Teacher Shift

Regaining Control After Landing a New Job

March 08, 2023 Alexandra Simon & JoDee Scissors Episode 49
Teacher Shift
Regaining Control After Landing a New Job
Show Notes Transcript

This week Ali and JoDee sit down with Rachel Hoefling, a former school counselor who now works remotely with a tech company. Together, they'll talk about how the transition allowed Rachel to be in full control, the resources she used to make the transition happen, and if she regrets going through a school counseling program.


Connect with Rachel:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachhoefling/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-hoefling-a56248242/


Connect with Ali and JoDee:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachershift
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teachershift
Teacher Shift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teacher-shift
Ali’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisimon/
JoDee’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodeescissors/

Website
https://www.teachershiftpodcast.com/

Episode Transcriptions
https://www.teachershiftpodcast.com/blog

Ali  0:05  
Teachers are natural innovators, entertainers and problem solvers. They dream of growing old into the profession, teaching their kids kids. But sometimes career goals shift or change, and that makes opportunities outside of the classroom seem intangible questioning who am I, if I'm not a teacher? I'm your host, Alexandra Simon.

JoDee  0:31  
And I'm your co host, JoDee Scissors.

Ali  0:34  
This is The Great Teacher Resignation.

Today, we are joined by Rachel Hoefling. Rachel is a former school counselor of four years with a passion for trauma informed care. She now works in a remote position for a tech company where she is in full control of her day, finances, and daily input and output. Welcome to the show today, Rachel.

Rachel  1:02  
Thank you guys. I'm so excited to be here.

JoDee  1:05  
We're excited to chat with you. So we're gonna just dive in headfirst, right... right now, because you have such an interesting story. And and I like the way that you really outlined some of the things that happened after you left. And the first thing I want to talk about is full control. So when I was a teacher, and I know many teachers, they have a lot of control in their daily lives in the sense that they do their planning, they kind of execute the planning, they... they make their their schedules throughout. They have some room to be able to have some control. And after I transitioned, I had a whole new outlook on like, what actually control was. So allowing breathing room in my schedule, scheduling meetings to tailor to my workload. Like, I hardly ever take a meeting before 10 or after 4, because it just doesn't work for me. I like to settle into my work and then set it up in a certain way afterwards. So what did that look like for you when you transitioned? What did full control mean to you?

Rachel  2:15  
Yeah, so being a school counselor was my first job in the workforce period. So I never had any prior professional experience of anything outside of education. And so when we would describe the students or like other staff members about like, what a school counselor's life is, like, you know, you walk in to a day that you like to have an idea of what you're doing. But you don't know if your principal is going to come with a student and there's been a major concern. You don't know if you're going to be doing a suicide assessment that day, a threat assessment that day, if you have to make a call to Child Protective Services, if you're going to have a parent that's angry about something, and if you have to defuse that situation. And then that throws off the whole plan that you maybe had set for yourself today to work on 504s. All that fun paperwork that educators know and just love. And then also just realizing when you're getting caught doing those things that you're trying to always prioritize the students. You're then getting behind on paperwork. There's things that have those deadlines, like with people, with decision makers, with stakeholders. And so now that I'm in a position where there are no occurrences that are unexpected. You know, you have full control of, Hey, you are in charge of making 30 calls a day. You just need to have these done by the end of your day. You need to set these meetings. And deciding when you want to make those calls is just such a relief compared to when you were at the mercy of other people making those decisions for you.

Ali  3:46  
So when you were a counselor, what was your counselor to student ratio?

Rachel  3:51  
Yeah, so for those who maybe don't know, ASKA, the American School Counselor Association, says that the preferred ratio is 250 to one school counselor. And for me, it was about 400 students in particular. So way over the ratio. I very rarely ever talk to a counselor that is at or below that ratio. So I was at one of the largest middle schools in the area, of the Tampa Bay area. It was definitely a challenge of trying to meet all the needs of 400 students.

JoDee  4:22  
That just threw my stomach into knots, that ratio. One of my biggest qualms with education is the ratio of counselors to students and meeting those students needs. But the way that you described how like, you know, you kind of have you go into your day with kind of this plan. But when you have so many students with so many different needs, the schedule kind of just goes out the door because you're troubleshooting in real time. Like your day... like you set up your day to, you know, be there between certain hours but you just never know what's going to happen. And I'm thinking about like I was an elementary teacher. And there were just times where unexpected things happened all the time, and you just had to pivot or be flexible, or just throw whatever you had planned out the door because a student was in crisis. And that was what mattered the most.

