Husband is a Teacher - Wants to Quit

nicechap

joannestar12 wrote: »

Hi

In short, Can anyone tell me the best way for effective job hunting?

Background - my husband is a teacher but over the last 12 months he has started to hate his job. Regularly comes home upset, very pale, stressed and tonight said that he is pulling a sicky (totally unlike him - he is a really hard working, honest people but end of his tether).

I wish he could see that he has a lot of transferable skills and would believe in himself but he has been a teacher for most of his career (he is 37 now) but he refuses to actively job hunt for another career because he says that he is financially trapped. He earns about 42K a year and we have a newborn and 2 other children under 6.

I have worked in local authorities so I am familiar with them, but I want him to cast a wider net. Can anyone offer any advice, bit of a trip into the unknown but he has lost all of his confidence.

Thanks for your help/

In your partner's situation, the most effective job hunting tool would be national careers advice service.

https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk


Has your partner heard of this organisation? Might have some practical help whilst they are still teaching.

https://www.educationsupportpartnership.org.uk/helping-you/information-advice


There seems to be a continual crisis in teaching - 4 out 10 leave within 5 years of qualifying. Modern teaching is nothing like the days of Mr Chips. 13 weeks holiday is a fallacy with preparation, marking, reports, and whatever the latest government wheeze is.

My wife became very disillusioned with teaching and left main stream teaching and moved into 'teaching other than at school", she was employed by local authority to teach children in their home (really sick children with cancer and the like, and those with massive social anxiety/ school refusers). It was a new lease of life for her, she found it incredibly rewarding despite the pay cut.

Lastly there are the job websites like Indeed and Monster. Your partner will have lots of transferable skills (people management, presentation skills, problem solving, computer literate) and be of an educational standard to achieve a similar standard of living but is unlikely to do that straight away in a new career due to lack of experience in the new sector. One exception might be sales (estate agents, motor cars etc) but he would need to the personality, chutzpah and luck to do that.

Good luck in whatever they decide.

eamon

I've been watching a tv program "School" and if its any indicator of how many schools are today then I can understand how the mental health of the OP's husband has taken a battering.

I can't imagine it been much fun dreading an Ofsted inspection, The constant threat of being downgraded into special measures and forced into Academy status. Children that don't want to be there, stroppy parents and all your resources (including money) stretched and cut to breaking point.

I think he needs to get out.

Les79

I know you haven't posted since, but I'll still add in my 2 cents:

joannestar12 wrote: »

Hi

In short, Can anyone tell me the best way for effective job hunting?

The best way is to have an idea as to what you want to do/achieve and go find a job.

Background - my husband is a teacher but over the last 12 months he has started to hate his job. Regularly comes home upset, very pale, stressed and tonight said that he is pulling a sicky (totally unlike him - he is a really hard working, honest people but end of his tether).

May be a good shout approaching your GP. They may be able to give some further advice from the health perspective.

I wish he could see that he has a lot of transferable skills and would believe in himself

He probably knows, deep down, but probably just has low self esteem.

but he has been a teacher for most of his career (he is 37 now) but he refuses to actively job hunt for another career because he says that he is financially trapped. He earns about 42K a year and we have a newborn and 2 other children under 6.

Not quite a red flag, but more of an amber one...


You've just started a family and gone at it quite fast to rack up 3 kids in less than 6 years! He was in his early 30s when this was all decided and he probably thought that he had it all sussed out; a clear route to a secure 42k+ job and a steady family.


Now he's having these flashes of doubts.....


I think you should probably sit down with him and run through some financial scenarios if he were to end up taking a significant pay cut. I mean, he probably won't leave you or anything but he has sort of shackled himself down here and it is sometimes hard to determine whether resentment could seep a bit deeper. That "financially trapped" could turn into "life trapped". Anyone who draws in 42k for their family is in a good position and sometimes they need to "learn" how to cope with taking a pay cut.

I have worked in local authorities so I am familiar with them, but I want him to cast a wider net. Can anyone offer any advice, bit of a trip into the unknown but he has lost all of his confidence.

Thanks for your help/

Others on here have covered this.