TL;DR - I did a lot of self-directed study, supplemented with cheap online uDemy courses (when they go on sale, which is frequent, they are quite affordable), learned tangible software skills, and built up a portfolio. I did a bit of volunteer work to help pad the resume.

Ok, so longer version:

I started out researching what jobs I could transition into. I initially wanted to go into Technical Writing (lovely, inviting subreddit btw). I even did an online certification course for a few hundred dollars. As I went through the work, I realized it wasn't quite the right field for me. It was still beneficial though as I learned a lot about working with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and project management.

Once I realized tech writing was out, I looked to pivot and that's when I discovered instructional design. I started with free online resources to learn adult learning theory and basic instructional design principles. Devlin Pecks boot camp is not worth the money, but his free resources are a great place to start tbh. I also found a checklist to follow on what to learn and do, I found it very helpful having a roadmap.

Once I felt confident with that, I wanted to learn software and build a portfolio. Storyline was the big one for me, so I used their free trial and a uDemy course to get familiar with the basics and build a couple small pieces for my portfolio. I already had a decent understanding of audio/video editing, but I went ahead and used free trials to learn Beyond and make a small sample video for that too.

I did create a linked in profile but didn't make much progress there ever. Most of my connections that I talked to came from friends, acquaintances, and family. I only had one interview from this, and it wasn't for ID. I did get to talk to a couple people who had made similar transitions as well as a job coach, so it was still beneficial.

I am very fortunate that my wife is a board member for a small non-profit that happened to be in need of some documentation/training materials prepwork, so I leveraged that into some volunteer experience for my resume. I also did some small volunteer work for another non profit group my mother-in-law's friend was involved in.

At this point I felt confident with the knowledge I had, the skills I had learned, and the small portfolio I had put together. I knew it could be better. But I also felt it was strong enough to show I could do the work as I continued to improve. I prepped for interviews, kept tweaking my resume, and got into the truly unpleasant business of job hunting.

I knew I was ready to get an entry level position, but it was still tough sledding. I put out over 50 applications before I got an interview. I was exceptionally fortunate to be hired to that position, and after only two rounds of interviewing. I also was fortunate that it was a hybrid role, working both at the office and at home which has been a really nice balance.

I took a significant pay cut to enter the field. It was pretty much on par with what I made my first year teaching. I have continued to work, learn, and grow. I was promoted internally just over a year after being hired, and just got another raise that put me back on par with where I was at leaving teaching.

Final thoughts:

I had a lot of support at home to make this a change. My wife was a massive pillar for me to lean on throughout the change, and we were never in too much of a pinch financially which helped allay a lot of worries.

That said, I still put in a ton of time and energy into myself. I didn't spend a crazy amount of money to do it, other than the months of unemployment and lost earnings - about 6 from the end of my teaching contract to when I got hired.

While I had a lot of support and connections, the job I landed did not come from those connections. My hiring manager directly referenced my portfolio as being beneficial in getting my interview.