Becoming a teacher is one of the most challenging, underappreciated, yet rewarding jobs there is. Those with a passion and motivation to pursue education will face many obstacles over the course of their career, but the fulfilment that you get from making a difference in the lives of your students is something that can’t be found anywhere else.

Not only is teaching the type of job where no two days are the same, but it is more versatile than you might think regarding career opportunities. In fact, there is so much more to the world of education than just being a teacher. If you are wondering what more you might be able to do with your degree in education, here are five career paths that you might consider taking once you have earned a degree in education.

1. SEN Teacher

While it is true that there never seem to be enough qualified and quality teachers out there, this is even more the case when it comes to SEN (Special Educational Needs) teachers. These are the teachers who work specifically with students who face challenges when it comes to their education.

These challenges might relate to disabilities, whether physical or mental, or perhaps they face other obstacles like difficulties with speech or language. Some students might even face challenges in multiple areas and are therefore in need of extra support. No matter what a student’s particular SEN requirements may be, as a SEN teacher you can work to help meet such students where they are and help them to reach their full potential.

In order to become a SEN teacher, you will need some extra training and education specifically geared towards equipping you with the skills and knowledge that are needed to assist SEN students. Because there are a range of reasons that a student might be classified as SEN, you will be prepared to cater to an array of conditions and needs.

2. English as a Foreign Language Teacher

One area of education that has been on the rise in recent years is that of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). This teaching role can take various forms and structures. Some positions require you to work in a classroom setting with students who need help learning English while other opportunities involve a virtual e-learning model.

Other opportunities to teach English as a foreign language might involve relocating to a foreign country where you would work in a school instructing students in the English language. Still other programmes are designed for adults who need to learn English for some reason or another.

Your career as an EFL teacher can take many forms and will thus have different requirements depending on the route you take. There are agencies out there specifically designed to employ teachers who can teach English as a foreign language and connect them with students who live in foreign countries. Some agencies place EFL teachers in schools in other countries while others connect EFL teachers with students through online education. Lessons are conducted via video chat and scheduled several times during the week. The teacher uses a curriculum that has already been developed for such purposes.

If you want to become a teacher working to help teach English as a second language, you might not have to worry about knowing a second language yourself. While you will definitely want to have a working understanding of a certain language if you are going to relocate to another country to work as an EFL teacher, online learning agencies tend to be more lax when it comes to knowing a foreign language. Depending on what route you take, you might need to earn some additional teaching qualifications as well.

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3. Education Administration

Those who are looking to take their experiences from the classroom and use them to help guide and shape the development of education at a higher level can look into careers in education administration. All levels of education need administrators who have the understanding and skills to aid in the governing of educational institutions.

As an education administrator, you could work at the school, college, or university level. This will of course depend on the experience you already have as a teacher and the degrees that you currently hold. Generally speaking, those who want to work in administration at university level will need to have higher levels of education themselves.

Administrators in education will need to be comfortable working in a variety of areas that pertain to the smooth management of an educational institution. Things like finance, personal management, as well as health and safety, all fall under the umbrella of an education administrator’s jurisdiction.

Because there is so much involved in such a job, it is a good idea to consider your advanced degree options and the benefits of education. Even if the position that you have your eye on doesn’t specifically require an advanced degree, you might wish to acquire skills like leadership or communication in order to help you to be the best administrator that you can be.

As an administrator, you don’t necessarily have to work in a school. There are positions of this nature that need to be filled in such institutions as education consulting agencies, private training agencies, and even Ofsted. If you want to contribute to the improvement of education at the highest levels, being an education administrator is an excellent way to do so.

4. Community Education Officer

Just because you have an education degree, that doesn’t mean your career options are solely limited to working in a school. Rather, there are plenty of career paths that are available to educators that exist outside of schools. One such position is that of community education officers.

These educators work in community centres helping to educate those looking to improve themselves in areas like language and literacy skills or practical life skills. Generally located in underserved areas, community education officers can help individuals looking to improve their personal circumstances through education.

Depending upon the particular situation surrounding the position that you take, you might have to do a bit of research and request feedback from the community to see what types of classes there are interest in. Because your job is to help cater to the needs of a community, it is important that you have the skills to communicate well and patiently assist people who are looking to learn a variety of life skills.

A successful community education officer will have the skills of a teacher with a vocation to help uplift a community. It can be challenging work at times and requires flexibility and creativity. Overall, though, this is the type of job that can bring a lot of good into an underserved area.

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5. Private Tutor

Another career option that will take you out of the classroom is that of being a private tutor. If you enjoy working with students one-on-one in specific subject areas, this is definitely a job worth considering. Moreover, many private tutoring positions offer more flexibility when it comes to the schedule you keep as you have the freedom to build your schedule yourself.

Some private tutors are employed to help students who struggle in a particular subject, like maths or history. Others are employed to help a student prepare for a major test or exam. No matter what area you are proficient in, you must be able to work well with students and to patiently help them overcome the specific challenges that they face when it comes to a particular subject matter.

As a private tutor you have a few options available to you when it comes to employment. While it is possible to be self-employed, it is becoming far more common for tutors to work for an agency that connects them with students. This option does require that a percentage of your pay be given to the agency, but it is an efficient way for students and tutors to connected with one another.

When you work as a tutor, you will have to be capable of travelling to your students’ homes to work with them. Because you won’t have the luxury of your own classroom out of which to teach, you will need to take into account driving time when you are building your schedule. Furthermore, because students can generally only meet outside of regular school hours, you will have to be comfortable working during the evenings and on the weekends.

The salary opportunities available to private tutors depend on their personal level of education as well as the subjects that they instruct. Having an advanced degree might be a requirement for certain tutoring positions. For this reason, having a master’s degree might be a good option to consider.

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