Transferable Skills from Teaching as an ALT

Teaching builds skills and experience that go much further than just the classroom.

From managing unexpected situations to being a role model for kids, ALT skills easily transfer to many other jobs. Teachers already have so much to offer if they feel like switching careers! Or, use your skills to develop your career at Interac, with a leadership, training or recruiting role.

Here are 10 skills from teaching English abroad in Japan that look amazing on your CV.

10 transferable skills you build as a teacher

1. Managing your time

As a teacher, time management and planning are second nature. You’re constantly managing deadlines for lesson planning, grading work, and helping your students and colleagues.

Working as an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) can help you learn how to:

• Set tangible goals with realistic deadlines
• Prioritize important tasks when needed
• Track your time using suitable methods

Building these skills helps you feel less stressed in the classroom. But they also prepare you for other jobs where your time management is crucial, such as event planning or freelancing.

“I had to use my task management skills to figure out what the textbook was trying to teach and how I could take those targets and work them into my lessons. And I had to sometimes make changes quickly and adjust on the fly to meet the needs of my students.” – George at Interac

2. Managing other people

Learning how to manage a classroom in Japan is a remarkable skill, no matter how well-behaved your students are! Supporting and being responsible for a room full of people builds skills in:

• Confidence and communication
• Safety and taking responsibility
• Leadership and management

Think you’re not a natural leader? Teaching can help you develop transferable skills for roles in management, HR, or training. Find out more about management and leadership in Japan.

“One of the differences I noticed in working in Japan, was the emphasis placed on a group consensus. I had read about this prior to coming to Japan. However, I was shocked at the amount of meetings that were necessary to make a decision.” – Stephen at Interac

It’s worth noting that teamwork and organisation are very important in Interac schools.

If you want to develop your career as an ALT, Interac also offers leadership positions to develop your skills and take on greater responsibility, while continuing to work with children in class.

3. Engaging any audience

Being a good teacher means you can capture attention and explain complex ideas clearly. Strong communication, public speaking and presentation skills are valued far beyond the classroom.

As an ALT, talking and playing educational games with students teaches you to:

• Adapt your style for different needs
• Use body language to engage people
• Answer questions with confidence

These skills make teaching easier but are also transferable to other jobs like sales, coaching, or motivational speaking. You may even find you have a flair for entertainment or storytelling!

“Teaching is basically a persuasion activity. The basic nature of a language teacher is attempting to persuade the student that learning English is something that they can do and something that they want to do. So you can see that extroversion skills are very important for an ALT. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to work on these skills.” – George at Interac

4. Solving real-life problems

Thinking on your feet is an essential ALT skill. Whether it’s sorting out a schedule clash or supporting a struggling student, knowing how to do the below can boost your resume:

• Analyse a difficult situation quickly
• Involve the correct people if needed
• Choose the best course of action

Knowing what to do when things go wrong takes time, and training as a teacher can help.

Problem-solving is an invaluable skill across many industries. Project management, finance, and consulting jobs all need a cool head to assess complex situations and find efficient solutions.

You could also progress from an ALT to our ‘IM’ role at Interac, which thrives on these skills.

“As an Instructor Development Manager, I’ve learned the importance of clear communication and staying calm under pressure. From mentoring ALTs to resolving arguments, it has pushed me to grow in ways I never expected. Every day is dynamic and rewarding.” – IM at Interac

5. Working with what you’ve got

Work is fast-paced, and adaptability is a skill worth building. Becoming an ALT requires you to be flexible – whether it’s adapting to new students and teaching materials, or moving to Japan.

Teaching English abroad with Interac can help you develop these valuable qualities:

• Resilience when faced with challenges
• Openness to change and peer feedback
• Creativity, even with limited resources

An ever-changing teaching curriculum isn’t so different from fast-changing industries like tech, healthcare, and real estate. Make yourself more employable by honing your skills as an ALT.

“As an ALT, I found that having curiosity about the things that were going on around me at school was an essential part of this kind of thinking. When I’d see something I didn’t understand, I’d try to find out what it was right away by asking people around me.” – Brian at Interac

6. Working with other people

Working in a team with your colleagues is essential for bringing out the best in your students. As a teacher, you need to work closely with other teachers and students to meet goals together.

Through teaching, you can build up your interpersonal and teamwork skills, such as:

• Patience in listening to other views
• Reliability when carrying out team tasks
• Ability to compromise for a shared goal

Always pull your weight? Teamwork in Japan is a much-admired skill if you want to work here.

“Japan is famously known for its deep-rooted culture with teamwork, especially in the workplace. From the numerous team-building exercises to the role of management and supervisors, teamwork in Japan lives up to its name and more.” – Recruiter at Interac

If you shine at working with other people as an ALT, your skills can transfer to other jobs like training and human resources. Ask us about these roles within our national team.

