Microguide: Which career in Edtech is right for you?
Let us be the first to say congratulations on thinking about this next step in your education career! If you choose to impact education outside the four walls of a classroom, you are still using your expertise to make a lasting impact on the field. You are not leaving or quitting education; don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!
Ok, ok. Off my soapbox and onto the article!
When considering a career in Edtech, you’ll want to think through these things:
Your strengths
Your passions
Your working style
I’ll explore each of these AND what they mean in this micro-guide.
What are your strengths?
You can journal on this, ask a friend, or take a test like the Clifton Strengths Assessment. This test has a cost, but it provides you with a ton of insight!
Here are just a few of the strengths you’ll need for various roles in Edtech.
Instructional Design:
Strategic: You're good at planning educational programs that meet specific learning goals.
Analytical: You can assess how well learning materials work and improve them.
Input: You enjoy gathering different ideas and resources to create educational content.
Learner: You're eager to learn about new educational methods and technologies.
Operations:
Responsibility: You're committed to making sure that educational systems run smoothly.
Discipline: You can set up and maintain efficient processes for managing content and systems.
Consistency: You're good at following set procedures to make work run smoothly.
Focus: You know how to prioritize tasks and use resources well to meet goals.
Marketing/Sales:
Communication: You're skilled at telling stories that make people interested in educational products or services.
Relationships: You're good at building and nurturing relationships.
Activator: You can come up with new ways to market educational products and get people engaged.
Adaptability: You can change marketing strategies to fit different audiences and groups.
Training and Development:
Empathy: You understand the needs of educators and learners from different backgrounds.
Developer: You're good at helping people grow and learn through effective training programs.
Harmony: You can encourage teamwork and create inclusive learning environments.
Maximizer: You can make training programs better by focusing on strengths and improving weaknesses effectively.
What are your passions?
Even within the field of Educational Technology, there are many different subdomains, like:
E-Learning Platforms: Websites or platforms that offer online courses, lectures, and educational materials.
Coursera
Udemy
Khan Academy
Learning Management Systems (LMS): Systems that manage, deliver, and track online learning and training.
Moodle
Canvas by Instructure
Blackboard Learn
Educational Games: Interactive games designed for educational purposes, often used to teach specific skills or concepts.
Prodigy
Kahoot
Virtual Reality (VR) in Education: Utilizing virtual reality technology to create immersive educational experiences.
Adaptive Learning Platforms: Platforms that personalize learning experiences based on individual student needs and performance.
Educational Robotics: Utilizing robotics technology to teach programming, engineering, and problem-solving skills.
LEGO Education
Ozobot
Online Tutoring Services: Platforms connecting students with tutors for one-on-one or group online tutoring sessions.
Chegg Tutors
Language Learning Platforms: Websites and apps specifically designed to teach languages through interactive methods.
STEM Education Tools: Tools and platforms focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education.
Educational Content Creation Tools: Software and platforms that enable educators to create and distribute educational content, such as videos, presentations, and interactive modules.
Educational Data Analytics: Tools and platforms that analyze student data to provide insights for improving learning outcomes.
Parent-Teacher Communication Platforms: Apps and platforms facilitating communication between parents and teachers to monitor student progress and address concerns.
Remind
ClassDojo
Seesaw
Professional Development Platforms: Platforms offering courses and resources for educators to enhance their teaching skills and stay updated with the latest educational trends and techniques.
Assessment and Testing Tools: Software and platforms for creating, administering, and grading assessments and tests.
Digital Libraries and Repositories: Online repositories of educational resources, including textbooks, articles, videos, and other materials.
Accessibility Tools: Software and platforms that ensure educational content is accessible to students with disabilities, including those with visual, auditory, or motor impairments.
Educational Research Platforms: Platforms for conducting and sharing educational research and studies, facilitating collaboration among researchers and educators.
Your career in Edtech doesn’t need to match your passions perfectly, but how cool would it be if it did?!
Your Working Style
When you’re job hunting in the Edtech space, you can be intentional about finding a work environment you’ll thrive in. Don’t take the first job that comes along if there are red flags! With patience and understanding of your own needs, you’ll find the perfect fit.
First, reflect on these questions:
Do I thrive in a collaborative, independent, or mixed work environment?
Do I want to be a strategist with some ambiguity, or do I prefer to have more direction?
What flexibility do I need in my hours?
Am I seeking a company that actively supports employee well-being?
What core values and principles are essential to me in a company culture?
Do I value companies that offer training programs, mentorship, or support for further education?
Are the company's goals aligned with my own career aspirations?
Do I understand the expectations for the roles I'm interested in?
Look carefully at job descriptions. Most will contain information that speaks to this information. You can follow up with more questions once you’re moving through the interview process.
Looking to grow your network? Come on over to our community and share your career growth goals in the Career Room. Get your questions answered and find connections to get started in your job search!