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cover art for Zoe Bowers: financial accountant turned English Language School founder, navigating the challenges and joys of teaching

Global Careers Calls

Zoe Bowers: financial accountant turned English Language School founder, navigating the challenges and joys of teaching

Season 7, Ep. 4
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This week we are looking at a very unique career change with our speaker Zoe Bowers. Zoe is the founder of Bowers English Communication, an English school based in Basel, Switzerland where she lives. Zoe will tell us how she reinvented herself as an English teacher. She will share with us the joys and difficulties of being a teacher, how she bridges cultural differences and how decisive setbacks in her career path happened to become incredible opportunities of growth and change.


Key points:

[01:46] – Zoe Bowers presentation

[02:22]- Working and cultural environment in Basel, Switzerland

[03:10] - How do you adapt to such a variety of students of different nationalities?

[04:11] – How have you shifted to your current role as English teacher and specialist?

[07:19] – Why did you embark on a BA in English literature despite working in finance at that time?

[09:02] – Which skills you gained from studying this degree course?

[09:58] – The value of the Humanities

[12:40]- Zoe’s experience working in many international context around the world

[14:46] – How did you adapt to the demanding and hight pressure working culture of USA?

[17:16] – Advice for balancing work, life and study time

[19:10] – How did you start to think about changing career from finance to teaching?

[22:11] – What are the fundamental skills to work in the teaching sector?

[26:58] – What is the most surprising and unexpected aspect of the teaching profession?

[30:35] – Did you have a career plan Zoe?

[33:14] – Have you faced any setbacks in your career?

[38:19] – The importance of remembering personal achievements and success

[41:30] - How the technologies and digital software are changing the language learning field ?

[44:07] – Advice for students considering a career as language teacher

[46:38] – Growth in demand of linguistic services (language softening, proofreading, translation ect.)

[50:38] – Advice for professionals in different stages of their career ( careers starters, developers and changers)?

[53:02] – Zoe is a UoL Alumni ambassador. What kind of support do you provide to students as such?

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