"Teachers would be the best employees." "They are so adaptable." "Teachers work so hard." We have heard it all and probably all agree. Teachers would make the best employees at your company. They are hard-working, flexible, friendly, and good at speaking. But why aren't teachers getting the job? Because our resumes aren't good enough. Some of us have taught for years and taken on many roles within our school or district, yet you see "teacher" on a resume and suddenly we have no experience.
I did it. I got out of teaching, but it wasn't easy. I sent in dozens of applications and got the same response back. "Thank you for your application, however we have gone with a more qualified candidate at this time." If you don't know someone, you have no chance.
Unfortunately, that is the truth. Now, this may not be the fault of companies and their hiring teams. AI can be programmed to fine-tune their searches and only follow up with resumes and applications that have certain buzzwords like "manager" and "sales professional." 
In the past 2 months of starting a new job as a sales rep, I have learned the ins and outs of networking and there is one common denominator. Everyone in networking wants to see you succeed. They are in it to help you get better, do better and honestly feel better. It might seem strange to start heading to events alone, however from experience it is a lot easier than it seems.
Here are a couple simple steps to get started:
Step 1: Search "local networking events" into your browser of choice, we prefer Copilot.
Step 2: GO to the event, hold yourself accountable and look professional.
Step 3: Start up conversations with whoever you can, it gets easier!
Step 4: Collect the business cards, even if you don't have any, always get them from others.
Step 5: (and honestly the most important) FOLLOW UP!! Send emails, call, connect on LinkedIn, whatever you can and ask for the meeting.
This is going to expand your network, and the more people you connect with and build relationships with, the more people will think of YOU when they hear someone is looking to fill a role. 
Until we find a way for companies to see how great teachers will be, we need to put ourselves out there and prove to them we are willing to go the extra mile. Prove to them what hard workers we are and show them that we are not going to give up. Teachers deserve opportunities outside of the classroom, we just need to meet the right people!
Thanks for reading, and good luck!
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