Working in the education sector is notoriously difficult for a whole variety of reasons. Balancing administration with hands-on work, listening to challenging opinions about your profession from the public, handling complex problems brought to you by students, parents, and colleagues alike; this area is not for the faint of heart. However, it is also an incredibly valuable and rewarding sector to work in, especially for people best suited to the many different roles within the field. Depending on your interests, skills, and area of expertise, you could be a teacher, a tutor, a professor, or any number of vital behind-the-scenes roles. If you still aren’t convinced whether or not you should pursue a career in the education sector, continue reading.
You Are Driven
As mentioned already, education in its many forms can be a hugely challenging area of work. Those most likely to succeed in this area and make a positive difference in people’s lives are those who are driven by something within themselves rather than external judgment. Of course, as anyone working in education would tell you, there will be regular assessment and inspection to ensure that you and your colleagues are performing to standard. However, the ideal people in education aren’t purely motivated by these factors. If you have the drive to succeed and the ability to choose your own goals, then perhaps a career in education would suit your personality.
You Are Caring
Despite the necessity for people with an internal drive and tenacity, education also requires people with compassion and a nurturing side. Deciding to work in education only for the opportunity for progression and achievement leaves out hugely important qualities required for whatever role you choose. Education is about passing on knowledge and, whichever form this takes, means the people involved must care about the processes of sharing knowledge, protecting students, and maintaining the integrity of the sector. Someone who doesn’t care about these things won’t get far in an education career.
You Think Ahead
Education is about the future. Humans are unique in that they can share information without relying on evolution and the genetic passing on of instincts to further the knowledge of the species. Our ability to communicate in detail and about experiences we haven’t necessarily had ourselves means that within generations, the increased curve of knowledge is exponential. Working in education, you will be keeping an eye on the future while supporting and adjusting the present for more positive outcomes. Whether this means looking ahead to exam season or to the progression of humanity as a whole, thinking ahead is an excellent quality for these types of careers.
You Value Knowledge
There are some cynical members of the education community who chose their careers based on faulty assumptions or simply to serve themselves, which becomes evident over time in their work. For example, teachers with no passion for knowledge are often disliked by their students, colleagues, or both, due to their passive approach to education. If you value knowledge, which an online masters degree in education certainly proves, then there’s a strong chance you would be an excellent member of the education community.
You Can Adapt
Depending, of course, on which exact career path within the education sector you choose, there’s a strong possibility you will need to be extremely adaptable and confident in making quick decisions. The ability to adapt to new situations and consider alternative ways of thinking and problem solving are essential for good educators who see themselves contributing to the education sector for many years. Sticking with ideas that no longer fit a changing framework is dangerous and unhelpful since it can hold you back from making brave and innovative changes to your methods of working. For example, if a particular school in a district is underperforming compared to similar institutions, a good educational director would be able to identify the unique issues and adapt solutions for individual cases. If you can adapt to different circumstances and introduce new ideas into your thinking, then you’ll most likely be a welcome addition to education.
You See Potential for Positive Change
As mentioned previously, there are always people in any sector with a limiting sense of cynicism that impacts the quality of their work. Often this cynicism can express itself as an unwillingness or inability to see the potential for positive change. This can apply to anything from the change in the abilities of an individual student to the change in society’s approach to education as a whole. Since education is significantly focused on improving the future of individuals and society through building knowledge, it makes sense that those with hope for positive change are better able to implement and encourage this change. There’s nothing wrong with noticing issues with the current state of education in any form, but the important part is being able to visualize a path to improvement.
You Enjoy People
Although this may not be applicable to each role that comes under the education umbrella, most positions will require you to be comfortable interacting with different people on a daily basis. If you choose a role that deals directly with students, be they children, teenagers, or adults, then your social skills will be put to use every day you work. This doesn’t mean you must be a gregarious extrovert to succeed as an educator, but a willingness to spend time with people and collaborate with them is vital.
You Have Versatile Skills
There are so many different skills required within the education sector. Determined, hardworking people help to achieve and set important goals, whereas optimistic and forward-thinking people are great at seeing the bigger picture and mapping out ways to improve. The education sector is so diverse and requires so many different kinds of people to fulfill different roles that your skills will most likely find somewhere to shine. If you believe that what you have is worth sharing with others in order to bring about positive change and an increased collective knowledge, then choosing a career in education just might be a very wise decision.
