Achieving personal fulfillment through career transitions

1. Achieving personal fulfillment through career transitions • 10:30-10:40 – Overview (Mary March) • 10:40-11:00 – Writing (Daphne Mackey) • 11:00-11:20 – Editing (Jenny Bixby) • 11:20-11:40 – Consulting (Joe McVeigh) • 11:40-12:00 – Working Abroad (Nancy Ackles) • 12:00-12:15 – Group discussions • 5 minutes of questions after each presentation

2. Mary March: Instructor - University of Washington • Daphne Mackey: Author/Instructor - U of Washington • Jenny Bixby: Editor - Bixby Editorial Services • Joe McVeigh: Independent Consultant • Nancy Ackles: Instructor/Teacher Trainer Achieving personal fulfillment through career transitions This is a two-session (back-to-back) colloquium (10:30 -12:15) Four presentations followed by group discussions

3. Achieving personal fulfillment through career transitions 10:30-10:40 – Overview (Mary March) 10:40-11:00 – Writing (Daphne Mackey) 11:00-11:20 – Editing (Jenny Bixby) 11:20-11:40 – Consulting (Joe McVeigh) 11:40-12:00 – Working Abroad (Nancy Ackles) 12:00-12:15 – Group discussions 5 minutes of questions after each presentation

4. Why consider a career transition? Editor? Writer? Consultant? Work abroad?

5. TEACHER Burnout

6. FINANCIAL BOOST

7. Working abroad Writing Consulting Editing EMPLOYMENT SECURITY

8. FLEXIBILITY

9. ENCORE CAREER Don’t retire – just change! X Dream Job Expanded Horizons Semi-retirement Travel

10. What career could YOU move into? • High school English teacher • Foreign language teacher or writer • Administrator • Teacher trainer • Technology specialist • Textbook writer • Editor • Consultant • Living/working abroad

11. Achieving personal fulfillment through career transitions 10:30-10:40 – Overview (Mary March) 10:40-11:00 – Writing (Daphne Mackey) 11:00-11:20 – Editing (Jenny Bixby) 11:20-11:40 – Consulting (Joe McVeigh) 11:40-12:00 – Working Abroad (Nancy Ackles) 12:00-12:15 – Group discussions 5 minutes of questions after each presentation

12. From teacher to writer Daphne Mackey University of Washington

13. Is writing right for you? Are you … • flexible? • efficient? • committed?

14. ESL/EFL Textbook Market • Competitive • Specialized/localized • Sophisticated

15. What kind of writing jobs exist? • Royalty-based • Fee-based / freelance • Independent (self-publishing) • Writer-initiated • Publisher-initiated

16. How do you get started? • Research the market • Get to know your local reps • Get to know editors • Write reviews for publishers • Participate in Material Writers Interest Section activities • Get to know writers in your community

17. Advantages of self-employment • Putting income into tax-deferred retirement savings (SEP IRA or Keogh) • Writing off a certain percentage of work-related expenses • Adding to your social security payments

18. The Present Value of Money • Royalty vs. fee? • Get payment as soon as possible (grants, advances) • Invest it • $3000 now – in 3 years, $3600 to $4000

19. Writing • Possibly risky, possibly rewarding • Very fulfilling

20. Achieving personal fulfillment through career transitions 10:30-10:40 – Overview (Mary March) 10:40-11:00 – Writing (Daphne Mackey) 11:00-11:20 – Editing (Jenny Bixby) 11:20-11:40 – Consulting (Joe McVeigh) 11:40-12:00 – Working Abroad (Nancy Ackles) 12:00-12:15 – Group discussions 5 minutes of questions after each presentation

21. From classroom teacher to freelance editor Jenny Bixby Bixby Editorial Services

22. Freelance editing --- a perfect career transition Editing builds on your expertise . . . • in the classroom • in evaluating and using textbooks • in teaching students from various cultures

23. A fulfilling career • Stimulating • Work as a team with the author and publisher • Gratifying to have a tangible product • Freedom and flexibility

24. What does a freelance editor do? • Keeps to the schedule. • Develops manuscript with the author. • Incorporates feedback from reviewers. • Edits from three to five drafts. • Prepares all materials to hand over to production.

25. Is freelancing right for you? Are you … • very well organized and detail-oriented? • a self-starter? • flexible? • a good listener? • comfortable working alone?

26. Advantages Disadvantages • Hours are flexible. • You can work anywhere. • You are self-employed. • Your colleagues are virtual. • Deadlines can be stressful. • Hours are flexible. • You can work anywhere. • You are self-employed. • It’s intellectually stimulating. • There are a wide variety of projects.

