It’s a competitive hiring environment out there, and every business and startup wants to hire and retain the best talent. From MBAs to coding geniuses, sales gurus to IT wizards, there are a lot of different desirable hires to choose from. There is one group that is consistently overlooked, however, even though they shouldn’t be. That group is comprised of former teachers.
Let’s take a look at five reasons you might want to move applicants with teaching experience further up on your list of preferred hires.
Teachers Practice Diplomacy
Very few working environments require as much patience, forethought, and diplomacy as teaching. Not only do teachers have to comply with state requirements, but they must also keep parents and administrators happy while navigating the difficult waters of student relations. This level of diplomatic experience can benefit your business when it comes to balancing the needs of regulators, customers, and shareholders.
Teachers Understand Persuasive Selling
When a good teacher stands in front of a classroom to deliver a lecture about their subject, they aren’t just talking–they are selling. They have a practiced way of drawing students into the content and selling them on its importance. They can transfer this skill to selling your product or service to clients who may not have known they needed it.
Teachers Are Dedicated and Patient
Motivating students to work in class and complete homework is a challenge that few people can accomplish, but teachers do it every day. Not only do they encourage students to do work they probably don’t want to do, but they also keep students focused in class, and go over the same material multiple times to prepare students for upcoming testing. All of this takes the kind of patience that can chip away at a stone–the kind of patience your business could really benefit from.
Teachers Are Masters of Communication
Teachers can’t just talk; they must also listen. They have to learn to read between the lines of what students tell them so that they can determine if there are other problems outside of school interrupting the student’s work. It’s these highly developed skills of listening and interpreting that make teachers masters of communication–a skill that can benefit both your business and clients.
Teachers Have Tremendous Organizational Skills
No matter if they teach elementary, middle or high school, teachers are required to keep a complex system of grades, student notes, lessons plans, and feedback. They then need to be able to access this information at any time to satisfy reporting or parent-teacher conference needs. Bringing these organizational skills to your business can help you increase both the efficiency and accuracy of your company’s work.
Teachers are some of the least appreciated heroes in our workforce. I urge you to seek out a qualified education professional for your business and you’ll be amazed how well their skills transfer.
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