Rachel  5:20  
Right? Maybe it's not a crisis, but they're just coming down, and they're distraught, you know? They're needing, like those services. They're not able to calm themselves down. They don't have those self soothing skills. And so knowing that you are that person for them in order to help them regulate. Because not every student has the same emotional regulation skills. And so knowing that, if I don't take the time to work with a student now, then worse things can happen. And so maybe you're in the middle of working with another student who you don't typically see and they are in crisis. Or maybe you're in the middle of something very time sensitive, or an IEP or 504. Just that constant problem solving and managing and decision making. We talk about how teachers make 1000s of decisions a day. About if I don't do this now, what will be the long term outcome of this of the day? Of the week? If, you know, well, I get a phone call from the angry parent of why didn't you make that time to meet with my child when they came to you and they were crying? What were you talking my child about? You know, just when you are making those decisions about if I don't do this now, how will this impact my time later down the week? The month? The day?

Ali  6:27  
A lot of decisions that you're making every single day, you don't really have control of your schedule. Because you have things that you know you have to get done, like 504s and IEPS and things like that potentially. But at the same time, you have these crises. So we heard from you that you decided to make this transition from being a school counselor, and you went somewhere else. And I'm curious, what was the most important support you received when transitioning out of education?

Rachel  6:56  
So really, that first person was that helped me get to where I am now would probably be my boyfriend. He's worked in tech for a long time. And so, you know, we had been dating for a while at this point. And so he was just seeing me coming home drained. Coming home and taking a two hour something nap. And when he was done with work, he was ready to start his day. Like, let's go play golf. Let's go play tennis. Let's go enjoy life. You know, let's go live our lives. And I'm like, I'm so tired, I'm so drained, you know? Or I'd want to come home and just vent about work. And he would be there for me as much as I can. But you know, if you have a partner that's outside of education, there's just a lot of things that they don't know. And, you know, so he just had some very real talks with me of just like, you know, it seems like you're really emotionally invested in this job. It's draining you. And there's not a lot of room to move up for pay raises. So, you know, what is next for you? And so, you know, he's like, I think you'd be so great at some of these positions in tech. You have the skills like you have the time management. You have the communication skills. Is that something you've ever considered? He would just on occasion, send me jobs that he thought I'd be a fit for. And so that was really what got my wheels spinning where, you know, I'd see like the pay raises with these jobs, just the potential with these jobs, the benefits of these jobs. And so that's when I started to do my own research. I'm a millennial. So naturally, some of my research came from TikToks. I always say don't do the TikToks. I just watched the TikToks. And there were some great resources on there. And so just some of the people like I followed. One name is Anna Souter. She's a former school counselor who has left as well. There's a whole group of people that have talked about their transition outside of education and what they do. And so really just learning through other people's experiences, and just reaching out to those who were in the tech world, just to see, like, what there is for me, like, what, what I would like. And so I would say the whole process of me transitioning from when I realized, like, I don't want to do this forever in education to make the decision of what jobs I'm applying for, it was probably about nine to 12 months. Because I just didn't want to apply to a job just to get out of education. I wanted to find a job that I still was passionate about. A job that I know I could do well. And when I sat in on the interview, I was knowledgeable about the job that I was applying for. And I think that's one of the biggest things that when people are wanting to leave education, is they know that they want to leave, but they don't know what they want to do yet. And I think we're also starting to kind of see now that ed tech is starting to get a little inundated with a lot of teachers leaving and some of these roles that we've been told that are really great for teachers like customer success. I know. Another resource that I was using was Jeff Patterson on LinkedIn, who I really appreciate all the work that he's done for those transitioning teachers. He just kind of had a hard knocks post not that long ago saying that some of these positions that teachers are wanting to apply for like customer success. They have upwards to 500 applications for an edtech company. And I don't doubt that those people applying for it don't bring great skills. I just see a lot of these people on social media, whether it's TikTok, LinkedIn, that are just starting to feel how I felt when I realized I was going to have to start this school year without a new job. I was going to have to return to education in order to, you know, keep getting a paycheck. And so just really, you know, that that stuck feeling that I know that transitioning educators that once they realize that they're ready to leave, and they've done the research of what they want to do. Now, I just need a company to take a chance on me. But that's not happening, I totally understand that frustration that comes with that.

JoDee  10:40  
I want to back it up for a minute. You are a counselor as a young adult. And to me, that seems like a lot as a young adult to go into a school and have a big workload of students who come with different problems and needs. And as a young adult, sometimes we're not fully built or constructed with the strategies to be able to support such heavy loads like that. And it's also like, being a counselor is very niche. You have special training for that. And I think that your transition shows how versatile the teacher brain is, and how like you did study this specific thing. But you also, like your boyfriend, recognized certain skills in you even though you weren't formally trained in those areas. And how you were able to translate that over to Ed Tech. And that's what we see a lot of time is that teachers don't know how to really highlight those other things that they do well. They're really centered on their training and what they were trained in, other than all these other little skills that were actually helping you along the way. So when it came to like applying for jobs, how did you tweak your resume? What platforms did you use? You mentioned a few people that you saw in TikTok that you sought support from, but like, how did you get to the point of putting that on paper, and really like amplifying your skills?

