How to Quit Teaching to Become a Key Worker

This post may contain affiliate links which means we may receive a commission for purchases made through our recommended links. We will only recommend products or services that we have personally used or that members of our community are currently using. This is of absolutely no cost to you, the company we recommend may pay us a small fee for linking you with them and this helps us with the running costs of our website. Learn more through our Private Policy and Affiliate Disclaimer pages.

Discover how Lara Elliott successfully quit teaching, stepped into a fulfilling career as a key worker and is now a Team Leader. Follow her journey and learn about the challenges she faced, the transferable skills she uses daily, and her tips for fellow teachers considering a career change. Lara Elliott is a former teacher who has worked in early childhood, primary, and adult education. Lara has embarked on an inspiring journey from Classroom to Keyworker, a fulfilling career transition to become a Key Worker in the disability sector. Her story is one of resilience, adaptability, and passion for making a difference in the lives of children and families.

Career Transition Journey

Lara’s career journey began in long day-care settings, where she honed her skills in nurturing young minds. Her teaching career then expanded to TAFE and primary school, but after more than a decade in temporary roles, she sought the security of a permanent position, especially after starting a family. Dissatisfied with the lack of permanent options at her last teaching job, she decided to explore new opportunities, something many teachers can relate to and understand.

An advertisement for a Key Worker role caught her attention. The prospect of utilising her teaching experience and working in both remote and community settings appealed to her. This career shift turned out to be the best decision she ever made. Now, two years into the role, Lara wakes up each day excited to go to work and has found the passion she was lacking in education, Lara described, “It was the greatest career move I have made, and 2 years into the role I wake up each day happy to go to work, where there is a different challenge and location each day.” Hearing her passion and desire to help others really shines through in the way she describes her role as a Key Worker.

Challenges Faced and Overcome

While transitioning into her role as a Key Worker, the biggest challenge Lara encountered was not leaving teaching but entering a relatively new field within the disability space. She found it enjoyable to explain the intricacies of her role to help others understand what is required and to understand the complexity of the role. The involvement of early intervention for young children and how this varies depending on the individual needs of the client. Lara sees this as an opportunity to promote best practices in the field and to educate others. “The challenge isn’t so much transitioning out of teaching, but into a role of Keyworker where it is still new in the disability space. I enjoy explaining this to colleagues and others as the best practice for Early intervention for young children.”

Transferable Skills from Teaching

Lara’s teaching background provided her with a wealth of transferable skills that proved invaluable in her new career. The ability to listen, empathise, understand, coach, and refer are skills that seamlessly translate into her daily practice. “For example, when supporting a 4-year-old with the transition to school, understanding the access request process, school meetings and further assessments are very useful to further support families with this transition.” Having a teaching and early childhood background allows Lara to understand the needs of children who are before school age and heading into school age. She knows what is expected in the classroom from the early years and can help create programs to better support her clients and their families. As a Key Worker, Lara serves as the primary support and guide for families while also benefiting from the expertise of other disability specialists like occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and speech pathologists. This multidisciplinary collaboration enhances the quality of support provided to the participants.

Continuous Learning and Skill Development

To thrive in her new career, Lara recognised the importance of continuous learning. She actively engages in professional development, focusing on areas such as sensory processing, trauma-informed care, coaching, and speech therapy strategies. As a teacher, Lara gained knowledge that could help support her clients however she has continued this learning to add more depth. Lara’s toolkit has expanded further through webinars, podcasts, and company-led training sessions. This commitment to learning has allowed her to adapt to the evolving needs of the individuals and families she works with. As teachers, we appreciate the role of continual learning and this is something Lara has embraced in her new career enjoying learning new skills as she describes, these just add to her “toolbox of strategies” so she can best support her clients.

Resume and Cover Letter Tips

When updating her resume and cover letter for non-teaching positions, Lara put thought into highlighting her one-on-one child-related interactions and family support experiences. She included case studies showcasing her expertise in child development and disabilities. This approach emphasised the relevance of her teaching background to her new role. She outlined the transferable skills from teaching she could leverage in her career as a key worker, and she highlighted how her outstanding relationships with her students and their families would be a key part of her new role.

Networking and Professional Connections

Lara proactively expanded her professional network by actively participating in company-led networking groups and attending industry meetings. These deliberate connections empowered her to exchange valuable experiences, garner essential support, and remain at the forefront of industry trends. Her strategic commitment to nurturing a robust professional network has played a pivotal role in facilitating her successful career transition.

Resources to Quit teaching and become a key worker

Lara recommends resources from organisations like Early Childhood Intervention Australia (ECIA), ReImagine (Early Intervention NSW), Noah’s Ark, Hanen, and early childhood intervention resources from the United States. She also highlights the growing awareness of neurodivergence and the research in this area as valuable resources for professionals in the field. Our blog posts, ‘Transitioning from Teaching to Key Worker in Australia’ and Exciting Career Transition: Australian Teacher to Key Worker‘ offer more detail and perspective on how to move into the Key worker career path.

Staying Motivated and Resilient

Lara’s motivation during her career transition was ignited by the exhilaration of embracing a new role in a completely different industry. “Learning a new role within a different industry was very interesting for me, and I was excited and motivated to be the best I could be. Learning from disability specialists is quite a different approach to learning from teachers and it was enlightening to see the strengths-based approach and support in the community, which is enabling families to be involved directly in the therapy process.” This experience of learning from diverse professionals broadened Lara’s professional horizons, providing her with a fresh and insightful perspective on her career journey.

Quit Teaching and see the benefits

One surprising discovery Lara made was her natural leadership ability. Her skills have evolved in different ways, and she has had opportunities to develop professionally that were unlikely to occur as a temporary teacher. She is now a mentor to disability specialists and leads a team of key workers. “I have been recently promoted to Team leader, supervising 3 Key worker colleagues in my region. I am responsible for their operational knowledge and clinical development, and we meet at least once each week to discuss their participants, challenges, achievements, and any career reviews required.” Prior to this career progression, Lara began in a Peer mentor position, providing experience and insight for newer team members including the whole Allied health team in her region. “Every month, depending on individual need we have a 1:1 meet to work through calendar/appointment management, therapy support plans and career goals.” Lara enjoys working in a team and her passion for the role of key worker is evident when she describes the positive career path she is now on.

Advice for How to Quit Teaching

Lara’s advice to fellow teachers contemplating a career change is straightforward: “You only live once.” Embracing change and exploring new opportunities can lead to a more fulfilling and rewarding career. As we always say at Exit Stage Teach, you will always have your teaching degree to fall back on. With the clear lack of teacher availability in Australia, finding another teaching job if a career change doesn’t work out for you won’t be a problem.

Maintaining Work-Life Balance

Lara found that achieving work-life balance became easier after transitioning out of teaching. The absence of work to complete after her daily hours was a significant relief. This balance has improved the quality of her relationships with family and friends. “It has been a lot easier as there is no work to complete after your daily hours, which was an absolute blessing. The work-life balance is much better and the quality of our relationships with family and friends has increased.” What a positive transition that has given Lara not only a better quality of life but a career she loves.

Long-Term Career Goals

Lara’s long-term career goals involve her continuing to mentor her team of disability specialists and Key Workers. She is content in her current role and looks forward to the future within the same industry, she is excited to see where her journey takes her. When asked about overcoming obstacles and setbacks during her career transition it was great to hear that fortunately, Lara did not face significant obstacles or setbacks during her career transition, which has been a relatively smooth and successful career transition.

Replacing her Teacher Income

Lara was happy to share that she has well and truly replaced her teaching income in her new position as Team Leader at her company and this is an exciting prospect for teachers who want to do the same. She also sees a career path progression where she can further her earning opportunities.

Lara Elliott’s journey from the classroom to a Key Worker and most recently, a Team Leader, showcases the incredible possibilities that can unfold when teachers embrace change and explore new career paths. Her story serves as an inspiration to all educators seeking a new direction and purpose in their professional lives and shows the keyworker career path is one that teachers can flourish in and provide an abundant but flexible career for their future that still offers the aspect of helping others that teaching does.

Laura works for Ability Action Australia and they are often looking for great people to work in the role of key worker, for more information head to their website – Click Here