Author Topic: Career advice for my gf  (Read 6723 times)

goldgrasshopper

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Career advice for my gf
« on: February 03, 2016, 09:46:53 PM »
On the heels of my last post. My live-in gf, moved to America three years ago and is tri-lingual; she knows Ukrainian, Persian and now English. She has a Bachelors in Biology (earned in Ukraine) and a Masters in Education (earned here in the states), yet she works at a preschool aka daycare making under $14hr, getting sick from the children and dealing with low rung employees whose temperament is no better than the children's.

Anways, the point of the post is to explore viable career options. She's come to realize how deplorable the school system is here and has pretty much ruled out becoming a teacher, at least in the traditional sense. She has had experience working at the library of her grad school, but besides librarian, can someone help me field some ideas her way?

I've suggested she look into becoming an interpreter considering the starkly differently languages and their prominence on the world stage for better or worse.

Adventine

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Re: Career advice for my gf
« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2016, 10:14:57 PM »
You're right, a translator/interpreter role would work pretty well, given her unique combination of skills. I've also heard of a market for people who can translate medical information for non-native English speakers  living in the US. Just can't recall where I read that.

Urchina

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Re: Career advice for my gf
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2016, 10:35:35 PM »
If she likes teaching, with that master's in Education she may be eligible to teach Early Childhood Education coursework at a community college.

She might also consider teaching a foreign language at a community college -- that's master's is key, again.

dinkhelpneeded

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Re: Career advice for my gf
« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2016, 10:51:23 PM »
She could do program management at test prep companies that do SAT, GRE, GMAT.
She could try to work in special needs kids programs.
Executive Assistant to some director of an Education Program like Khan Academy or a director of a Private school.
University jobs are plenty (if you live near one)- she could do exam scheduling, co-ordination among professors, website maintenance stuff she can learn on the job really
See if you live near any childrens education or childrens retail type companies corporate HQ's - gymboree, toys r us, stride rite and look up jobs in that industry.

goldgrasshopper

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Re: Career advice for my gf
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2016, 06:15:02 PM »
Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

Kaikou

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Re: Career advice for my gf
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2016, 04:28:38 AM »
M@ny immigrant families pay hefty for a nanny of their native tongue

spokey doke

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Re: Career advice for my gf
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2016, 08:29:49 AM »
There should be many other and better teaching gigs out there...schools vary tremendously, so I don't think one should judge the profession by one lousy experience (that said, teaching is challenging).

Particularly with the language factor, it would seem she should be an attractive hire for many schools with populations who speak any of those languages.  I think it really would depend on where you live and where you are willing to move for a better job for her.

RamonaQ

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Re: Career advice for my gf
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2016, 08:35:09 AM »
She has had experience working at the library of her grad school, but besides librarian, can someone help me field some ideas her way?

Actually, to be a librarian, she would need another master's degree (MLIS) so that is probably not a path she'd want to pursue right now.

mskyle

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Re: Career advice for my gf
« Reply #8 on: February 17, 2016, 08:39:20 AM »
Is she looking for any job that pays well and has decent benefits, or does she have some particular job in mind?

If she's just looking for A Good Job, she should think about what the big employers are in your area (big companies and also big industries - are you an insurance town, or a tech town, or an energy town, or a medical town, or a college town, or ???) and go after jobs at those types of places. Even if they're non-core, admin type jobs, you often make more money working in the dominant industry than you do in a side industry (and it's not like the work is any harder, or even much different). And once you have an in, you can think about whether there are other types of positions you'd be interested in in that industry.

This is assumed she (and you) are tied to your area.

