To please others, Jonathan chose to major in accounting. Reading books from the recommended reading lists of his college business classes led him to change his mind. His week-long infatuation with one book in particular -- the prosaic, theory-driven narrative of a small town firm's successful efforts to improve the efficiency of its operations -- made him realize his mind was starved for literature. Having finished two terms of business classes, he seamlessly (all but three of his business credits counted toward his graduation) switched majors to English.

To enrich his literary studies, Jonathan applied for an exchange program and spent the Fall 2007 term at a University in the U.K., the country of his literary idols. The high mark his term paper on Chaucer's Canterbury Tales received alone made the journey worthwhile.

Eyeing graduation and shackled by two layoffs in a three-month span following the 2008 economic recession, he hurriedly researched life and work abroad. Days after receiving his college diploma in the mail, he was hired to teach English at Dalian Polytechnic University in Dalian, China. Extreme jet lag, the language barrier, and teaching classes of up to forty students -- sans a degree in education or any teaching experience -- were colossal physical and mental demands, but he met them thanks to hard work and the generous guidance of colleagues and university administrators.

Jonathan parted ways amicably with Dalian Polytechnic after two years. Recommendation letter in hand, eager to part with the plodding pace of life in the frigid suburbs of Dalian, he migrated thousands of kilometers south to the far more urban confines of Shanghai. He lived in cafes and hostiles for a month before signing a one-year contract with a private English school for children. Here he energetically taught 4-16 year-olds for ten months before finding a position more suited to his introverted disposition -- foreign expert in English at Shanghai International Studies University. Here he taught English as a second language and academic English for three academic terms before succumbing to homesickness and returning home to the U.S.

During his four-and-a-half-year teaching stint, he instructed students in English speaking, pronunciation, and listening. To conduct more compelling classes, he drafted syllabuses, lesson plans, and lecture slides. These were all non-core compulsory classes which the majority of the students were used to taking lightly; as terms concluded and classes ended, the extra effort he invested elicited enthusiastic participation from many of them. More importantly, they gained an appreciation for learning English that extended beyond his class.

After his return from China, Jonathan worked part-time as a search engine evaluator for Leapforce, Inc. Writing multiple 200-word paragraphs which provided his rationale for the ratings he assigned web and mobile search results was a daily routine. For instance, an internet user who submitted the Google search query "poison ivy" probably sought authoritative information on symptoms and treatment options. A WebMD page about poison ivy would receive a significantly higher rating than a page on a natural remedies blog. Though the information on the blog page was accurate, it would have received a low rating because anyone can publish content on a blog; such search results are far below the high authority standard for health-related search queries.

In addition to this work, Jonathan has been managing his investments, teaching English online, researching for an author, and writing content for clients like Nutribody.com and Curry Creative. His areas of expertise are sports, travel, and education.