's high demand for. I look forward & I am exciting about entering the teaching field.
What field or area are you going to teach? At what level? I wish you the best! If I can be of any help...please don't hesitate to email! Again...I wish you the best!
I will be going into EC-4 Bilingual. Currently I am enrolled in an alternative certification program. Would appreciate any advice. My biggest concern at the moment is having no experience.
Wow! What a GReat area to go into! My suggestions: 1 - Have a plan! The younger the student, the more activities you have to plan. Plan everything! Have a lot of structure! 2- Fair and consistent! Discipline is a sign that you care enough for the students to show them boundaries. 3 - Get some materials as quickly as you can from The Love and Logic Institute...www.loveandlogic.com They have terrific materials for teachers and parents who want to teach their students and kids to be responsible. Good stuff!
Thank you for the advice. Wow, the planning is going to be challenging after dealing with behind the desk activties. I have been researching & gathering lots of info concerning lesson plans & classroom mgmnt. I'm a bit nervous but at the same time looking forward to the challenges. Will bookmark the link you sent.
Hi there, it is true that if you make this change of career the 1st thing you will need is the passion for technology of course a degree will help you to some level but in general a recruiter will look if you do that on your own (i.e building your own computer, troubleshooting it by yourself etc ...) it is true as well that you might need to start with a "regular" helpdesk position in order to have a broader view of personality and technology( you might need to work with), after that a certification will definitively help you finding the right position for you, but the question you will have to ask yourself is do you want to do technical support or going into network sys admin etc ... if you need any help starting please do not hesitate to contact me I will be happy to help you. Regards | |
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