24 May 2026 · 5 min read · By Harriet
Teachers ask me this constantly. 'What should I do instead?' Here's my honest take on the most common career changes I see — and the one I think is genuinely the best.
The popular options (and the honest truth about each)
Civil service — stable, decent pension, but the hours can be longer than you think and you'll likely take a pay cut. Corporate L&D — good fit for some, but you're back in someone else's calendar. Curriculum writing — flexible, undervalued financially. EdTech — competitive and you'll need to relearn how interviews work.
All viable. None of them give you the one thing teachers consistently say they want most after leaving — control of their own time.
Why tutoring keeps winning
You already have the skills. You can start in weeks not years. You set the hours. You set the price. You work with children again, but on terms that actually let you do the job well. The income ceiling is higher than almost any salaried role you could move into.
And — crucially — you don't have to ask anyone's permission ever again.
Who shouldn't tutor
Honestly? Teachers who don't want to teach anymore. If you've come to dislike children specifically — not the system — tutoring isn't the answer. Most teachers, though, still love the children. They just hate the rest. Tutoring removes the rest.
Want a full breakdown of the options?
I help teachers work out exactly which exit route suits them — and how to plan it — inside The Ultimate Teacher Exit Plan. Find out more here: /the-course
Want the full step-by-step? See The Ultimate Teacher Exit Plan — the complete course for teachers leaving the classroom.
