Dear Kate & Dale: Do you have any ideas to help a schoolteacher who is interested in leaving teaching? – Shari

Kate: Years ago I did a project for Newsday working with people who wanted to find their dream jobs. These were ordinary, everyday people who did not have going for them what you have going for you as a teacher, Shari. One administrative assistant wanted to work with animals. A guy who was a paralegal wanted to work in sports. I worked with them for a few weeks, and their progress was astounding. What I want you to understand is that every person has unique skills and interests.

Dale: Shari was probably wondering about the most logical path out of teaching. That would be corporate training. Teaching, training – makes sense. Or so it seems. If you didn’t like teaching, would you like training? I’d argue that the most logical path out of teaching is not training, but sales. You might think that teacher and salesperson are markedly different “types,” but that’s not so. The best salespeople are educators.

Kate: Every teacher has a certain knowledge base, and while there is a sales career related to most knowledge bases, there are other options to consider. In fact, Shari might decide to surprise everyone by following a hidden dream.

Dale: I hope so. But a lot of people still need to discover their career dream. If that’s true for you, Shari, I’d suggest you start by setting a goal to speak with 25 former teachers. Not only will you discover the amazing diversity of careers but you will also be developing a base of contacts, people who will be sympathetic to your goal.