People who work in education share a few key traits that drew them to the field in the first place. For example, educators want to help and influence students to thrive in the future. However, you may quickly learn in college that working as a teacher isn’t the only rewarding education career.
The education system is complex and offers plenty of career paths beyond traditional teaching. Whether you want to work as an educator or an administrator, you can make a big difference in students’ lives.
Follow along as we highlight several purpose-driven education careers and see how they let you tackle complex systems head-on.
Working in education is fulfilling at any level, but it may take a while to find your calling. For example, you may work as a teacher for several years and pursue a career in administration.
Finding your calling is much easier if you take a self-inventory and think about your professional purpose. However, you can’t go wrong with one of many fulfilling educational careers for driven individuals, such as:
Students face many academic, social, and emotional challenges that can affect their performance. That’s especially true when they feel unheard and lack proper guidance. School counselors not only help students deal with current issues, but they also prepare them for the next chapter.
As a school counselor, you can help students overcome academic and social difficulties. If left unchecked, such problems can significantly hinder a student’s performance and academic future. They can also provide resources regarding mental health and addiction.
School counselors routinely check in with students to discuss their plans, such as college applications. Working as a school counselor lets you positively influence students to make the most of their potential. Whether it be assigning them a tutor, resolving conflicts, or helping them pick majors, school counselors can change students’ lives.
Some people pursue education careers because they want to lead and manage schools. This is possible if you work toward becoming a superintendent. School superintendents oversee all aspects of a school’s operations, performance, staffing, and budget.
The school board typically hires superintendents, and they look for candidates with a master’s degree or a Doctor of Education. That’s because a superintendent must know about the academic and administrative sides of running a school in equal measures.
As a superintendent, you can push for change and address problems that you see in the current education system. The policies and academic plans you put in place can positively impact many students and even change their lives. Superintendents can make decisions that improve the lives of students and teachers alike.
Few career paths tackle the complexities of healthcare and education in equal measure. That’s where nurse educators come in, as they teach and train aspiring nurses in many settings. Working as a nurse educator requires a great deal of drive, commitment, and time, but it’s quite rewarding.
To become a nurse educator, you must become a registered nurse and receive additional training and certifications to become an educator. This unique position lets you help prepare the next generation of nurses and play a vital role in healthcare. With a master’s in nursing education, you can prepare yourself for a rewarding and lucrative career as a nurse educator.
As a nurse educator, you can work in universities, clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare centers. This is a great career path if your passion for education is just as strong as your passion for healthcare.
Teaching is a service job in many ways, as teachers must help prepare their students to continue their academic journeys. Doing so can prepare them for the next stages in their lives. However, nobody understands this better than special education teachers, who empower and support students with disabilities and learning disorders.
Compassion is the most common thread that ties special education teachers together. Special education teachers must learn to tailor their lesson plans to individuals. It typically entails working with a smaller group of students who all have unique needs.
There is something quite rewarding about figuring out what works best for each student and giving them positive reinforcement. Doing so can instill confidence and stay with their students forever.
Many people understandably want to pursue a behind-the-scenes education career. That’s where curriculum designers come into play, as they develop the curriculum that teachers use. Working as a curriculum designer requires many of the same skills that teachers have.
After all, you’re effectively creating and teaching plans that teachers will eventually use to teach students. You must be able to concisely communicate and explain the proposed curriculum in ways that everyone will understand. Part of what makes this career so interesting is that the education field undergoes many changes and evolutions throughout time.
This means that you must be ready and willing to adapt to new trends and standards to create the best possible curriculum. You must typically work as a teacher for a few years before you can become a curriculum designer. However, this experience will help you identify weak points in the education system. As a curriculum designer, you can work hard to amend such weak points and make a difference.
You’re never stuck in any educational career, as there’s always room for upward mobility. It can be hard to find your professional purpose within the education field until you get some practical experience. For example, you may work as a teacher for a few years and decide that you want to work in curriculum design or academic administration.
In that case, you can go back to school and balance your work and school life until you get an advanced degree. That way, you can continually build a nice resume, acquire practical experience, and work toward your dream career. No matter what path you choose, you can rest easily knowing that you built a career based on your purpose.
