10 jobs for natural-born teachers
Today, teaching jobs take many forms outside of a K-12 classroom. Educate yourself on a new career plan.
Here's a lesson worth learning: Traditional teaching jobs in a school system aren't the only options for people who are interested in education careers. This is great news both for academics in search of jobs for former teachers, as well as people who happen to be really good at explaining stuff but don't have a formal education degree.
So if your friends turn to you for advice, or if you have a knack for breaking down complicated concepts and making them easy to understand, instructor-type roles might take your career to the head of the class. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Monster found 10 jobs for people who were born to teach.
Career coach
What you’d do: As a career coach, you’ll work with students and young professionals (most likely through an independent company or at a high school or college) to recommend career paths based on individuals’ interests and skills. Oftentimes you’ll also recommend further education programs, such as which colleges or advanced degree programs students should apply to and which courses they should take in order to get the required training for their chosen career.
What you’d need: To work in a public school or university, career coaches are usually required to obtain a master’s degree in school counseling. You may also need certification in career coaching, workforce development, or adult counseling.
What you’d make: $54,560 per year
Find career coach jobs on Monster.
Corporate trainer
What you’d do: Sometimes companies will hire experts to train staff members—that’s where corporate trainers come in. Whether it’s sales, product marketing, or something else, corporate trainers teach modern best practices to company employees.
What you’d need: On top of a bachelor’s degree, corporate trainers need lots of experience in the subject they’re teaching. For example, if you’re training a company sales team on how to conduct sales meetings, having years of sales experience in the field will help tremendously.
What you’d make: $105,830 per year
Find corporate trainer jobs on Monster.
Dog trainer
What you’d do: You’d make bad doggies into good boys. Dog trainers teach unruly (or just a bit too enthusiastic) young pups discipline, such as how to heel and sit.
What you’d need: Not only will you be interacting with dogs, you’ll be interfacing with their owners, so good human communication skills are also necessary for this job. No formal education is required, but you might have to pass a background check depending on the company.
What you’d make: $22,230 per year
Find dog trainer jobs on Monster.
Driving instructor
What you’d do: Learning to drive can be nerve-wracking. Driving instructors teach students how to safely operate vehicles (usually cars), inspiring confidence and good driving habits. You’ll be facilitating classroom instruction as well as sitting next to new drivers as they take the wheel.
What you’d need: Safety is paramount for driving instructors. That’s why having a clean driving record is a must (and of course, a valid driver’s license).
What you’d make: $55,730 per year
Find driving instructor jobs on Monster.
Nurse educator
What you’d do: Nurse educators serve to inspire those interested in pursuing nursing as a career, providing training and promoting discussion among students. You’ll teach topics like pharmacology and community health.
What you’d need: To become a nurse educator, you’ll need a bachelor’s of science degree, a state nursing license as a registered nurse, and depending on the job, you might also need a Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider Certification or an Advanced Life Support Provider Certification. You’ll also need to pass the National League for Nursing (NLN) certification exam. Of course, to teach students about nursing you’ll also have to have actual experience experience as a nurse (usually in a clinical environment).
What you’d make: $75,030 per year
Find nurse educator jobs on Monster.
Nutritionist
What you’d do: Everyone has different health goals, and nutritionists can help achieve them—whether it’s losing weight, gaining weight, or something else entirely. As a nutritionist, you’ll personalize meal plans and help clients stick to them.
What you’d need: A bachelor’s degree in dietetics, foods and nutrition, clinical nutrition, public health nutrition, or a related area is common. Most states also require nutritionists and dietitians to get a license. Check out the Commission on Dietetic Registration to see if your state is on there.
What you’d make: $58,920 per year
Find nutritionist jobs on Monster.
Personal trainer
What you’d do: Pick things up and put them down. Personal trainers help their trainees accomplish personal fitness goals, whether that’s working one-on-one or in small classes.
What you’d need: Most personal trainers are certified in their speciality. For example, yoga instructors might get a license from the Yoga Alliance. Generally, to get certified in your discipline you’ll also need to have CPR certification. View a sample resume for a personal trainer.
What you’d make: $38,160 per year
Find personal trainer jobs on Monster.
Sports coach
What you’d do: From baseball and basketball to football and fencing, the sports world will always need coaches. As a sports coach you’ll teach sports-specific skills like proper free-throw technique in basketball, but also life lessons like sportsmanship and teamwork.
What you’d need: Beyond knowing the rules of the game and having a strong desire to teach, sports coaches often need to pass background checks (especially at high school and college levels), as well as have first aid and CPR certificates.
What you’d make: $31,460 per year
Find sports coach jobs on Monster.
Technical instructor
What you’d do: Technical instructors provide a variety of training in fields such as auto repair, health care, culinary science, and more. You’d be designing curricula, encouraging class discussion, and teaching technical skills to students (for auto repair tech instructors, that might be how to fix a damaged car frame or replace a tire).
What you’d need: Depending on the state, technical instructors might need a state-issued certification. On top of that, a bachelor’s degree and experience in the field are must-haves.
What you’d make: $54,020 per year
Find technical instructor jobs on Monster.
Tutor
What you’d do: Among the most popular jobs for former teachers, tutors work one-on-one and in small groups, helping students learn a variety of subjects such as math, science, or English.
What you’d need: Tutors must be highly knowledge in the subject they’re tutoring. For example, if you’re a college math major, tutoring calculus with high school students might be a great fit. View a sample resume for a tutor.
What you’d make: $25,410 per year
Find tutor jobs on Monster.
Get an A+ job
You have a gift for breaking down complex information so that regular people can understand what's going on. Unfortunately, you may still be puzzled by the quickest and easiest way to get a job. Could you use some help in that subject? Join Monster for free today. As a member, you can upload up to five versions of your resume—each tailored to the types of instructional jobs that interest you. Recruiters search Monster every day looking to fill top jobs with qualified candidates, just like you. Additionally, you can get job alerts sent to you when positions become available. Before long, you'll be educating job interviewers on why you should be their next hire.