How to Move from Teaching into Learning & Development (Step-by-Step)

Pivot & Land Yourself a Learning and Development Role

As teachers, we design lessons, assess, and adapt teaching to meet the needs of our learners. In the corporate world, L&D professionals do the same, but instead of students, their “learners” are employees, and instead of classrooms, the “curriculum” might be onboarding training, leadership development, or professional growth programmes.

Should I Take a Course?

This Learning and Development course, which is part of the HRCI Professional in Human Resources (PHR) Certificate is an excellent option if you're looking to pivot into HR, corporate training, or organisational development. This course is self-paced and takes around 1-2 weeks to complete. It covers how to create effective learning strategies, develop training programs, and measure impact in professional settings. On completion of the course, you will gain a range of HR and L&D skills, opening doors to roles in human resources, corporate training, and talent development.

Want a certificate? If you want to gain a certificate at the end, then the HRCI Professional in Human Resources (PHR) Certificate is self-paced, covers 5 courses, (including Learning and Development) and is at a pace of around 6 hours per week and takes roughly 5 months from start to finish.

What is Learning and Development?

Learning and Development (L&D) is essentially corporate speak for what we do every day as teachers — so don’t be scared by the lingo. At its core, Learning and Development is about helping people gain new skills, knowledge, and confidence to perform better in their roles. Sound familiar? That’s exactly what teachers do — just with a different audience. As a teacher, you already have a natural talent for designing lessons, engaging learners, and assessing outcomes—skills that translate perfectly into workplace learning, employee development, and training programme design.

L&D Terminology: Leave Teaching and Move To Learning and Development

Here are some common terms and language to get acquainted with so that you can leave teaching and Move to L&D.

How do I know whether I should move into L&D?

You might love L&D if you:

• Enjoy working with people directly — running sessions, coaching, or presenting

• Like the big-picture side of learning (planning, coordinating, aligning training with company goals)

• Are organised and people-oriented

• Have experience leading PD sessions or mentoring staff

• Prefer variety- managing projects, events, and relationships

Common job titles:

• Learning & Development Advisor / Specialist

• Training Coordinator / Facilitator

• Learning Partner / Program Manager

• Capability Development Specialist

How To Get Started in L&D:

1.Take a course to see if L&D is for you:

The HRCI Professional in Human Resources (PHR) Certificate is self-paced, covers 5 courses, (including Learning and Development) and is at a pace of around 6 hours per week and takes roughly 5 months from start to finish.

2. Identify your transferable skills

List everything you already do as a teacher that aligns with L&D — designing lessons (instructional design), delivering classes (facilitation), assessing learning (evaluation), managing behaviour (stakeholder engagement), mentoring new staff (coaching). Translate your teaching experience into corporate terms using your L&D lingo cheat sheet.

3. Update your CV and LinkedIn profile

• Rework your CV to sound more corporate. Download my Resume Guide

• Use L&D-focused verbs like: designed, facilitated, evaluated, collaborated, coached, implemented.

• Add a short professional summary that positions you as someone passionate about adult learning, growth, and professional development — not just teaching.

• Make sure your LinkedIn headline highlights transferable skills (e.g., Educator Transitioning to Learning & Development | Instructional Design | Facilitation | Employee Growth).

Unsure whether L&D is for you? Have a read of the success stories page to get some inspiration. Not sure what courses there are? I've got you covered in my post below:

Top 5 Courses For Former Teachers Transitioning Into New Careers