A career change is the hardest thing to do. Few things will cause the same level of anxiety, uncertainty, and fear. To make a move like that, you have to be really ready for a change. Statistics say 90% of humans fear change, so the odds are already against you, even before you began. (Also note that 65% of statistics are made up on the spot, so it could really go either way) 😉
I’ll tell you why I feel ready. Why now? Why not earlier or later?
Let’s start from the top: I went to college for Computer Science. I thought I would graduate and become a computer programmer. Programming was fun and challenging: it is problem solving in the best sense of the words. I thought employers would pay me to play (=program) on the computer all day. I was in Heaven. The problem was that I was not legally authorized to work in the United States at the time, without some kind of Visa sponsorship by a daring corporation.
Fortunately for me, I did find a job in a prestigious company that was still sponsoring international students (they no longer do). It was for an IT entry-level program. Programming was not part of the career path.
Sorely disappointed, but understanding that I had no other alternative if I wanted to stay in the US, I took the job.
I tried to like it. I really did. I drank the kool-aid they would feed us every morning: we were to be the next generation of leaders in the company. We were headed for great things. They would introduce us to CEOs, CIOs, CTOs and we worked hand-in-hand with the leaders’ direct reports. We were being given the opportunity of a lifetime… but my heart really wasn’t in it.
Where would I go if I left, though? Not only did I not know what I wanted to do with my life, but no company would have hired me without work authorization anyway! I was stuck until I got a greencard, or until I gathered the gonads to put myself out there and aggressively look for another job. But even then I would be going from a corporate environment to another, and I already knew I wasn’t enjoying it, so would it really be a positive change at all?
In 2008, I married the most wonderful man in the world, and my college sweetheart of 5 years. As a US citizen, my husband was able to sponsor me for a greencard (which I finally received in the mail 6 months after we filed for it – oh, and BTW, the card itself is not green at all).
Now that I had proper work authorization, I still did not feel comfortable making a career change. After all, I was only half way through my fully-paid MBA (by the company), and I could not afford quitting and putting myself tens of thousands of dollars in debt.
I will be finishing the MBA this coming year, and I will have no more excuses to make a significant change.
So why not earlier? I had a ball and chain on my foot.
Why now? No more excuses!
Why teaching? I have considered different careers, many of them which included working for myself. The only problem is that I have a bit of a motivation issue: I need validation and external impulses to keep me going. I’m not sure that self-employment would harmonize with my personality. Maybe I could have side-ventures where I can make a little extra money on my own terms, but only as long as it is fun.
As for working for smaller companies, I’ve considered that, too, but my bitterness towards corporate America runs deep. I cringe at the thought of having yet another desk job.
In my eyes, teaching represents freedom. I can do anything in a classroom, be anyone I want to be. There are millions of personality types in teaching: the mean one, the funny one, the easy one, the bad one, the good one. Nobody would ever give me a hard time for setting high expectations, or behaving like an authority figure. My personality can run free, without supervisors asking me to tone it down or to be less direct. It’s just a whole different dynamic, and I can’t wait to give it a shot!
So that’s how I settled on that profession. Yes, the money is FAR less than what I make at my current job. I have discussed this with my husband, and he is concerned, as he should be. But he understands my need for a change and he supports my decisions as long as we are smart about it. So I’m on a tough savings plan. It’s going to be really hard, but if I actually enjoy my job, it will have been worth it.
What are your reasons to consider a career change to teaching?
ina