Career Change

[baltyre]

I've worked in the finance industry for almost 5 years. I make a nice salary, but I don't find the work rewarding (Long hours, office politics, the work can be tedious at times, layoffs in the back of your mind, etc.....) I am thinking of becoming a teacher, it would be a big pay cut, but the work would be more rewarding and the career less stressful.

I think my first step is to study for GRE's so I can attend Grad School. I have enough money saved so I can attend full time in September. Is it too late for me to apply for September? What else do I need to know about Grad School? Any comments about the career change?

 

[Cruise]

Yeah. Some good friends of mine are teachers.

Consider that you're going to have to not only make the homework and curriculum for your students, but you're also going to have to spend your time after school grading papers, which in many instances can get just as taxing as doing homework yourself.

Plus... at least over here in California, teachers have been striking because of a lack of benefits.

You should try being a sub for a good enough time that you get a feel for what the job detail is and how that would fit with your vision.

Peace.

 

[Adone]

I don't know any teacher that is happy to be one and I'm dead on serious.

Plus, I don't know what teachers' salaries are in America, but in Italy, this post sounds like a joke. A high school teacher over here earns around 25.000$ a year at the beginning of his career (but if we exclude taxes, you get only 17.000$) and 28.000$ at the end. In finance, you usually start at around 30.000$ and your salary rises up really fast.

 

[stuartSan]

I am an educator so I guess we'd be in the same industry after you make the change.

Funny how as a teacher, I think the same things about long hours, tedious work, and being laid off.

If it's hours you don't like.. DON'T ever teach. You have to bring your work home (grading papers, constructing a flow for your class, extra activities).

But hey, if it's what you like to do, then go for it. You'd be happy. If it's just something you wanna try, then I suggest you try doing something you love more.

 

[BacardiGuy]

If you aren't prone towards long hours, politics, tedious work, and layoffs, I can't see why you'd want to be a teacher aside from the reward of helping kids succeed.

 

[TheMainMan]

Why not become a university lecturer?

Probably better pay than teaching, easy hours and loads of fit girls on campus!

 

[Don Juan Montoya]

Finance industry is the best industry to be in...big $$$......honored profession.......lots of jobs......i wish i was in finance/banking, thats where the $$$ is at.

 

[baltyre]

Thanks for all the replies, it may well be a classic case of "the grass is greener on the other side".

However, teachers do get the entire summer off and several long vacations. This is definitely more days off than in the business world. Also, once they have tenure they cannot be fired. In the northeast, they make pretty good salaries if they have a Masters +75 (I know a teacher in her late 30's who has the maximum education and makes close to 6 figures).

I also have plenty of pressure to finish my projects under certain timeframes in the business world, it appears teachers don't have as much of this (though they do have different things causing stress, such as parents and unruly students).

Overall, it's a tough decision, and I will never be rich if I choose to be a teacher, but then different things have different meanings to me. I just want a decent living and time to enjoy it.

 

[Centaurion]

Sh!t, you guys should move over here if you want to be a teacher. My senior high school teachers made about 70,000 USD/year. But they also had 2 master degrees (ie, my PE teacher had a BA in physiology and a Master in social science).