4 career paths for ESL teachers - And how to get there

If you are a driven, ambitious ESL teacher thinking about growth opportunities and your next steps in terms of professional growth, or if you love the ESL field but have been feeling a bit stuck in a rut, this post is for you! Having experienced these four areas myself I thought about sharing tips and ideas for those needing a little guidance in terms of professional growth. Let's dive in!

1. Curriculum Development and Instructional Design

This path involves creating educational content, lesson plans, and materials for language learning. It can range from designing classroom resources to developing online courses and digital learning experiences. I suggest this path for teachers who consider themselves highy creative, full of ideas and always knowing where to find the right sources. This path is also great if you are looking to step aside from the spotlights of teaching and would like cozier opportunities that are often completely remote and usually self-paced.

• Entry-Level Jobs (start here if you have little or no experience and no specific training): Content Developer or Lesson Plan Creator (often freelance or part-time roles).Assistant Curriculum Designer for educational publishers or online learning platforms.
• Mid-Level Jobs: Curriculum Specialist or Instructional Designer for schools, educational organizations, or edtech companies.
• Advanced-Level Jobs (this could be your long-term goal): Head of Curriculum Development or Lead Instructional Designer at larger organizations or publishers.
• Training and Development: Courses in Instructional Design (e.g., a certificate in Instructional Design or UX Design for Learning- also called LX).Training in eLearning Authoring Tools (like Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate).Familiarity with Learning Management Systems (LMS), like Moodle or Blackboard.

2. Teacher Training and Professional Development

This path focuses on training and mentoring other ESL teachers, developing workshops, webinars, and courses for educators. This is a great career path if your passion is helping fellow teachers succeed and love sharing tips and resources for classes. Personally, this has been the most rewarding so far since it combines the pursuit of constant learning and development, the creativity to design the right learning experience for teachers, and the fulfillment that comes from encouraging and helping others succeed. The way I started when I had no experience in the area was quite simple: I identified something I was good at and other teachers were struggling with, I designed a short training session and offered it to the coordination team at the institute where I worked. They loved it, and appreciated the proactivity as well.

• Entry-Level Jobs: Teacher Trainer Assistant or Workshop Facilitator in local teacher associations or ESL training centers.
• Mid-Level Jobs: Teacher Trainer or Professional Development Coordinator at language schools, colleges, or educational NGOs.
• Advanced-Level Jobs: Director of Teacher Training or Head of Professional Development in larger educational institutions or international organizations.
• Training and Development: Advanced certifications like Cambridge Delta or a TESOL Diploma.Train the Trainer programs. Pursuing a Master's in Education or TESOL with a focus on teacher education.

3. Educational Management and Administration

This path involves overseeing academic programs, managing teams of teachers, and ensuring the quality of language education services. This path is great for those with high organization skills and operational capacity. If you are capable of setting goals, identifying what needs to get done in order to achieve them, and break it down into actionable steps, then this is the path I suggest. There is a whole area of quality management as well, which is perfect if you have a keen eye for detail and thrive within a more structured type of work. This is the path I'm currently at, and speaking as someone coming from the creative field, the learning curve has been steep but definitely worth it.

• Entry-Level Jobs: Academic Coordinator or Program Assistant in language schools or educational NGOs.
• Mid-Level Jobs: Director of Studies or Academic Manager in language schools, international schools, or educational companies. Project Manager or Operations Manager for languages programmes or institutes.
• Advanced-Level Jobs: Principal or Dean of Studies at colleges, private schools, or higher education institutions. Project or Programme Lead at international organizations.
• Training and Development:Training in Educational Leadership or Project Management.Certifications in Education Management or School Administration.A Master's in Educational Leadership or an MBA with a focus on education.

4. EdTech and Online Education

This path focuses on leveraging technology for language learning, including creating online content, teaching via digital platforms, and managing virtual learning environments. I highly suggest this path if you are tech-savvy and get easily bored of traditional, teacher-centered class design. Also, this path has many contact points with 1. and 2., so feel free to explore positions and opportunities that combines those areas as well. This path in particular is also suggested if you feel excited about digital tools and gamifying experiences. You will also need some boldness to try what has not been done before- like the time I developed training sessions in the Metaverse. Super fun and enriching, would totally do it again.

• Entry-Level Jobs: Online ESL Tutor or Content Creator for edtech startups or online platforms.
• Mid-Level Jobs: EdTech Specialist or Product Manager in online learning companies (this one in particular is a great opportunity! There are definitely not enough Product Managers specialized in this area, and every EdTech project will need one).
• Advanced-Level Jobs: Head of Digital Learning or Chief Learning Officer for larger edtech companies or educational institutions.
• Training and Development: Courses on Educational Technology and Digital Pedagogy. Training in Data Analytics for Education.Certifications in Product Management or User Experience (UX) Design for learning platforms. A little background in basic programming also comes in very handy!

I hope you find these ideas useful, feel free to share your comments or suggestions if you are transitioning into any of these. Whatever you do, don't settle! Keep growing and experiencing different paths until you find the right one for you!