Also also, don't be a librarian. Been there, done that, got the student loan debt (and eventually got a librarian job, but not a good librarian job; now I'm a software developer).

pbkmaine

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Re: Career advice for my gf
« Reply #9 on: February 17, 2016, 09:06:38 AM »
By Persian, do you mean Farsi? There is a HUGE need for Farsi translators right now.

http://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=0276dd5c341e6727&q=Farsi&l=New+hampshire&tk=1abnvm3145oq5da1&from=web

El Gringo

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Re: Career advice for my gf
« Reply #10 on: February 17, 2016, 09:20:02 AM »
Here in DC her language skills would certainly come in handy, everything from working for the government, working for an international non-profit, or doing translation.

luciep

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Re: Career advice for my gf
« Reply #11 on: February 17, 2016, 11:10:50 AM »
If she wants to be self employed, decide when she works and make a decent amount of money, she could become a tutor (see https://www.wyzant.com/ as a starting point). I make between $30 and $50 an hour as a French tutor.

warmastoast

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Re: Career advice for my gf
« Reply #12 on: February 17, 2016, 12:19:43 PM »
I found myself in somewhat of the same situation.   UK qualified dental hygienist - I would need to go back to community college for about 3 years full time to work in the US doing this.  I didn't like the job THAT much! So, I've done a few other things as well... dental equipment sales to dentists and hospitals,  focus group lead for specialist dentists - I speak french fluently as well.   

I am now working as an executive relocation consultant - I've moved internationally a few times and here in Austin there are plenty of international arrivals who need to find houses, schools etc.  My french is handy since there are a couple of french multinationals close by and since I understand the french school system I can help them with their children's education.  It's pretty well paid and I choose when I work. Maybe this is an option for your GF?

Also,  just getting started on a pool service.  I know lots about pools and I now know a really good way to keep them clean using the absolute minimum of chemicals.  Neighbours are interested in what I've been doing and plenty of pools where I live.  An upside to suburbia!  Yay!


asauer

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Re: Career advice for my gf
« Reply #13 on: February 17, 2016, 12:28:15 PM »
You said degree in Biology right?  What about working for big Pharma?  I worked for GSK and currently work for a CRO (clinical research organization).  She would be a shoe-in for a research associate position.  We love hiring bio majors that are multi-lingual b/c they know the terms of the research and can communicate with clinical sites around the globe.  Most of these jobs are east coast (North Carolina, Philly, Jersey) but some west coast too (cali) with pockets elsewhere.  RA jobs tend to start around 36k.  However, at most CROs, they only stay in that job for 2 years before promotions start.  Hope that helps.

goldgrasshopper

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Re: Career advice for my gf
« Reply #14 on: May 06, 2016, 01:05:38 PM »
You said degree in Biology right?  What about working for big Pharma?  I worked for GSK and currently work for a CRO (clinical research organization).  She would be a shoe-in for a research associate position.  We love hiring bio majors that are multi-lingual b/c they know the terms of the research and can communicate with clinical sites around the globe.  Most of these jobs are east coast (North Carolina, Philly, Jersey) but some west coast too (cali) with pockets elsewhere.  RA jobs tend to start around 36k.  However, at most CROs, they only stay in that job for 2 years before promotions start.  Hope that helps.

We're on the same track here. Since this posting, she's switched gears to getting an advanced certificate in Biotech from a nearby community college. Being in the Boston-Metro area, we're in the right place.

MidWestLove

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Re: Career advice for my gf
« Reply #15 on: May 06, 2016, 01:58:29 PM »
"M@ny immigrant families pay hefty for a nanny of their native tongue "

+1 , I know we do, as all of my (Russian-speaking) friends.  the going rate is 15/hour cash without taxes with guaranteed hours during the year and paid time off...

MidWestLove

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Re: Career advice for my gf
« Reply #16 on: May 06, 2016, 02:02:26 PM »
"By Persian, do you mean Farsi? There is a HUGE need for Farsi translators right now. "

it should be the same, "Persian" is just an englizied reading of the same word ..

also, kudos to your GF! awesome set of skills

from Ashkenazi jew , Russian and Farsi (grew up in Tajikistan) speaker with roots from Odessa..

Daviddur

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Re: Career advice for my gf
« Reply #17 on: February 24, 2017, 06:57:00 AM »
If she is good in some school items she can try a tutoring. This is the best place for it  http://find-tutoring-jobs.com/