Getting a Master’s in Education doesn’t necessarily mean that you want to teach. These degree programs give students a number of life skills that can be used in fields that are only tangentially related to education. Below are five great careers that have nothing to do with teaching but that can still help degree holders use their skills.
Resource: Top 10 Best Online Master’s in Education Degree Programs (M.Ed.) 2016
Transition Coordinator
According to US News and World Report, some of the most in-demand careers for those with a Master’s of Education revolve around helping others coordinate their own career transitions. Because of the emphasis on planning and general coordination, those with a Master’s are particularly well suited to helping others figure out what they’re going to do with their lives. This gives former educators a good chance to get outside of the classroom and help others to get real-world results. If you’ve wanted to help students take the next step beyond school, it may be a good idea to think about a career in transition coordination.
Admissions Counselor
Thanks to your degree, you know quite a bit about education. Now you can help guide others through the process by working as a college admissions counselor. A good counselor is very valuable and it can be a lucrative, long-term career if it’s within your sphere of interest. Admissions counselors also work with high-end private schools, so you may be able to transition into something close to home even if there isn’t a major university in your town. Admissions counseling can be a very rewarding career for those who care about students in higher education but who do not want to teach.
Education Researcher
Sometimes, the best place for someone with a mind for education is behind the scenes. If you were drawn to the research side of your program, there are jobs available for you to better make use of your skills. There are think tanks across the country that have a great deal of need for people who understand the basics of education and those with a Master’s program are incredibly sought after. If you want to spend time learning about the science behind education so that you can give advice on how it should change in the future, research may be right for you.
Project Manager
Local government is full of opportunities for people with Master’s degrees. If you have completed your degree and you’ve got experience coordinating others, you may be a perfect fit for a position managing projects for a local government. Many of the skills that you learned about managing a classroom can be used to manage government employees and your strong sense of directive-based leadership will allow you to better transition into the public sector. This is a great career path for those who are still interested in public service.
Training Program Manager
It’s very easy to translate the skills one has learned in an education program into the business world. If you’ve spent time writing syllabuses and curriculum, for example, you can take those skills and place them directly into the world of corporate training. If you don’t want to be in front of a classroom, you can take a role as the person who develops the training program itself. These skills are in high demand, but they are still relatively rare in the business world.
You don’t have to teach to get use of your Master’s degree. You can still make the most out of your education and make a difference in the world by working in these fields. With a little research, you can find a place where your passions and education collide.
