Career Move

The universe seems to work quite like a Chinese city. You keep looking for something, and you might be looking for a while, but once you find one, you find plenty of other at the same time.

In a Chinese city this applies to shops, restaurants and other businesses. You might be trying to find a music shop for hours, and once you find one, you realise that all of the music shops are right here on this same street, right next to each other.

For me this week, this has applied to work. Although I've been teaching English since we moved to Beijing, I've been constantly looking for other work, something more permanent as well as more 'official'. And suddenly, after I was called to my first interview last week, the opportunities have been popping up like mushrooms. The whole week, jobs that I would have great chances of getting have just appeared.

However, I've accepted that very first one that started this avalanche. From September 15 I will be a trainee consultant in a legal office that deals with IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) issues here in China, as well as working with European countries. And if all goes well, after three months I'll be made a permanent employee.

It's all a little mad, I could have never imagined myself working with legal issues, but all things considered, it seems the most attractive offer. It's a small office, in a fantastic old courtyard house by the lake not far from our place, with a friendly team of people to work with. And best of all, it sounds like the job will be a nice combination of freedom, chance of personal development, and challenges.

Watch this space...