Rachel  12:09  
I leaned on a couple different people with this as far as my resume. I remember showing my boyfriend my resume when I first was trying to transition it to fit the tech resume. And he laughed at me because it was over, you know, the one page. And I'm like, I don't know how to summarize all the things that we do as educators like down to, you know, the meat and potatoes. Because we just all all of us, teachers, counselors, administrators, students servicez, paras... we all just do so much. And then to be limited to four or five bullets, is so comical. So, you know, I'll be honest, I was reaching out to different people on LinkedIn. I know you guys talk about the importance of just networking, especially maybe on LinkedIn. And just asking people that were in these current positions that maybe I knew from different experiences in life, like, Hey, I see like you're in a role similar to like, what am I applying for, do you have any ideas of how I can change this verbiage on here to make it you know, seem less teachery and how to make it more techy? And so that was a good start. Again, you know, don't ever be too proud to use social media like TikTok because there are great resources that talk about certain buzzwords that are great to change that are to, to education, like to more of the corporate and tech world life. But actually, I would say what helped me get my current position was not how my resume looked. It was just solely networking. And then once I had somebody that was like, I would love to, you know, put your application in. You know, let me see your resume. I'll tell you how you need to word it. So it's really, the key part, was identifying people that could help network with me to get a position, and then them knowing how to change the resume. And that's something else that I know Jeff Patterson has talked about is just not blindly submitting a resume, because oftentimes, it does get overlooked. And, you know, then that's when we get frustrated. And we keep spinning time changing our resume and changing our resume, versus that time that can be used with networking, connecting with these people that can help us word our resume to how it needs to be done.

Ali  14:25  
Yeah, and I think there's a lot of teachers listening right now who are probably feeling like they don't have that network. They don't know those people to get in their resume to a specific employer. Maybe that they're interested in working for. Maybe there's a certain company, they'd love to be in that space. So I think using what you've shared, which is really social media, LinkedIn, to try to network with people. And I think it could start small. We've had another guest on the show that talked about, you know, just commenting on posts, from people that you're following, or people that you've connected with on LinkedIn. And then you know, eventually building up to being able to send more of a private message or something like that to them. So that can be super helpful. But I do also want to say, the world is who you know, absolutely. However, don't feel defeated if you don't know someone. I think there's also some really good advice that Rachel gave, which is check when you're applying through LinkedIn or other search engines if they say how many applications have been received. When we do apply Thursday, the jobs that we share with you, we always make sure that there's no more than 200 applicants. And normally, it's way less than that. I try to stick around 50 max, when we're putting that list together. Because you do want to make sure that when you submit your application, your resume that it gets in the right hands. That being said, the first two jobs I got outside of teaching, I didn't know anybody. And the first job, they actually asked me after I started, someone said to me, so how'd you get this opportunity? Who did you know? Because I was young. I was I think 24 at the time. And they're like, Were your parents on the board here? It was a nonprofit. And I was like, No, I just, I just submitted my application and my cover letter. But that was, that was probably over 10 years ago, the game has changed. So it's really key, that while you can submit applications, for sure. And I think still get a job. That's absolutely possible. Networking can just help it happen quicker. Can help you secure a job quicker and make sure it's the right industry in the right job for you, which Rachel did such a good job explaining of that. Like, don't leave teaching...just don't rush into something else. Make sure you really spent time researching it. You've spent time understanding the role, the responsibility people in that field, because that's so helpful. You'd hate to step into something else, and then immediately be looking for another job if you're unhappy with it. So those were wonderful tips.

Rachel  16:54  
And just to add off of what we've talked about with networking. The person that referred me off to my company, I had never met in person. She is somebody that added me on LinkedIn, I saw that she had a position title of something I was looking for a sales development representative. And so I remember earlier that day, I was on the way home from work, crying as a school counselor. I'm like, I don't know how much longer I can do this. I need out. And I don't know what to do. I've done all these right things. I've applied 100 something jobs. I've changed my resume. I've reached out to people on LinkedIn. And, you know, the people I'd reached on LinkedIn, when I asked how they got their job in edtech, or any tech company, like, Well, my friend works for them, or my aunt works for them. And so you know, they had direct connections. And so I go on my LinkedIn for the day. And I see that this person sends me a request with the title sales development representative. So I immediately reach out to them. I'm like, Hey, I see that you do what I would like to do. You know, do you have any tips for me of how to get in? She's like, Yeah. You seem like you have a lot of great experience as a school counselor. Like, I'd be more than happy to sit down helps you like set up your resume. And if you would like to apply for our company, I'd be more than happy to put your resume through. And so that's how I was able to get an interview with my current position, and then obviously accept once I was offered. So, you know, it wasn't somebody that I knew. And I always say that this person is just... we chat now that we're now officially co workers, and I'm like, You're this God sent angel, when I was... when I was at my wit's end of just like, I don't know how much more I can take. And I can't leave my job financially as a school counselor. And just that bottom of the barrel feeling and then knowing that just a random fluke. You know, I still don't even know why this person added me, but they did. And how life changing that really was for me.

