Lane Switch Podcast

I sat down with Erin Smilkstein who discusses her unique journey from classroom educator to business-owner, to now, a Sr. Manager for an EdTech company. We discuss reasons why she left the classroom and how her current company has provided for her both personally and professionally. She even highlights some of the transferrable skills teachers dominate in new industries. She is currently a Sr. Man...

I sat down and spoke with Cassandra Barreda who has over 8-years of experience within Talent Acquisition, hiring, and recruitment across various industries. Cassandra highlights what makes a good candidate, how to standout in a competitive market, and other ways for transitioning teachers to find new roles outside of teaching.

In this episode, I sat down with Carly Cant, who discusses her journey teaching in Canada and then Australia. We dive into the qualified skillsets that teachers possess, why she always looks to interview teachers, and how she got into what she's doing now. Carly currently is a Director of Talent Acquisition of Palm Paradise Realty Group.

I sat down and spoke with Mark Picardo, who has over 11-years of education experience both as a teacher and administrator. Passionate about science education and student growth, he transitioned into educational leadership and professional development to support teachers across North Carolina. Today, he serves as a Science Education Leader for Stile Education and recently stepped into a new role as...

Sarah Blank grew up surrounded by education. With a mother who was an educator, teaching always felt like her calling. She was even offered a second-grade position during student teaching, stepping into the classroom before graduating college. Sarah spent 10 years in education; four years in second grade and nearly six years teaching fourth-grade math. Over time, she began to see how leadership an...

After six years as an elementary school teacher, Erin knew she was ready to explore new opportunities outside the classroom. As a former Lane Switch Consulting client, she leveraged focused resume updates, targeted job alignment, and consistent networking to successfully translate her teaching experience into the corporate world. Erin landed a role as an Executive Administrator at a government con...

After serving 20 years in the Air Force, Maureen stepped away from military life to focus on her family. While helping in her son’s kindergarten classroom, she discovered a passion for literacy and student learning that led her back to school and into education. Maureen went on to teach for 15 years across K–12 schools in multiple states, primarily in high school science and AVID. She was named No...

After more than a decade in the classroom, Kristen knew it was time for a change. She began teaching in 2008, spending six years in middle school and four years teaching high school English. As her family grew and her husband’s schedule became more demanding, the traditional classroom no longer supported the life she wanted for her children. Kristen chose flexibility by leaving the classroom to ho...

Sam’s story is proof that you don’t need decades in the classroom to build a powerful career outside of education. After six years in education, a defining moment with limited administrative support and compassion made her realize it was time to pivot. She stepped into recruiting, learned on the fly, and climbed from Talent Acquisition to Lead Recruiter and then Talent Acquisition Manager in under...

After eight years in education, she knew something had to change. Long nights, low pay, and missed time with her son made teaching unsustainable, so she took a leap into something new. With support from a community of teachers making the same transition, she navigated the challenges, stayed patient, and built a new career that offers both flexibility and growth. Today, she’s been promoted to Enter...

I sat down and spoke with Lakeisha Webb who taught within inner city schools for over 12-years covering grades 4th-8th. Lakeisha moved into an Educational Technology Specialist within the district to before finally stepping out of the education all together. She highlights some of the pressures, challenges, and struggles she faced while teaching and the realities of working with student's within a...

I sat down and spoke with Meredith Cooley, who was a former English teacher for over 17-years across multiple states and even overseas, before finally deciding to leave. She highlights her early understanding of wanting to have the work-life balance to be able to be there for her family, but like so many teachers didn't know where to start. Her passion within writing help fueled her mindset to hel...

I sat down and spoke with Candice Coker, who was a former Elementary School teacher for 5-years before deciding to leave the classroom. In this special episode, Candice has over 13-years experience within recruitment and talent acquisition. She highlights very specific skillsets and ways you can help sell yourself on LinkedIn in a competitive market. We also discuss the use of AI and how companies...

I sat down and spoke with Natalie Parmenter, who was a former elementary teacher in California and then North Carolina. We discussed her journey on stepping outside of the classroom into entrepreneurship of starting her own business. She discusses the grit that comes with running a business and all the transferrable skills teachers have they don't realize. Natalie has been running Primary Focus fo...

I sat down and spoke with Sarah Jordan, an elementary school teacher for over 10-years to discuss her reasons of why she left the classroom. Catching up with a friend at a BBQ helped connect her with opportunities beyond the classroom wall which peaked her interest. As she manages a team of 7 Customer Success Managers, she shares her insights on ways to stand out in a heavily saturated market. Sar...

I sat down and spoke with Victoria Duffy, a former Special Education and Business Education teacher for over 5-years before leaving the classroom. Victoria highlights her unique journey as she was not only holding a part-time job in hospitality while teaching, but also went back to school in the evenings. Her dedication and perseverance is a lesson to all of us that teachers have so much more skil...

I sat down and spoke with Kate Breitenfeld, who was a 4th-generation educator for over 5-years before deciding to leave the classroom. Kate talks about her journey in the classroom and some of the tough decisions that lead her leaving teaching. She still is having impact on students outside her high school teaching role as a Student Life Coordinator at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlot...

I sat down with Zena Bazzy, who has over 6-years of Recruitment and Talent Acquisition experience for various industries. She shares her insights on what a successful resume should look like, ways to build out your LinkedIn profile, and various other insightful tips to help candidates stand out in the job market!

I sat down and spoke with Brandan Saa, a former Construction Sales Rep turned Account Executive for Gridiron IT, an IT staffing firm for government contracts. In this NEW special episode, Brandan offers his insights into the job market trends, what hiring companies are looking for in candidates, and ways to stand out in a saturated market. He explains some common challenges he faced when entering...

I sat down and spoke with Denise Tsamouris, who was a former 5th and 6th grade teacher in Texas. She highlights the need for teacher's putting themselves and their mental well-being first when it comes to your career and work. Denise used her transferrable skills in leading, teaching, and collaborating to find herself in a new role as a Software Trainer and Project Manager for Knack Training. She...

I sat down and spoke with Jennifer Murley who highlights her experience as an educator of over 5-years across two districts before exiting the classroom. She discusses how COVID, a new school district, and the way public education was trending were major factors in deciding the leave the classroom. Jennifer talks about the difficulties and struggles of the job market she faced and the importance o...

I sat down and spoke with Dr. Ruth Roylance who highlights her experience as both an in-person educator and remote educator during her 17-years of teaching. She discusses a tragic event with her family and being in the NICU for 130 days, played a large role into why she needed to step away from the classroom. Dr. Roylance's experience within Personal Finance and Insurance carved her path forward t...

In this new special episode, I sat down and spoke with Jake Renzo who is a Managing Director of an IT Staffing Firm, INSPYR Solutions. He highlights his experience working with candidates and shares various tips/tricks you can do as a teacher to make yourself more marketable. He has first-hand experience as his wife was a former educator, and he discusses some of the stress he saw that teaching ha...

I sat down and spoke with Dakota Richardson-Lau who was a former High School Social Studies & Coach for over 5-years before leaving the classroom. She shares a personal story of how her getting her car stolen in Baltimore while doing body-building prep helped played a role in why she needed to leave the classroom. Her volunteer work with her sorority, Alpha Phi, during that time led to her to conn...

I sat down and spoke with Annie Copenhaver who was a Middle School Math teacher and former coach for over 9-years before deciding to leave the classroom. She speaks about the importance of putting yourself and your mental health first in having a meaningful career. Her transferrable skills has landed her in a new role with a financial services firm as an Administrative Associate at Dimensional Fun...