Careers and Job Opportunities

Talented, successful people with interesting jobs — people who turned their ability to communicate into an excellent and rewarding career. The list below is not complete, of course. We'd be delighted to hear from our alumni whose jobs we haven't listed yet, or to hear from people with questions about careers in languages.

• Lawyer
• Magazine publisher
• Financial trader
• Journalist
• Actress
• Hotel manager
• Banker
• Film producer
• Labor specialist
• Embassy receptionist
• Pilot
• Importer
• Educator
• Political science professor
• TV-radio executive
• Computer programmer

Recent graduates

We celebrate the positive impact our TESOL alumni are making in the world! Two of our graduates, Liz and Sasha (pictured below), are integral members of the Open Doors English team in Ithaca, NY, where they are celebrating five years of dedicated service to adult English learners. See this news article for more. Find out more about Open Doors English here.

Liz Susmann, Project Co-director and Educator

Liz loves teaching English.  She started teaching as a substitute and summer teacher, which led her to pursue a Masters in Education (English as a Second Language) from SUNY Cortland. She enjoys meeting students from all over the world, and is humbled and inspired by her students' cheerful perseverance through the difficulties of learning a new language, and kindness they share with her and their classmates. Liz enjoys helping students connect to the Ithaca community through guest speakers and field trips, and finding fun ways to practice English in class. 

Sasha Endo, Educator

Sasha fell in love with teaching English to speakers of other languages while working at a school in Guayaquil, Ecuador.  She earned her Masters in Education (Secondary Education) from the University of Pennsylvania and a Masters in Education (English as a Second Language) from SUNY Cortland. Her passions include connecting students to resources and experiences in the community that will help them reach their goals.  She also strives to help students navigate new personal and cultural experiences that they encounter while in a new country. 

Current job openings

Interesting fact: on https://olasjobs.org there are 14 openings for Spanish teachers and 7 openings for ENL teachers in a 50-mile radius of Cortland as of February 2024, the middle of the school year! Looking for a teaching job outside of the Cortland region? Just add your preferred location to the OLAS site to see the job openings in your area.

Schools contact the SUNY Cortland Modern Languages Department when they are looking for great teachers. Here are a few:

Spanish Teacher: Candor Central School District, Candor, NY

The Candor Central School District is seeking Spanish teacher applicants!

Candor CSD is expanding our Spanish Department for the 2024-2025 school year. The district's strategic plan includes building a Spanish language program which will become the model of excellence for language programs in small, rural New York State public schools. Consider applying to Candor and starting your career on an educational team that is second to none.

We understand that excellent education begins with motivated, caring professionals who are supported by the district and community. We take immense pride in the exceptional quality of our teachers and staff. Our dedicated educators and administrators foster a positive and enriching learning environment with a four-year mentoring program for new teachers.

Candor Central School District educates approximately 700 students ni grades pre-K through 12th. Our Schools District is set in the rolling hills of northeastern Toga County, the heart of the southern tier of New York State. We are located approximately 18 miles from Ithaca, 29 miles from Binghamton, 32 miles from Cortland, 32 miles from Elmira and 68 miles from Syracuse. This convenient location provides the community ready access to many cultural and educational opportunities while maintaining the charm of a small, close knit community. The village features spectacular Victorian homes, churches, a public library and a picturesque trout pond with a waterfall. Our school is in the center of the Village of Candor and is the community's largest employer. Many other residents commute to good paying jobs in Greater Binghamton, Owego and Ithaca. We are fortunate to have several world class institutions of higher education such as Cornell University and SUNY Binghamton within an easy commute. Outdoors activities for all tastes, from boating on the beautiful Finger Lakes, kayaking the numerous streams and rivers, to hiking, biking and skiing are right at our doorstep.

All in all, Candor CSD is a great place to live and work. We hope that Spanish language students nearing graduation will submit an application for a Spanish teacher position with Candor CSD. Applications can be found on OLAS, https://olasjobs.org.
Sincerely,
Brent Suddaby, Superintendent of Schools

Spanish Teacher: JFS Middle School, Union-Endicott Central School District

Start date: May 1, 2024. Candidates must have a valid NYS Certification in Spanish 7-12 or provide proof of eligibility for NYS certification. Candidates who have just completed degrees and are finalizing certification are welcome to apply.

Italian Teacher: Secondary Level for 2024-2025 school year, Union-Endicott Central School District