7. Multitasking under pressure

Being a teacher is more than just teaching. You have to answer questions, read the room, and support student needs, all while staying focused on the lesson at hand. You’ll learn how to:

• Prioritize the most important thing
• Split your attention between demands
• Think clearly in stressful situations

The fast-paced nature of teaching can prepare you for jobs where staying calm is essential. You could be a voice of reason and decision-maker in event planning, hospitality, or catering.

8. Cross-cultural intelligence

Working in Japan gives you a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in another culture. Your ALT skills will set you apart in a global job market and show your openness to a challenge.

By teaching English abroad with Interac, you’ll gain transferable skills like:

• Cultural sensitivity to different customs
• Learning a new language on the job
• Gaining a modern, global perspective

Cross-cultural intelligence can make you an asset in any role that values collaboration on a global scale. Your CV will stand out for jobs in international business, tourism, or diplomacy.

If you love working with people from around the world, why not try a management role at Interac?

“I started as an ALT, thinking it would be a great way to experience Japan while teaching. Now, I get to mentor and support ALTs across my branch, helping them succeed in their journeys. Interac invests in its people, and I’m proud to have grown my career here.” – IM at Interac

9. Emotional intelligence

The ability to recognise and manage your own emotions is crucial to teaching.

From inspiring a positive mood in the classroom, to meaningful interactions with students, ‘EQ’ helps you to:

• Be aware of your feelings at work
• Empathize with different people
• Manage disagreements calmly

From customer service to caregiving, emotional intelligence is valued anywhere that requires communication and empathy. It helps you thrive in difficult situations and build relationships.

“A person who has harmonizing skills will be able to overcome difficulties and move on. As an ALT, this will allow you to overlook bad behavior in students and annoying tendencies in coworkers. If you’re able to do these things and take the high road, you’ll have a better experience as an ALT.” – George at Interac

10. Attention to detail

As a teacher, you develop an eye for spotting small but significant mistakes. From helping to grade work, to identifying gaps in knowledge, you strive to work to the best of your ability.

Working in a school can sharpen your focus on the finer points, such as the below:

• Ensuring spelling/grammar is accurate
• Organising classroom materials and tasks
• Noticing subtle changes in performance

These skills transfer to other jobs like editing, quality control, or data entry. In short, anywhere requiring focus, precision and thoroughness, even after doing a repetitive or tiresome task.

Teaching in Japan opens up opportunities far beyond the classroom. Whether you want to progress to another role within Interac, or want to move to a different industry or country, the skills and experience you gain as an ALT can make a huge difference to your future.

Other jobs and careers that use your skills

Let’s explore some career paths where your transferable ALT skills can give you the edge.

• Training & Coaching: Employee training, learning and development, and coaching all require the people skills and emotional intelligence you develop as a teacher.

• Recruitment & HR: Teaching helps to build good communication skills and empathy, making ALTs well-suited for hiring, training, and workplace development.
  
  
• Marketing & Media: Creativity, presentation, and writing skills from the classroom transfer well to brand management, content creation, and communications roles.
  
  
• Customer Service: Problem-solving and strong interpersonal skills help you thrive in tourism, event planning, hospitality, and client-facing roles in Japan or abroad.
  
  
• International Relations: Cross-cultural awareness is highly valued by global businesses, and bilingual opportunities may open up if you’ve learned some Japanese.
  
  
• Project Management: Time management, organization, and task planning skills from teaching are essential for managing projects and meeting tight deadlines.

Do you have skills from being a teacher that can transfer to other jobs at Interac? Ask us about our management, training and marketing roles.

How to highlight your ALT skills on a CV

Being an ALT gives you a unique skill set – make sure you highlight it in your CV or cover letter.

There’s much more to say than just “I taught English in Japan”, think about the transferable skills you have. For example, if you’re applying for a marketing role, highlight your ability to engage varied audiences and present complex ideas concisely and engagingly. You could say:

“I designed and delivered interactive lessons for students of varying levels, adapting content to different learning styles – a valuable experience for content creation and audience engagement.”

Or, if you’re interested in management or leadership roles, emphasize your planning skills:

“I managed lesson planning, scheduling, and classroom coordination, ensuring smooth delivery of educational content while meeting tight deadlines, while also supporting my students.”

Match the job description to show how your teaching experience directly applies to their needs!

Build your transferable skills with Interac

Interested in developing a wide range of skills for a career in Japan or beyond? We’re hiring!

Becoming an ALT isn’t just about teaching, it can be an opportunity to build lifelong skills and change your life for the better. Whether you want to stay in teaching, or progress to other Interac jobs in training, management or marketing, working as an ALT can kick-start your career.

Get experience teaching in schools, and develop valuable skills in communication, leadership, and problem-solving. All while living in Japan, one of the world’s most exciting countries.

Apply today to build your confidence, make new friends, and immerse yourself in Japan.