Job “ins” come in mysterious ways. For Mathew, it was teaching English in Shenzhen between his master’s and doctorate in history. 

Seven years later, that teaching abroad stint qualified him for a contract role writing ESL tests. And then, as Mathew puts it, the stars aligned. 

A full-time test developer in the history department left the company. Within three weeks of that colleague’s departure, Mathew landed a full-time test development role in his academic discipline.

Of course, the ESL experience is a fraction of the story.

If it weren’t for networking and stating his intentions to work outside of academia, Mathew never would have received the tip about the ESL test development gig. And it’s anyone’s guess how things would have panned out had he not been willing to relocate when his partner, now husband, landed a new job.

A circuitous route can, indeed, be the path to enjoyable work. 

Books & other resources mentioned

Alison Green’s Ask a Manager blog

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