The simplest way to make a career change into teaching
Feeling stuck in your current role? A career change into teaching may be more accessible than you think.
If you've been contemplating a career change and find yourself increasingly drawn to the idea of shaping young minds, that's teaching's quiet but persistent call making itself known.
Whether it's the desire to make a meaningful impact, share your knowledge and passion, or find deeper purpose in your work each day, teaching could be the career transformation that not only shifts your professional trajectory, but fundamentally alters your sense of fulfilment and contribution to the world.
Been nodding along? The focus now isn't whether teaching appeals to you. It’s getting a sense of exactly what it takes to make a career change into teaching.
The Master of Teaching: A degree designed with career changers in mind
Like anything, there’s more than one path to becoming a teacher. But a Master of Teaching is postgraduate study designed with career changers in mind. This masters degree builds on the valuable life experience and skills people have earned in other careers, enabling a streamlined pathway to the classroom.
If you hold a bachelor degree in any discipline, you can enrol in a Master of Teaching. Whether you studied business, arts, science, engineering, or another field, a Master of Teaching doesn’t require you to have an education-specific background. Your existing knowledge and transferrable skills are both assets that can enhance your teaching practice.
The Master of Teaching is a laser focused postgraduate degree that gets you classroom-ready in just 2 years, without the need to go back to basics in a bachelor degree.
A pathway to teaching on your terms
Through Open Universities Australia, you can study your Master of Teaching completely online, which means you're not tied to campus schedules or locations. Want to power through and finish in 2 years? Go for it. Need to take it slower while juggling work or family (or both)? You can study just one subject per study period and still reach your goal.
This kind of flexibility means you don't have to put your whole life on hold to chase your dream of becoming a teacher.
Of course, logistics are just one part of the story. The real proof a career change can be worth it? Nathan Ratcliffe, who made the jump himself.
From corporate burnout to classroom calling
When Nathan left his job in health insurance, he wasn’t sure what the future would look like.
After 15 years he’d found himself increasingly disconnected from his work. “I felt like I was stagnating,” he says. “I didn't really connect to what I was doing, and it just felt a bit like I was doing data entry, moving something from here to there.”
Although the future was uncertain, Nathan was sure of one thing: he no longer wanted to work in a job that felt like going through the motions.
It’s common to reach a point where it feels more like you’re treading water than moving forward. According to Gallup's 2025 State of the Global Workplace report, the percentage of Australian workers who are 'thriving' in life has declined from 60% to 56% over recent years, while 42% are seeking new job opportunities.
Hunt for the silver lining and you’ll see any realisation that reveals you’re not thriving in your current situation is a good thing, because it’s the first stepping stone towards a career that lights you up inside. As Nathan discovered, a mid-career transition into teaching is not only possible but completely transformative.
Little moments, big realisation
While the idea of teaching was always simmering away at the back of his mind, Nathan says his moment of clarity came while helping his young son learn to read.
“I realised, helping him learn to read was really rewarding. Getting to see the progress, step by step of me helping him, teaching him, and guiding him,” he says.
This first-hand experience of what it would actually be like—feel like—to teach sparked something, and got the ball rolling towards a career change.
Breaking down barriers
Making a career change comes with legitimate concerns. Financial commitments, time constraints, how to balance work or family with study, and that nagging voice asking 'am I crazy to start over?'
Nathan faced many barriers: he had financial commitments, hadn’t finished high school, couldn’t access government support as a non-citizen, and was supporting a young family. Yet his desire outweighed them all.
The reality is, barriers can be more manageable than they first appear. It wasn’t long before Nathan found himself enrolled in university, undertaking a Bachelor of Education and discovering his career change to teacher felt like finding his true purpose.
Browse flexible teaching degrees designed for career changers.
Why teaching is worth the leap
“I absolutely love it. Every single day, it sounds like a huge cliche, but I get up and I still have kind of a bounce in my step. I absolutely love what I do.”
The daily rewards of teaching—seeing students finally grasp a tricky concept, being a trusted mentor to young minds, knowing your work creates lasting impact—provide a stark contrast to the disconnection many feel in corporate roles.
“There's nothing quite like seeing someone getting it for the first time, understanding something that you've been trying to teach them,” he explains. Compare that to feeling like you're just moving data from one place to another, and the appeal becomes clear.
The biggest takeaway from Nathan’s story? Don’t let another year slip by where you feel unfulfilled in your career.
Inspired to take the leap into teaching? Get in touch with an Open Universities Australia student advisor, who will be able to answer all your questions about the Master of Teaching.
