The teacher shortage poses a major challenge for education world wide, creating an increasing need for sustainable recruitment and retention of teachers. Second career teachers (i.e. professionals transitioning from another field) are often seen as a potential solution (Troesch & Bauer, 2017), but their specific trajectories and support needs remain underexplored (van Breugel, 2021). This study examines their motivation, induction, and retention in secondary education, aiming to provide insights into how second career teachers can be supported and retained in education. This qualitative study focuses on twelve second career teachers in secondary education. Eight respondents participated in two semi-structured interviews, and four participated once due to early departure or retirement. The interviews were analysed using thematic coding (Miles & Huberman, 1994). The thematic analysis highlighted four central themes: motivation, induction, retention, and development over time. Choosing to enter education appeared to be driven by a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, with societal engagement playing the most decisive role. Only four second career teachers assessed the induction as fully positive, while most experienced it as insufficient—although they did find more informal support among colleagues. Retention was primarily influenced by passion for the subject, connection with students, and a supportive school team. Attrition was most often linked to inadequate support, salary issues, and a mismatch with the education system. The second interview round showed that those who stayed developed increased self-confidence and stronger collegial relationships, despite ongoing workload pressures and new internal school challenges. The results partially align with existing literature (e.g. Thomas et al., 2019). This study emphasizes that the success of second career teachers depends on a context that supports autonomy, connectedness, and competence. There is a significant need for differentiated induction, a realistic onboarding process, and structural appreciation (Coppe et al., 2021). This research offers valuable insights for policy and practice, but further study into the sustainable potential of second career teachers remains necessary.

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