Job Discussion Forums

[orient express]

For a start a bit of background about myself. I'm a 31-year old lawyer (male). I spent 5 and a half years at one of the City monsters (including one year in Paris) and am currently at a small London firm. I am about to be made redundant and am also seriously contemplating a change of career. Frankly this redundancy is the best thing that could have happened.

I took a career break in 2003. I lived in Beijing for 8 months (through SARS!) and loved every minute of it. I spent my time intensively learning Mandarin. I have a natural aptitude and enthusiasm for learning languages. I speak 4 foreign languages - all fairly fluently. I am probably on the boundary between intermediate and advanced level Mandarin.

Given that my loves in life are languages, meeting people and seeing the world, a career in language training looks really appealing. Frankly law has become dry, limiting and isn't a good fit with my character. Teaching is a far better fit.

Given my background, a logical step for me would be to teach lawyers and other business people. I know this might not be as interesting as teaching general English, however friends of mine in London are language trainers and they say they enjoy meeting bright, interesting people. Alternatively I�d prefer to teach those already with an advanced level of English at university level.

I would like to return to Beijing, or to any other large (Mandarin-speaking) Chinese city. My initial thinking is working for a firm that provides language training to institutions within the city.

I�ve researched this a bit and know about TEFL qualifications fairly easily � oh and having spent a year as an assistant in Rouen (I studied French at university), I do have some teaching experience (indeed I have a number of other areas of language-teaching experience). However the truth is I�m a bit daunted by the things. For me this would be a career change � not just a way to tour the world and pay my way as I went.

Obviously the best thing to do would be to arrive in Beijing/Shanghai and start networking. However does anyone know of any businesses that offer language training services or have any other pointers? I know that there are people out there who would be delighted to see my CV (and hopefully might not insist on post-TEFL qualification experience). It's just accessing them! Tactically I�m really na�ve and so any thoughts would be really gratefully welcome.

Specifically too, I�m keen to know what qualifications would be well received. I have an English/French degree plus all that experience as a solicitor. I know that nothing compares to real life teaching experience � but at the same time the Chinese are a bit qualifications obsessed.

I guess the main reason I�m posting this is that I�d love to strike up correspondence with a lawyer who has converted to TEFL. I sound really serious in this mail but I promise I'm really a cheeky little chap. I really look forward to hearing from you.

[tedkarma]

[Mchristophermsw]

Ditto, Go for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hod]

yes, go for it, but however you feel now, burn no bridges.

You are almost identical to me. As an engineer, I did one year in Asia, and things would never be the same again. I felt your pain in 2000, although without your money. I left engineering and had five cool years as a teacher. But teaching got very dull indeed, and the money wasn't enough for a future, and I'm not much older than you. Engineering seemed not so bad, and I'm back with my old company having a good time - about to be sent overseas.

Beware burnout.

[tedkarma]

Hod gives good advice.

My opinion would be that unless you have a graduate degree (J.D. perhaps - or a law degree may be considered a grad degree) - life in EFL can be a hard slog in the long run.

A grad degree in something related to EFL - or even a PGCE - or sometimes just a TEFL Cert plus a grad degree can get you on track with universities where the salary often is not much better but the vacation time goes up dramatically. My current position has five months off per year. So . . . burnout is not too much of an issue. But I have friends who work in language schools with one or two weeks off a year - big time burnout!

Given the right unversity jobs - the wages can also be significantly better - or the job gives you connections to part time work with significant possibilites for increased income. And, most uni jobs will have you teaching 9-12-18 hours a week instead of 25-30 plus. And you wouldn't be teaching those horrible kindergarten classes!

All good things to consider.

[Mchristophermsw]

Karma, and Hod have some great advice.

To add to it, look at the upside and your assets.
As a Lawyer, you already have a degree and maybe a grad degree.
Just by that note you are in a exclusive rating as the average person does not have a degree so your ahead of the game.

It sounds like you have done your research---Boom, agian your head of the game!

Lastly, your taking action....Anthony Robbins said that most people never get to the point of taking action and following thier dreams-Boom, your ahead of the game! (Currently, listening to Personal Power II..hee, hee)

I wish you the best of luck!

[merlin]

Might be a good idea to not push the legal english angle at first but push academic english and get into a University. Once youve got a solid base start networking and push the legal English bit.

Another worthwhile area to push into is proofreading. Pay is low in the beginning but gets better as you build a base. The in-country translators do a decent job but with very important correspondence it's well worth their money to have someone (you) look it over to spot any possible misinterpretations. The bigger the deal, the more important this is, obviously. The there's also the advice they need as to how to exactly state something to give a fine nuance of meaning. The steel fist in a velvet glove that's possible only for someone completely fluent.

You'll probably find that teaching is something you will do for "status" while you get a lot of your "gravy" from other related activites.

[ls650]

[orient express]

Many thanks for all your responses. They really are helpful and it's great of you to spare the time to write.

I have an English/French degree from a good university (Southampton) in the UK. I then did the law conversion course, technically a 'postgraduate diploma in law' (a year-long course that puts you in the same position as those that did an undergraduate degree in law). To me that seems a fantastic grounding: a thorough knowledge of my own language plus, having studied other languages, an appreciation of linguistics and teaching methods, plus a thorough knowledge of legal English.

A relevant masters degree would undoubtedly help. To my mind there would be no point doing this without having some teaching experience behind me (though I know there are TEFL masters that require no previous teaching experience). Is it possible to undertake this abroad (presumably long-distance learning), or are there local qualifications that might be worthwhile?

I have to confess that I am worried I met get bored of teaching after a while. I love China and I'm hoping to master the Chinese language in a couple of years (ambitious but possible) and who knows what options that might bring. At the very least translation and interpreting would open up for me. Maybe my social conscience will push me off into more benevolent areas.

The pay cut is inevitable. My bigger concern is wanting to return home in ten years and finding a job market stacked against me - though at least legislation against age discrimination will be in place by then!

LS650, 'the City' is the name of the financial district of London. I was at one of the biggest law firms.

[Eloise]

I saw a well paid job on TEFL.com the other day for someone with a background in law. Have a look and see if it's still there.

[Mchristophermsw]

Come back in Ten Years?

Hmm, I would seriously think hard on that. So many things can happen.
If your single there is a good chance that within ten years you will have significant oher and maybe a family. Also, your career in ten years may be one that is build up to the point were, "you are very comfortable and satifisfied". Along with new friends, family, social ties etc.

Also real estate will be ten years more expensive etc, ect.

I hope your return in Ten years is what you want it to be, just wanted to bring up some things to think about. Whatever you do, I hope your Journey is blessed and your happy---after all, that is what life is really about.

Once agian, many blessings
Michael

[tedkarma]

I have to agree with the previous poster. EFL is good for a couple years, but after that either take it seriously as an occupation - or- go back home.

In ten years you can expect to return at the bottom of your previous profession - no matter what it is. And it is quite possible that it may be difficult to get back in - if certification/registration/bar/etc. requirements have changed.

One way to counter that, of course, is to continue to network with friends in your previous occupation (difficult over time from overseas) and continue to update your previous occupation's skills (also difficult from overseas).

Networking with friends is more difficult than it may seem. After 16 years overseas - I have only one or two friends that I keep even occasional contact with. Your life and interests, and theirs, change too much over that period of time.

[mancboy84]

Is this thread still valid for 2011?

[tttompatz]

[Sadebugo]