27. Compensation • Hourly rates • Flat rates

28. How to get started • Work in-house. • Take a course. • Find a mentor. • Be a reviewer or cold reader. • Start as a copy editor.

29. How to find work Once you have experience • Contact publishers • Watch job postings • Network

30. The Ins and Outs of Freelance Editing • Jennifer Bixby, Linda O'Roke, Mari Vargo • Sheraton - Liberty Suite 1, Thursday, 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM Demonstration (45 mins.) • #114039 • Have you ever considered becoming a freelance editor? Come find out what skills are required, what types of editing jobs exist, what you should know about compensation and contracts, and how to find work. Try your hand at editing a two-page lesson.

31. Achieving personal fulfillment through career transitions 10:30-10:40 – Overview (Mary March) 10:40-11:00 – Writing (Daphne Mackey) 11:00-11:20 – Editing (Jenny Bixby) 11:20-11:40 – Consulting (Joe McVeigh) 11:40-12:00 – Working Abroad (Nancy Ackles) 12:00-12:15 – Group discussions 5 minutes of questions after each presentation

32. Consulting Joe McVeigh Independent Consultant Middlebury, Vermont, USA

33. What is a consultant ? • A person who is contracted to perform a specific and often specialized role for an organization, as distinct from someone employed full time by an organization. • One who gives professional advice or services. • And gets paid for it !

34. How did you get into it? • Professional background: EFL, Adult Ed, IEP teaching, ESP, Textbook Coordination, Teacher Training, Administration, TESOL Board, Strategic Planning, Global English, Educational Technology, Business English, Intercultural Communication • Networking! Networking! Networking!

35. How does it work? • Somebody has a problem or needs some work done • They get in touch with you and you talk with them about their needs • You decide if it is a good fit for you • You submit a proposal outlining their problem, your proposed solution, and how much you will charge them

36. How does it work? • You negotiate a contract with them • Not just dollars and cents • When – “deliverables” • What do you need to get the job done? • Legal aspects • You do the work • You send them and invoice and get paid • You evaluate the engagement and see if there are other ways that you can help them

37. What types of consulting are available to ESL professionals? • Educational: K-12, College-university, IEP, Professional development training • Overseas assignments: State department • Non-profit organizations: use your administrative experience • Corporate language training needs

38. What types of consulting are available to ESL professionals? • Curriculum development • Program review • In-service training • Needs assessment • Training of trainers • Materials development – writing and editing

39. What types of consulting are available to ESL professionals? • In-house conference presentations • Orientation sessions • Intercultural communication • Accreditation assistance • Grant writing

40. Can you really make a lot of money in consulting? • Yes and no • Two fables • Let’s do some math

41. Can you really make a lot of money in consulting? • Charge $1000 per day • That’s $125 per hour • But as an entrepreneur, you are now working 12 hour days • Your hourly rate is now $83 per hour • Subtract weekends, holidays, and a two-week vacation (unpaid) • Reduce rate by 8%: $76 per hour

42. Can you really make a lot of money in consulting? • Use one day per week for preparation • One day for marketing • One day for administration (taxes, billing, research, professional development) • So now one day of billing accounts for four days of your time. • Reduce hourly rate by 75%: $19 per hour

43. Can you really make a lot of money in consulting? • Your clients will want you at the same time • Nobody wants you in December • Subtract 25% for down time: $14 per hour • Oops – no withholding. Take out 20% for taxes: $12 per hour • Don’t forget health insurance: $6 per hour • Business expenses: phone, copying, postage, internet access, office: $4 per hour

44. How do you handle the business end of things? • Marketing -- one-page blurb – blow your own horn • Networking • Being an “independent contractor”

47. The business end of business English • Friday, April 4, 7:30am • Hilton: Murray Hill B • Joe McVeigh and Andrea Koehler

48. What are the challenges of consulting? • Working independently – few colleagues, collaboration • Self-employment – no IT support, no administrative support, no benefits, no overhead • Getting work – sporadic nature of projects – remaining open to other opportunities • Integrating into the world of the other • Scope creep – getting beyond the job that you were signed up for • Life-work balance • Keeping roles and responsibilities straight

49. What are the rewards of consulting? • You get to use your professional expertise in new and interesting settings • You can set your own schedule and say yes and no to things • You are not dependent on the decisions of a larger institution or department • The money can be good • Tax breaks for the self-employed (in the U.S.) • People listen to what you have to say

50. What are some useful resources on consulting? • Bellman, G. (2001). The consultant's calling: Bringing who you are to what you do (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Biech, E. (1999). The business of consulting: the basics and beyond. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfieffer. • Biech, E. (2001). The consultant's quick start guide: An action plan for your first year in business. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfieffer.