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A teacher got in touch with me recently looking for feedback on their EdTech job search.
They were planning to leave education and move into the sector, and wanted to understand what they could do to improve their chances of securing the right role.
Before we talked about what they could change, I asked what they had already been doing.
The answer was: quite a lot.
They had been applying for relevant roles, but they weren’t relying on applications alone.
They were also reaching out to people across the EdTech sector.
People already doing the type of role they wanted.
Hiring managers.
Founders and CEOs at companies they were interested in.
They were asking questions, learning how different roles worked and making themselves known.
And that made a difference.
At the start of their search, they were still working out exactly where they wanted to fit.
Every conversation gave them more information.
They learned more about the sector.
They became clearer on the role they wanted.
They started to understand which companies felt like the right fit.
That clarity then made their outreach more focused.
They had already secured several interviews by the time we spoke.
Around three months into their search, they received their first job offer.
Then, just days later, they received a second.
The second offer came from an organisation they had been particularly interested in, for a role they preferred and with a better salary.
There wasn’t one secret trick behind it.
It was the result of consistent action.
One thing that also stood out was their Teach First background.
Teach First is well known across education and EdTech, and that experience gave them a strong story to tell about their understanding of schools, teaching and the realities facing educators.
But their background alone didn’t get them the role.
They made their experience visible.
They spoke to people.
They asked questions.
They followed opportunities as they appeared.
And they kept going.
I see many people trying to move from education into EdTech who send application after application and then wonder why nothing is happening.
Applications matter.
But they’re only one part of the job search.
A strong career move usually needs three things:
Focus. Know what type of role you’re working towards and why.
Action. Speak to people as well as applying. Build relationships before you need something from them.
Persistence. A no, a rejection or a conversation that goes nowhere isn’t the end of the process. One conversation can lead to another, and one door can lead to the next.
This person didn’t wait for someone to discover them.
They created their own momentum.
Three months later, they had two offers and the freedom to choose the opportunity that suited them best.
That’s the part of the story I think is worth remembering.
Moving from education into EdTech can take time. It can feel messy while you’re figuring out where you fit.
But clarity often comes through action.
You don’t need every door to open.
You just need to keep knocking until the right one does.
There’s no set timeline. For this person, it took around three months to receive their first job offer.
For some people it will be quicker. For others it can take much longer.
The timeline often depends on how clear you are about the roles you’re targeting, how well you translate your teaching experience and how active you are outside of simply submitting applications.
Yes.
Teachers already have experience that can be valuable to EdTech companies, including understanding schools, educators, learners and the problems education organisations are trying to solve.
The challenge is usually showing how that experience connects to the role you want.
Rather than simply saying you’re a teacher, explain the skills, knowledge and results you can bring into an EdTech environment.
It can help.
That doesn’t mean messaging someone to immediately ask them for a job.
Speak to people doing roles you’re interested in. Ask about their career path, what their role involves and what skills their company values.
Those conversations can help you understand the sector and make better decisions about where to focus your search.
They can also help people remember your name when opportunities come up.
You usually need both.
Applications give you access to advertised opportunities.
Networking gives you information, relationships and access to conversations that may never appear on a job board.
The strongest job searches tend to combine targeted applications with consistent relationship building.
Not necessarily.
Sometimes you gain clarity by speaking to people and exploring the sector.
The important part is to keep narrowing your focus as you learn.
Applying for ten completely different types of role makes it much harder to position yourself clearly.
It can be useful because many people across the education sector recognise the programme and understand the experience behind it.
But it’s still important to explain what you personally learned, achieved and can bring to an EdTech organisation.
The programme name alone won’t replace a clear career story.
Look at where the process is breaking down.
If you’re sending lots of applications but getting no interviews, review your CV, positioning and the types of roles you’re targeting.
If you’re getting interviews but no offers, look more closely at how you’re communicating your experience and answering commercial or role specific questions.
And throughout the process, keep speaking to people in the sector. Job searching becomes much easier when you’re learning from the market rather than trying to work everything out alone.
Emilia Wiles is the Founder and CEO of RecruitHer, a recruitment agency focused on connecting EdTech companies with diverse talent.
A former teacher herself, Emilia has worked across education, higher education and EdTech. She now works with education professionals moving into the sector, as well as EdTech founders and leaders looking to build strong commercial teams.
Through RecruitHer, she focuses on helping people make more confident career moves while supporting EdTech organisations to build more inclusive teams.