JoDee  18:46  
I would really love to sit down with that person and ask, Why did you take a chance on this person that was a counselor? And why did you carve out time that you had never even allotted to help you? That is really awesome. We'd love to see just general non educators connecting with teachers and and really like championing for them. Because she obviously had like a little soft spot for your situation. But those are some of the interviews we want to have or, or stories we want to hear too is because there are people that take a chance on you even if they're strangers.

Rachel  19:28  
Absolutely. I remember speaking with her before my interview, and I was trying to find the exact message but just how much she empowered me. She was like you do one of the hardest jobs. You can nail this interview. You have the skills. You have more than the skills needed for this job. And so the way she just filled me up and just prepared me for applying for this job that you would have never thought that a teacher could have been applicable for, a school counselor could have been applicable for. And believing in me, which is what in turn helped me believe myself to do well on that interview. And then also the whole interview panel with my company. You know, they didn't ask anything that, you know, I thought was unfair to ask. They really praised, you know, like my work in education. And, you know, I believe they've also have hired other teachers as well. And just, you know, relating the questions of what you would do in the job as an SDR to your prior experience. I felt like it was so fair and so well connected, you know, as far as just ask me about my experience and caring about my experience, you know? And then them being able to make that articulation to how the communication skills that all educators have, not just a school counselor, and how that can be applied to an SDR position and the daily communication that you're doing with customers and prospects.

Ali  20:49  
I want to know, what are the top three things that you do in your new role that other educators would be great at to?

Rachel  20:56  
Social awareness. Just knowing that when you're calling a customer, an accounts, a prospect. Just being able to identify, are they in the mood to be on this phone call right now? Are they in the mood to communicate with me? Or is now bad timing? Or are they just somebody that, you know, just being aware of how they're feeling. And then realizing if it's a good idea to continue on with what you need to do and connect them to the resources that they need. Or if you need to revisit with them at a different time. And then the other two things, you know, just communication skills. I think, in any job, whether it's tech sales, or consulting, or account management, you know, being able to just know how to use proper language. And when I say proper language, you know, having those conflict resolution skills of knowing to defuse a situation or how your language can prevent a situation from escalating. And then for my third, I would just say, you know, having resiliency. There's always going to be that one or two customer prospect that may not give you the response that you wanted. And as educators, we have all definitely had responses from parents, or students or, you know, maybe unfortunate another colleague that it didn't go as, like as much as we would have liked it to have gone. But knowing that there's always another chance to keep moving forward. So I would say that resiliency of just being tough when those hard things happen, and work.

JoDee  22:24  
Reachers are resilient. That is for sure. All of those things are really, really excellent. Thank you for sharing. And I have to say like, it sounds like everybody needs a little bit of counseling, training. Like, would we all be better people, if we were trained counselors, a little bit in some way? Teacher training helps us like understand the world better, empathize with situations, understand people better, but that like extra level of counselor training, like I just feel like that is so needed.

Rachel  22:55  
You know, my parents asked me when I made the switch. And my parents were supportive when I became a school counselor, and they were supportive when I decided to make the transition to leave to go into tech. And, you know, my mom asked me, she was like, Do you regret going through a school counseling program? And I was like, Absolutely not. My school counseling program just had the best professors, just the best curriculum that just taught me not only how to just have better communication skills, but to be a better partner, to be a better daughter, to be a better friend, to be a better sibling. So you know, I definitely take my experiences from my counseling program, and I feel like they're applicable to not even just professionally but just personally as well.

Ali  23:37  
Absolutely. And I feel similarly about having been a teacher. You know, I thought about that question the other day. We've never asked anybody on the show that question. But no, because the experience that we had in a school made us the people that we are today. And it's an amazing first career. Like all the things that you learned for those four plus years when you were a school counselor, you're using those right now in your job in tech. And I'm so glad that our listeners got to hear about your story. And to learn some tips from you. Listeners. If you want to connect with Rachel, you can find her on Instagram at Rachel Hoefling and on LinkedIn under Rachel Hoefling. Find the spelling in the show notes.

If you liked The Great Teacher Resignation, give us a five star rating and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and Audible. Today's episode was written and recorded by me Alexandra Simon, and my co host JoDee Scissors. Executive produced by Teacher Brain. Produced and edited by Emily Porter. Original Music: Emoji by Tubebackr. Special thanks to our sponsor, Paper Planes Ed.