Career Change: How I Went From Teacher to Working in Public Relations

When it comes to your ideal “dream job”, there are numerous factors that should be considered. For example, will that dream job help pay your bills? Keep a roof over your head? Or perhaps, will it bring you joy, and feel like you are never working a day in your life? We all have our own perspective when it comes to what a dream job consists of. For me, my dream job has changed over the years. Over time, I thought that I was going to be a journalist, sound designer, or maybe even work in marine science. However, the journey that I have taken in my life, and the education that I have received, has taken me into the world of the public school system, thus becoming an English teacher. However, it would not be the job that I would work for the rest of my life.

Having worked in the public school system for three and a half years, I faced many challenges. Prior to Covid-19, my job was pretty straightforward and exciting. I was teaching high school seniors how to write resumes and prepare for college during my first year of teaching. My second and third year, I was teaching tenth graders how to properly analyze a text. However, in what would have been my fourth year of teaching, I faced a hurdle of obstacles. 

Covid-19 was running rampant throughout the hallways, and students were mocking the need to wear facemasks. I found myself feeling more stressed out than ever before. In my head and my heart, I knew that for me to continue on this career path would affect my emotional and physical being. Thus, I found myself wanting to explore other career paths, and that is what led me to working in public relations.

Believe it or not, but I have found working in public relations to be quite an eye-opening experience. You might find yourself wondering how an educator found themselves working with a public relations company. Well, there are actually a few similarities between the two career paths. 

For one, to be efficient in public relations, you have to know how to properly communicate with others, in order to get your point across. Having background knowledge of working as an English teacher, I have been able to transfer my verbal and writing skills into this new career. In addition, because my position with the public relations company requires me to be able to efficiently offer and sell our packages, I have needed to understand how to identify what a client might be feeling or thinking. This is another trait that I have carried over from education, as it was important to be able to understand why my students might have been acting a certain way. 

While I have worked in public relations for only two months now, I have found myself to be far less stressed, and more eager to wake up in the morning and go to the office. The point of all of this is that it is okay if your “dream job” does not end up being the only career path that you take. From my experience, I have wanted to work in several different careers, but the one thing to keep in mind is your physical and mental health. So, make sure that your dream job is one that is not only going to make you happy every single day, but will give you a sense of purpose, because we all deserve that.

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