Rising Above The Back-to-School Blues: Part Three - The 6 Key Phases of a Successful Career Change

☀️ Soar vs Struggle? If you can master these 6 Key Phases - you're golden!!!

Are you a retiring or exiting educator exploring new career opportunities beyond the school system?

Far Too Many Retiring Educators Are Navigating This Transition Alone. The cost is emotional, financial and psychological for many.

But, it doesn't have to end that way for you.

✨ Soar vs. Struggle: What transitioning educators at ALL levels should know.

This isn’t just a career milestone. It’s a life-altering transition that can either unlock a powerful new chapter — or lead to unnecessary hardship with generational implications.

While many celebrate retiring, veteran educators with plaques and goodbyes, few are prepared for what comes next.

💔The Silent Struggle — and Why We Must Talk About It

Behind the celebration photos, many retiring and exiting educators are quietly suffering — and often too embarrassed to be transparent.

“My car was repossessed… I don’t have $20 to my name.” — Former Principal

“I’ve been crying all day. My credit cards are maxed. My bank account is empty.” — Retired Principal, now selling MLM products

“I thought that will all my experience, a doctorate and working internationally, employers would just to hire me. I feel like I’ve disappointed my family.” — Retired Dept. Chair – now community college instructor

“Retired educators are the forgotten workforce. I now qualify for all the local food banks and Obamacare insurance for low-income earners.” — Educator Retiree, 2024

“My bank account is overdrawn and I’m nearly bankrupt. I wish I had found you first — before I invested thousands into a consulting program that didn’t help me transition at all.” — Dr. W, Retired Asst. Superintendent

These are not outliers — they’re far too common. And they’re deeply preventable.

🔄 Educators Want to Stay in the Fight — Just in New Ways

What many don’t realize is that a large majority of educators want high-impact roles and lucrative that still uplift education — but from new vantage points.

By transitioning into strategic roles across sectors, they’re not abandoning the profession — they’re expanding its reach:

✅ Enhancing how learning is designed, delivered, and scaled

✅ Improving education-adjacent systems 

✅Strengthening the narrative about the value of careers in education.

✅ Bringing real-world education insights into private industry

This isn’t an exit from education — it’s a re-entry at a new level of influence.

But transitioning educators need the right guidance to get there.

🌟 There Is a Way Forward — It Starts with Career Transition Readiness Knowledge

Educators across the country ARE making successful transitions — into high-paying, purpose-driven roles that don’t require another degree or starting over.

Roles like

:🎯 Director of Education Partnerships

💼 L&D Manager at a Fortune 500 companies

🧠 Systems Analyst

📈 Six-figure Account Executive

🎓 Assessment Design Consultant

🏛️ Education Policy Advisor

📊K-12 Products Advisor

👩🏽‍🏫Professional Learning Facilitator, etc., etc., etc., etc.,

However, without CTR knowledge, far too few are able to transition to those dream careers and consulting opportunities within a year, if at all.

“After search for two years on my own finding Broils Consulting Group, was like finding a light in the dark. I finally felt that someone out there not only understood my struggle but had a plan for moving forward. … I got the job offer of my dreams! Thank you for shining your light and giving me the confidence to believe it was possible!”

-Stephanie (now a Learning and Development Partner for a leading firm)

What makes the difference?

Educators that transition to those high purpose, higher paying roles are often those that have a strong familiarity and a greater level of mastery of the following six key phases.

The 6 Phases of a

Successful

Career Transition for Educators:

🔑Career Transition Readiness: CTR is not a résumé rewrite or quick fix —

it’s a holistic, tested framework.

The following is an overview of each of the 6-key phases

and not an exhaustive list for each phase.

But, it's a great start.

✓ Read each phase then work to fill in the gaps over the next several months.

Phase I: Are You Career Transition Ready?

• What’s your transition strategy and timeline?

• When should you begin your search?

• Have you taken stock of your finances, individual and familial needs?

• Are you aware of private-sector peak hiring seasons? (Hint: It’s not summers).⏳ Missing this window can delay your career by several months, even years.

Note: Each phase contains an overview only and not the entirety.

Phase II: Identify Your Educator Superpowers

Have you taken a close inventory of your experience, interest, and skills — both technical and soft skills — and begun to align them with other careers?

This means targeting your transferable skills.

Many private-sector roles use similar skill sets — they sometimes just use a different language.

Case in point: Classroom modeling = Job-embedded coaching

Don’t default to what’s trending — or what others are doing.

