Beyond the Classroom: Exploring Career Paths of BTLED Graduates Outside Teaching Roles

Education graduate students ideally would pursue the careers they prepared for during their college years. But some of them end up changing their careers for different reasons. As new teachers start their careers, they often find that the reality of teaching is different from what they learned in college. This phenomenological study was conducted to determine why some of the BTLED graduates chose not to teach and take TLE related jobs instead. The informants of this study consist of different individuals who work in different fields related to the program that BTLED offers. The method utilized to gather data was In-depth Interviews (IDI) with the identified informants. Audio tapes were transcribed and translated, the data from the transcriptions were analyzed for this study. Key findings suggested that BTLED graduates transitioning from the different career paths often experience a significant realization of their career choice. This implies that a BTLED graduate can not only work as a teacher, but also use what they have learned to apply for other jobs related to TLE (Technology and Livelihood Education). Based on the results of this study the factors that influenced BTLED graduates in their career transition were Seeking for Financial Stability, Career Exploration, Finding Job Satisfaction and many others that satisfy their needs, improve their financial stability and promote personal growth. Future researchers may use this study as their guide for seeking a more in-depth analysis of this research and utilize other research designs to attain their research goals or objectives.