Vanessa Notes


As a proud mom, I recently celebrated my youngest son’s graduation from his welding program. Watching him step confidently into a career-focused path reminded me how important it is to embrace diverse opportunities for success. It's also a little bittersweet to watch my youngest finish his formal schooling.
While society often emphasizes college as the only key to the future, seeing my son’s achievements has made me appreciate the value of skilled trades. It’s a reminder that everyone’s journey looks different—and that’s something to celebrate.  

 

Translating Teaching Skills into Corporate Success

Transitioning from education to corporate work can feel daunting, especially when faced with the jargon and expectations of a new environment. However, as a former teacher, you already possess many of the skills needed to succeed—you just might not realize it. The key lies in translating your experience into corporate language.

For instance, let’s talk about the role of a lead teacher. While “lead teacher” might resonate within the education field, it doesn’t convey much to a businessperson. However, if you reframe your responsibilities, you’re describing a high-level leadership role. For example:

  • Instead of “led a department,” say, “Conveyed upper management goals and key performance indicators (KPIs), aligned delivery methods for curriculum, and analyzed data in an agile environment to drive decision-making.”
    This demonstrates your ability to manage teams, execute strategic plans, and make data-driven decisions—valuable skills in any industry.

When writing your résumé, focus on results-oriented descriptions. Highlight times you led initiatives, solved problems, or achieved specific goals. For instance, rather than saying, “Developed lesson plans,” you might write, “Designed and implemented dynamic learning experiences, resulting in a 15% increase in student engagement.”

One big hurdle we often face is recognizing their value. Corporate America, much like academic textbooks, tends to wrap simple concepts in complex language. A task you consider second nature—like facilitating collaboration or analyzing data—is often highly valued in other fields.

Here’s an actionable step to get started: think of moments in your teaching career when you showcased leadership, innovation, or problem-solving. Write these stories down. For each one, consider what skills you used and how they contributed to success. Then, reframe them in terms a businessperson would understand. 

 

RECOMMENDATION: George Carlin’s “Stuff” Comedy Routine
Looking for a laugh and some perspective on what’s truly necessary in life? George Carlin’s famous routine on “stuff” is a hilarious reminder to simplify. While it’s NSFW (not safe for work), it’s worth the watch. It might even inspire you to reassess what’s truly essential for your own life and career transitions. [Watch George Carlin talk about Stuff on Youtube ]

 

TIP OF THE WEEK: 
Let me set the stage with a question: Are you the type who blocks out your entire day for one afternoon appointment, convinced there’s no time for anything else? Or are you more like Mr. Incredible, squeezing in extra tasks because you think, “I’ve got time,” even if you're cutting it close?

Today's tip is all about creating brain space by managing your time more realistically. Start by timing your tasks. For example, I once thought a quick trip to FedEx would take an hour, but it only took 19 minutes! We often mentally overestimate how long tasks will take, which increases anxiety and procrastination.

This brings me to the one-minute rule: if a task takes less than a minute, just do it. It's a great way to fight clutter, whether at home or at work. We tend to avoid tasks because we assume they’ll be time-consuming, but most of the time, they’re not as bad as we think.

Timing your tasks isn’t just about efficiency; it’s about freeing up mental energy and making room for what truly matters by freeing you the anxiety and guilt that so often accompanies procrastination.  Your challenge this week: Pick one task you’ve been putting off, set a timer, and tackle it. You'll likely find it takes less time than you imagined, giving you more mental space to focus on what's important.

 
4o


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