When I left my teaching job a little over three years ago to move into Edtech, I expected that almost everything about my work would feel different.
And in many ways, it did. However, what surprised me most was how much of my new job felt unexpectedly familiar.
Here are 5 things that genuinely surprised me during my transition.
1. You don’t need to be as technical as you think
Teachers often assume that moving into an Edtech (or any tech!) job requires deep technical expertise. What surprised me was that there are many roles within the industry that rely more on communication, training, problem-solving and strategy rather than on advanced technical knowledge.
If you’re curious about the kinds of roles teachers often move into, I wrote more about this in a previous post on ideal EdTech jobs for educators.
While it’s helpful to become familiar with tools like CRMs (e.g. HubSpot, Salesforce) or collaboration platforms like Confluence or Jira, much of the technical knowledge can be learned on the job.
2. Schools are far more complex than they appear from the classroom
As teachers, we often only see one layer of how schools operate. Most of our perspective naturally comes from the classroom.
After moving into my Edtech job, I began working with multiple departments within schools – IT teams, finance departments, admissions staff, leadership teams, and sometimes even school boards.
It’s made me realize how many moving parts exist behind the scenes, and how decisions about technology often involve perspectives and decisions far beyond the classroom.
3. Corporate work can feel stressful in a completely different way
Being a teacher means long hours, busy days, and constant interactions with students. Corporate work feels quite different.
Instead of teaching lessons for several hours a day, much of my time is now spent in meetings, coordinating with teams (both internal and external), and managing projects.
The stress is definitely still there but it manifests differently. I wouldn’t say one is more stressful than the other. The pressures are simply different.
4. Relationship management is a huge superpower that teachers possess.
What surprised me was how valuable my classroom experience turned out to be when working with clients and colleagues. Teachers spend years managing a wide range of personalities – students, parents, colleagues, school leadership.
Those same relationship-building skills translate directly into many corporate roles. They certainly did for my role as a Customer Success Manager!
One unique advantage of working in EdTech specifically is that you naturally understand many of the issues and frustrations faced by schools, and that added layer of “insider” information makes it so much easier to empathize with clients and support them effectively.
5. Teaching skills are far more transferrable than I thought
Before leaving the classroom, I often wondered how I could possibly qualify for a job outside of teaching.
Every job I had held up to that point had been in teaching/tutoring, and I doubted whether my skills would translate to another environment.
What I discovered was the opposite.
Many of the skills teachers use every day, like explaining complex ideas clearly, staying organized, managing responsibilities, and working with a range of stakeholders, are incredibly valuable in EdTech roles. In short, teachers have a wide range of transferrable skills that they can use to pivot into tech careers!
(If you’re actively exploring a move into tech, I’ve also shared some interview tips specifically for former teachers applying to tech roles that may help you prepare.)
Even now, more than three years later, I sometimes still feel like a teacher, except I’m now applying those skills in a different environment.
What do you think? Any other ex-educators now feel similarly in a corporate job?
