How to Develop a Niche for Curriculum Development
When I talk about working in curriculum development, people often think about two things: TeachersPayTeachers and textbook companies. But there are so many more ways to work as a curriculum developer. If you’re interested in freelance curriculum development work, it’s important to explore how to develop a niche and market your services.
In today’s digital world, there are countless places to find curriculum development jobs in education. You can work for ed-tech companies, nonprofits, educational publishers, kids media organizations, school districts, and more. Not only can you work with a variety of organizations, but you can create all types of curricula.
Whether you’re looking to become a freelance curriculum writer or want to land a work-from-home curriculum development job, it can be hard to know where to start. Follow these three tips to develop your niche in curriculum development and then take it to the next level.
Ready to Work in Freelance Curriculum Development? Here’s How to Find Your Niche
No matter what your goals are for working in curriculum development, developing a niche can ensure you find work you truly love and can help you stand out from the crowd of curriculum designers.
Step One: Get Clear on Your Niche
Tune in to what types of curriculum you enjoy creating. Is there a certain grade level, subject, or topic that you love teaching? For example, maybe you love teaching social and emotional lessons. Perhaps you could use that passion to create curriculum around social and emotional learning.
If you’re the type of person who loves many different subjects and topics (like me!), that’s okay too. When you’re exploring how to develop a niche, just pick one area— whether it’s a grade range or a specific topic— to start with, and you can always add in others later as you expand your freelance curriculum development work.
Now think about the type of curriculum you would love to create: lesson plans, units, worksheets, activities, leveled readers, scripts for kids’ shows, assessments… the possibilities are endless! Brainstorm what your ideal curriculum project would look like. Would you be creating social and emotional lessons for a kids’ show? Would you be writing parent-facing lessons for an ed-tech company? Try to create some samples of what this curriculum could look like. These curriculum samples can form a portfolio that you use when applying for jobs in curriculum development.
Step Two: Find places that need this type of curriculum
After getting clear on the type of curriculum you’d like to develop, start thinking about companies and organizations that might need this type of curriculum. There are so many organizations that rely on freelance curriculum development services or have work-from-home curriculum development jobs. So if flexibility is your goal, there are plenty of opportunities.
For example, if you want to create leveled readers for an ed-tech company, start looking at websites that offer leveled readers. Start keeping a list of places that offer the type of curriculum you’d like to develop, then check their websites frequently to see if they have job openings. Consider pitching your services even if there aren’t any relevant jobs posted.
Step Three: Learn the most effective ways to pitch your curriculum development services
As you apply for curriculum jobs and pitch your freelance curriculum development services, you will get clearer on how to represent your skills. The best way to figure out how to effectively pitch yourself is by taking action. By writing your resume and cover letter, you’ll get a chance to practice “selling” your skills.
This can feel uncomfortable at first and definitely gets easier with practice. Focus on your passion and experience, referring to specific examples whenever possible. No matter how you pitch yourself, see it as a process! You will always be tweaking and refinding how you apply for jobs and how you present your skills. Every time you try, you get the opportunity to collect data and refine how you pitch!
Still Wondering How to Develop a Niche for Your Own Curriculum Development Services?
Wondering how to become a curriculum developer and put these tips into action in your own career? It might be time to get expert help from other educators who have already been in your shoes.
With so many jobs for curriculum developers out there, it can feel daunting to get started. Our Curriculum Development Foundations program is here to help and is designed to teach you how to work as a curriculum developer.
Through the program, you’ll learn the foundations of PreK-12 curriculum design and will walk away with a polished portfolio of curriculum samples. You’ll also get support crafting resumes and cover letters that make an impact and finding curriculum jobs.
Register for the Curriculum Development Foundations program to get started today. Have questions? Contact Educator Forever to learn more about curriculum development and other ways to find flexible jobs in education.