Do I Really Need A LinkedIn Profile?

Sorry, Elder Millennials: the answer is yes.

One of the best perks of being a teacher—aside from summer breaks, a public pension and the annual two-for-one burrito at Chipotle—is the fact that you don’t need a LinkedIn profile.

So does transitioning out of the classroom mean you have to make one?

If you’re like a lot of teachers, the thought of learning a professional social media platform and developing a polished profile with targeted keywords makes you want to run and hide—possibly behind a 1970s overhead projector.

A lot of us go into teaching because we’re not really networking people. We’re public servants, not entrepreneurs or corporate climbers. Of course, that’s not everyone (I see you, TFAers), but I’d argue that the majority of us don’t come into the field thinking of it as a stepping stone. For the most part, we’re humble folks who just want to put our heads down and teach.

If you’re like a lot of teachers, the thought of learning a professional social media platform and developing a polished profile with targeted keywords makes you want to run and hide—possibly behind a 1970s overhead projector.

For the Luddites, techo-phobs and elder Millennials among us, LinkedIn magnifies this natural discomfort with networking and self-promotion by the fact that it’s one more goddamn site to learn. (I, for one, drew the line at Snapchat.)

Of course, you don’t have to join LinkedIn to successfully transition to a new career. Several former teachers have insisted that you don’t need to be on the platform and that they got their new jobs without one. This is especially true for folks who moved into other public sector or government roles. And for sure, IRL human connections and networks are more likely to lead to interviews.

That being said, a lot of companies, especially in corporate or tech, want to see that you have some kind of professional online presence. You don’t have to go all in, posting every day, amassing huge numbers of followers and building a brand, but you do need to step away from the dry-erase board and into the digital Brave New World of hiring.

Think of your LinkedIn profile as a digital extension of your resume.

Here are the ways that having a LinkedIn can help a transitioning teacher:

• Networking: I know, I know, the big n-word. But if you’re leaving teaching, you do need to start building a network outside of teaching. LinkedIn can help you cultivate connections with people and companies you wouldn’t otherwise have. Start by following companies you might be interested in working for, as well as people who work there. One person I interviewed had a lot of success asking other former teachers to meet for coffee chats over Zoom (because even out of the classroom, teachers are the best).

• Credibility: It’s not just about that little verified check! Think of your LinkedIn profile as a digital extension of your resume. A professional profile showcases your skills, translates your classroom experience, and signals the direction in which you are moving. You don’t necessarily have to go the full keyword, optimization route—just Writing your About section is also good practice selling yourself (something I’d argue most teachers are uncomfortable with).

• Jobs: I mean, duh. Before it was a social media site, LinkedIn primarily operated as a job post site. In addition to posting job openings, some folks report having recruiters reach out to them and even landing interviews when using LinkedIn Pro. This comes with a BIG caveat: there are a lot of scams and snake-oil peddlers out there. Be sure to keep your BS antennae close.

• Helpful content: Between all the call-outs, hot takes and faux-brave inspirational posts, there’s actually a lot of great content for transitioning teachers on the site, everything from resume tips to job postings. At the end of this post, I’ll include a handful of helpful accounts.

While you can totally go down the rabbit hole of tips and advice from gurus, I recommend signing up, throwing up a decent-enough photo, and really just poking around the site and taking it all in for a couple weeks. Get a sense of the kinds of posts people write—they are totally different than ones on other social media, enough to warrant their own genre. (The use of emojis alone could constitute a research paper.) Think of it as a sociological study. Once you’ve gotten a sense of the site, then you can delve into polishing your profile and maybe even (gasp!) posting.

I’m working on a post about specific tips—I’ll need to interview a couple of these experts because, as someone who only just replaced a two-year-old photo taken at a literal child’s birthday party, I am totally unqualified to give any advice.

I firmly believe that teacher have to root each other on in this transition process—because honestly, who else will?

One of the best parts of joining LinkedIn for me has of course been the teachers. While yes, it’s important to build networks outside of education, I connect with a LOT of transitioning teachers on LinkedIn—one, because they’re my audience, and two, because I love teachers. I appreciate connecting with people on similar journeys, and I especially get a thrill out of clicking “like” on those job announcement posts. I firmly believe that we’ve gotta root each other on in this transition process—because honestly, who else will?

So feel free to connect with me! My profile is a total work in progress, so definitely don’t look at it as an example. For guidance, check out these profiles:

• Evan Pressman: Evan is an instructional designer, content creator and former teacher. His posts include super helpful tips for resumes, including a weekly free resume review.

• Holly Owens: Anyone interested in getting into Learning & Development needs to follow Holly. She’s an instructional designer who hosts EdUp L&D podcast. Her content includes tips and regular job roundups.

• Erin Lewber: Erin’s name comes up a lot with transitioning teachers. Her focus is on helping women, especially mothers, navigate career pivots (love that). While not focused specifically on teachers, her content is helpful for the application and interview process.

• Benjamin Erwin: Another instructional designer and L&D specialist, Benjamin posts incredibly useful content for transitioning teachers, including frequent job lists.

• Tyrina Lassiter: Tyrina’s name comes up so often among former teachers, and with such effusive praise, that I know she’s doing something right. Even if you don’t purchase her coaching services, several folks have stated that her free content on LinkedIn has helped them land jobs.

• Stephanie Yesil: A big wig in teacher transitions, Stephanie’s posts range from inspirational to informational, with tips on resume and LinkedIn optimization. Folks interested in moving into the corporate realm definitely should give her a follow.

• Jeff Young: The so-called #LinkedInGuru, Jeff provides free LinkedIn seminars. If you’re ready to do a deep dive into the dark side, his content can be helpful.

• Carrie Conover: Carrie’s content focuses on helping former teachers move into EdTech roles.

• Jeff Patterson: A CEO, coach and self-proclaimed cheerleader (let’s see those pompoms!), Jeff’s content is focused on EdTech. He recently announced that he’ll be moving his frequent jobs roundups over to X, so if you can stomach supporting Elon Musk, it may be worth looking for him there.

• Ken Cheng: Ken’s a comedian who has nothing to do with teachers or career changes, but his satirical posts will help you to keep a sense a humor about the ridiculousness of the site.

So sign up, strap up and dig in. Welcome to the digital side of your career change.

Is LinkedIn smarmy? Sometimes.

Dystopian? Kinda.

Helpful? Definitely.