“I just closed the teaching chapter of my career and struggled to clarify what to do next. I had ideas of what I was good at and passionate about, but I didn’t know what to do with those ideas. That’s when I found Kori.”

Isabella, a former teacher, was at a real crossroads. Here’s her story, in her own words.

Knowing What She Didn’t Want

“I had taught kids for a couple of years, tutoring, working in various schools, and camp counseling. I’m good at teaching, but it’s been very stressful, and I struggled with a lot of negative experiences and stress in that career.”

“It was difficult when I’d send out resumes or look around, thinking, ‘Oh, I’ll try sales,’ or ‘I’ll be a financial planner,’ or I’ll try this or that. I knew what I didn’t want, but I was licking my wounds, and I didn’t know what that other thing was. I was applying for jobs I didn’t even want or care about, but I didn’t know what else to do.”

That’s when Isabella joined the Career Clarity Accelerator.

The Personality Test That Pointed Somewhere New

“A big aha moment for me was one of the personality tests. We’d already made a list of anything I could be interested in, and in the first or second session, I mentioned grad school. One of those tests said people with my personality type typically go for counseling. Combined with how, in teaching, I’d seen kids who weren’t thriving and weren’t interested in being there, it all clicked. I realized why I was unhappy: my job was to teach them math, not to genuinely care how they were doing.”

“Some of the exercises were hard at first, since they asked for career success stories from teaching. That was difficult for me, but we found three good moments, and those gave us real answers about how I actually wanted to help people.”

“That was another moment of clarity, realizing what actually bothered me about teaching: I wasn’t helping people feel empowered. From there, it was figuring out the direction. Could it be becoming certified as a life coach, or going back to school for a type of therapy? I chose grad school. I’m pursuing this degree to help people from all walks of life, focused on empowering them with real solutions and coping strategies.”

Three Big Results

“The three most significant results from this process were gaining new skills, gaining real confidence in myself, and moving out from my parents’ place in New Jersey to Virginia. I moved to Virginia because I’m now in grad school to become a licensed clinical mental health counselor.”

An Unexpected Discovery Along the Way

“There were about five months between finishing the process and school starting, so in the meantime, I got a seasonal retail position at Kate Spade at a local outlet. I’d never worked in retail before, so it was a chance to make some money and learn something new. It turns out I’m actually pretty good at sales. I won a sales award for top sales within the first few weeks, then got recognized for top sales per hour for several weeks after that. I remember taking a picture of the board where our names showed up, because I wasn’t used to getting positive recognition at work like that.”

“It turns out I’ve always loved communicating and connecting with people, helping customers, striking up a conversation, making them feel comfortable. That retail experience ended up helping me land a job at the campus bookstore too.”

Isabella’s Advice

“Everybody should do this work. It gives you invaluable tools and support, and I even gained a different vocabulary for talking about myself. I’d be rambling, and Kori would help me translate that into an actual skill, or a skill to develop.”

“If you’re in a job and wondering why it doesn’t feel right, this process helps you understand exactly why. Commit to it. It’ll change your life.”

Common Questions

Can a former teacher become a licensed mental health counselor?
Yes. Isabella’s teaching experience, especially noticing which students weren’t thriving, turned out to be directly relevant to why she was drawn to counseling. Many of the same instincts that make someone a caring teacher, translate well into mental health work.

How do you know if you should go back to school for a career change?
Isabella considered several options, life coaching certification and different therapy paths among them, before settling on grad school. Getting clear on the specific reason a role appealed to her (“helping people thrive”) mattered more than the credential itself in making that decision.

What if you’re only unsure by what you don’t want in a career?
That’s a completely valid starting point. Isabella knew teaching wasn’t right anymore but had no idea what else fit, and structured exercises, rather than guesswork, were what actually surfaced the direction that did.

More Client Stories

• Stephanie’s story, on soul-searching before job-searching and discovering health coaching

Ready to Find Your Own Clarity?

If Isabella’s story resonates with you, book a free Career Alignment Audit™ and let’s find the direction that actually fits.

Watch the Interview with Isabella