What are the best jobs for a TESOL graduate? College alumni give insight into a variety of rewarding and practical career paths.
When it comes to jobs in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), the possibilities seem endless. So, how do students narrow down which route to take? And when they figure that out, how can they find success in their chosen career? In order to address these questions, the BYU TESOL Alumni Chapter hosted an online seminar with four alumni who shared advice for current BYU TESOL students. These alumni talked about how they carved their own paths after graduation and covered topics ranging from preparing applications to trusting God to guide you in your career.
Preparing for the Hiring Process
The first presenter, Karen Vallejo (TESOL ’92), works as a full-time faculty member at UC Irvine. In her presentation, she gave a full rundown of the hiring process at her school and offered invaluable advice about creating résumés and preparing for interviews. Though Vallejo spoke specifically about hiring for professorial jobs, the basic principles she mentioned apply to any job that falls under the TESOL umbrella or beyond.
Vallejo explained that while preparing a résumé, applicants should make sure they have strategically placed “keywords.” These words should be pulled from the language that hiring managers use in the job listing. She also mentioned a few things that should not be on résumés, like age, gender, and religious affiliation. Vallejo says that these things should not matter to employers anyway and are better left out.
Vallejo advised students to do as much research as possible before they go in for an interview so that they can ask questions. She said, “If you apply [with] us, you should know something about the program—for any job, right?” Additionally, she gave plenty of advice on how to respond to questions, especially when you don’t have a great answer: “If you don’t have experience in certain things, don’t be afraid to say, ‘I haven’t done that, but when I was a [student], I did this.’ And so, pull on your own experiences, even if it’s not in teaching.”
Careers Beyond Academia
An advocate for the world outside TESOL academia, Jared Sell (TESOL ’17) works as a language testing specialist at the Defense Language Institute English Language Center in San Antonio, Texas. He recommends that students look beyond the established path of academia and instead consider options like becoming a language testing specialist, which involves developing and administering language tests for prospective employees required to speak another language for work. He added that branching out into this field can provide monetary advantages, saying, “While the job does not start at $80,000 a year, it quickly gets you to that, and so it does pay well.”
Rochelle Keogh (TESOL ’98), currently an adjunct faculty member at Framingham State University, also spoke about careers outside of academia. She recommended that students think about who they like to work with most (children, adults, immigrants, refugees, etc.) when deciding what area to go into. She listed several different areas of occupation that students could pursue, from teaching K-12 to working at a university, depending on what kind of work they enjoy most. She also made sure to advocate for online opportunities in the field, explaining that in her current role, she works entirely online and has loved the flexibility.
Achieving a Work-Life Balance
Keogh also advocated for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. She explained that she has a tendency to burn out and knows others in the field who face similar issues. To combat this, she recommended that students look for work that will allow them to learn a new skill. She told them to consider these questions: “What can I do to develop my leadership skills? What can I do to learn to be a grant writer, or learn to design materials or learn to write curriculum?”
Ethan Lynn (TESOL ’16), currently working in education technology, also mentioned creating balance. He said, “There’s a lot of work, and you can really burn yourself out. So, I made a rule. I’m going to work pretty much eight to five, and I’m not going to work weekends or evenings. And I didn’t, so I had time for my family.”
Trusting Yourself and God
Keogh made sure to inspire confidence in students by assuring them that their choice in major can lead them to something great. She said, “I’m so excited that you’re in this field because you are in a position to really make a difference in people’s lives. . . . You’re gonna learn so much about yourself, about other countries, and about other ways of thinking. . . . You’re making a difference in [people’s lives] beyond just the English education you give them.”
For his final thoughts, Lynn echoed Keogh’s sentiment and took it a step further, urging students not only to trust themselves and their abilities, but to trust that God will lead them in the right direction. He said, “Trust God. I was very insecure, always worried ‘What am I going to do? Am I going to make enough for my family?’. . . . Just trust God and follow Him. So, keep an open mind to wherever God wants to drive you and take you and be open to new opportunities.”
For more information on the TESOL Alumni Chapter and their upcoming events, click here.