Take the plunge before getting a job

I recently asked the question on Twitter, "Do I know anyone here who quit a teaching job before getting another job?" "

In a few hours, I had almost 300 responses. The messages I received were inspiring, courageous and ambitious. Some spoke of the need to protect their mental health, others had to move to new places, and some had to withdraw from particular people who made life difficult for them, while others had philosophical objections to the way they were made to work. Whatever the reasons for doing so, it's clear that there are times in life when circumstances dictate action despite little knowledge of what can happen next and where you might end up.

Deputy manager Ian Mitchell made the move to quit without a job, as this has become the obvious course of action. He explained, “I had known I had mental health issues for quite some time and had seen a doctor a few months earlier where I had been diagnosed with depression. My principal had really supported me, as was my fiancée, now wife, who taught at the same school. I had entered a very negative cycle of little exercise and heavy drinking on the weekends. I had started to think I should stop teaching. "

“I had looked for other jobs but hadn't seen anything that really appealed to me, and I also thought that maybe a change of school would be enough; as if I owed it to myself and to the career I had chosen to try elsewhere. I will never forget the day I decided to quit. I was sitting at my sister-in-law's house with my fiance while they were chatting and I just announced "I have decided that I am leaving school". They heard me and it was like a weight was lifted immediately.

I had planned to go early on Monday and tell the manager what I did and everything went well. Again, the weight has increased again. I knew I wasn't too proud of any type of job and was quite willing to do some work if needed to pay off the mortgage and the upcoming marriage. Luckily thanks to a friend of my wife's I heard about an opportunity at a SEMH school so I changed direction and loved it. It fits my views and values ​​of education much better than a traditional system in many ways, although there are of course some aspects that I miss. "

“My career has taken a huge leadership change (Senior Secondary PE to SENDCO / Senior Special Assistant Leader), but it really made me appreciate stepping out of your comfort zone and not being afraid to fail. I would say it wouldn't have been possible without the support of my family as they trusted me and didn't panic on my behalf for what many might consider a reckless decision. It allowed me to fall in love with education again and want to continue pursuing a career that I had always wanted to do.

While Ian's change of management fell into place with a permanent position, for Nicki Allman his resignations meant a change of country and a move to temporary work so far. She explained, “I resigned from a professional development manager position in Singapore and we came home due to the pandemic. Neither my husband nor I had a job to take over. We returned to England the day before the first lockdown in March 2020. We had decided that while we enjoyed international life it was only fair to come home for a while. We didn't find a job until mid-June 2020 which meant moving to Scotland. However, I also resigned from this senior position without a job to go to. My husband was offered a chef position in London, which cemented our reasons for moving "home". We returned to London in April. It was right to get closer to his family.

“I have applied for many positions without success due to being abroad and then in Scotland over the past 7 years. I have been fortunate enough to get freelance work for some publishing and educational resource companies in the past, so I was able to offer my services there, which also allowed me to research and keep up with current with recent changes. I joined a sourcing agency so that I could get my enhanced DBS and also up to date education. I also volunteered at a local school to provide extra help on trips etc. In addition to that, I took online courses to improve myself so that I could work in education, but not in schools if necessary.

If you've recently quit without a clear path to follow, don't worry, there's a lot you can do! These five key points can help you:

Take inventory

If you've quit due to difficult experiences or circumstances, it's important to give yourself some recovery time if possible. You may need help doing this, if so your GP can help and advice is available from Education Support (www.educationsupport.org.uk).

Reflect

What do you like about the job that you want to do more of? What do you dislike and would like to avoid in the future? These simple thoughts can help orient you towards the type of work you want to do next.

Be flexible

You don't need to have a completely linear career. Take a left or right turn, or even what some might perceive as a step back, but you can learn something from experience. The goal here is for your next step to serve you better in the long run.

Ask for help

There is support for you! Here's what Teaching assistant jobs can offer

Talk to a recruiting agency - which helps people find permanent, long-term, or day-to-day employment, as well as permanent teaching positions and vacancies overseas.

Job Alerts you can subscribe to so you can be notified when new, relevant jobs are posted.

Join talent pools - for a specific job or through the career page / site of a school that interests you.

Stay positive and focused

What are you really expecting from your career? Where do you really wanna be It will be possible to find something that meets your needs, although it will take a little while to get there.