Too often, educators are funneled toward many career paths that don't fully utilize their skills sets and are often entry level and with lower compensation.

Those typical careers (although all are noble) include:

• Tutoring

• Nanny

• Social worker

• Instructional or curriculum designer

• Corporate trainer

• College adjunct instructor

• MLMs (Multi-level marketers: insurance, travel, health products, etc.)

• Real estate

• Retail

• Providing transportation or meal and grocery delivery services

• Education consulting — without viable business support, etc.

EDUCATORS HAVE SO MANY MORE OPTIONS

Academic professionals have a plethora of valuable skills with multiple options.

The right strategy is key.

The private sector job market plays by different rules and it’s NOT always who you know.

🔥 Instead:

• Map your real transferable skills

• Explore high-fit, high-value roles

• Choose based on purpose — not pressure

Need more support? Connect with a career transition readiness specialist: https://www.broilsconsulting.com/careercoach

Phase III: Resume + Branding Makeover

An academic style résumé won’t pass private-sector filters.

📄 You’ll need:

✓ A compelling Professional Branding Statement

✓ A crisp and succinct Career Summary

✓ Scannable Core Competencies section that match the role

✓ Application cover and follow-up letters, as well as interview thank you letters

🎓 Degrees and certifications matter — but long paragraphs and dated formatting can keep you invisible.

Need more support?

Download our career transition toolkit here: https://www.broilsconsulting.com/careerchangetoolkit

Phase IV: Hidden Job Market + Application Strategy

More than 60% of jobs are not posted on public job boards. So, if you’ll spending the bulk of your time scanning job boards you’re missing out on over half of the job market‼️

You’ll need to:

• Know where to find them

• Do you follow-up after applying?

·      Use proactive outreach — not just applying and waiting and waiting…

• Timing your applications — knowing the right days of the week, time of day, and how long a job’s been posted - all matter

• Building a LinkedIn strategy tailored for educators with limited private sector

experience

📢 Apply smarter — not harder.

🎤 Phase V: Interviewing + Negotiating Your Worth - Salary/Compensation Negotiation

A few key tips to get you started:

✔️ Master your opening pitch. (“Tell me about yourself”) Articulate it in 60 to 90 second or less. It's your 60 second commercial.

This is not storytelling, where you were born, your family, etc. — It's an opportunity to position yourself as a leading candidate for this role.

✔️ Align your responses with the company’s goals and the job description

✔️ Know how to negotiate your full compensation package

Many educators leave $ $ tens of thousands on the table simply because they didn’t know how to negotiate. Most schools systems, place you on a set salary schedule that’s non-negotiable, so practicing your negotiation skills is key.

🚧 Also, remember that interviewing is a two-way street. Craft questions to help you determine if THEY are the right fit for you.

CRITICAL POINT: Continue interviewing with other companies until you’ve signed the offer — even in final talks.

Phase VI: Navigating the Feeling and Emotions of Change

This is more than a job change — it’s an identity shift.

Career Transition support and the right resources helps educators rebuild:

✓ Clarity

✓ Confidence

✓ Peace of mind

Transitioning doesn’t have to be scary.

It can launch you into one of your most exciting chapters yet.

Diid you miss parts 1 or 2?

Part 1: From Career Setbacks to Setting Yourself Up for Success This School Year

https://www.broilsconsulting.com/post/rising-above-the-back-to-school-blues-from-career-setbacks-to-future-success-part-i

Part 2: Start Small ; Win Big

https://www.broilsconsulting.com/post/rising-above-the-back-to-school-blues-from-career-setbacks-to-future-success-part-i

🏆 Broils Consulting Group

BUILDING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS ROOTED IN PURPOSE AND PROGRESS

Honoring Our Shared Legacy — Shaping the Future of Education Together

Recognized as a Top 10 and Top 25 Consulting Firm 

in the training and education consulting industry commercial markets (2021–2025)

Featured by:

·       📌 MarketWatch (Wall Street – Dow Jones)

·       📌 Business Wire (Berkshire Hathaway)

·       📌 The Business Research Company

·       📌 Associated Press (AP) and PR Newswire

·       📌 Yahoo Finance

·       📌 Technavio

·       📌 …and national global media conglomerates, market research firms, etc.

We Proudly Support:

📘 K–12 educator retirees and beyond...

🏫 School districts & universities

🏛️ State Government Education and Workforce agencies

🤝 Mission-aligned Retirement and Financial Planning Partners

📈 Education-driven Corporations