Hi HubaHuba,
I've been working in education for the past 5 1/2 years. I taught for three (while in grad school, at NYU actually), and then worked as a test developer and then as a project manager/editor, developing education products. I did switch jobs a few times, although I think the rationale for those switches was clear (first was only part-time/grad school, the second had too long of a commute), and the jobs were at least all in the same industry. I did not get asked about that.
My work pre-2010/grad school work was probably less clear (arts/luxury real estate), and I did get asked about that initial jump to teaching. I just said, truthfully, that those jobs were very interesting, but also very sensitive to economic fluctuations. I wanted to do something more practical and something that would allow me to work in a variety of settings. Also, my parents are educators, and I like working with people, so it seemed like a good choice.
I mentioned that my manager had recommended that I pursue an MBA, and she suggested that I track my coursework so that I could be slotted for a more specific, more senior job at my company.
I felt like I was pretty clear in my essay that I wanted to stay at my current company, even mentioning which classes would be beneficial for certain positions. However, I did change careers twice before 2010, so that certainly may have been seen as a lack of focus. I've only been at my current job for a year as well.
Anyway, hoping for the best for everybody...