Guys take on 'caring' professions (Part 3)

traditionally ruled by women
Part 3 of 3

Cao Jun, 36, used to be a professional sports and boxing coach. Since 2002 he has been teaching kindergartners games, skills and sportsmanship, taking turns and respecting others.

Cao, a graduate of Shanghai Sports University, says family and friends were astonished when he decided to switch careers.

"I wanted something new and teaching kids was a challenge," he says. "I like talking to and playing with those wonderful, innocent children. I treat them with respect."

The father of a 13-year-old boy also says that working with kids keeps him young.

"A good father should take time for his kids, no matter how busy he is."

Cao's son is preparing for a middle school entrance exam, but Cao says he won't put too much pressure on him.

"He will try his best, and the result is not that important," says dad. "He is not as interested in sports as I am, but I will let him do whatever he wants to do in life." A fellow who follows fashion Michelle Zhang

To most men, going shopping, especially going shopping with women, is a tedious job. Chen Jia, on the contrary, enjoys shopping from time to time. He loves giving girls advice on what they should wear, and what they should avoid.

He has a job that most girls envy - a fashion editor at one of the country's most influential women's fashion magazines. Every day, this 24-year-old Shanghai native reads all kinds of fashion magazines from home and abroad, searches for the latest fashion news on the Internet, flips through "look books" of luxury fashion houses and checks out the latest samples sent to him. These range from the most coveted "it" bags and heels of the season, to the exquisite gowns, dresses and coats that every girl wishes to put on.

Doesn't it sound like a dream job?

Most of Chen's colleagues are women. It is always complicated to work in an office with a lot of women, let alone one filled with fashionable girls who love gossiping and keeping up with the Joneses.

For Chen, things are much easier. As one of the very few men in the office, he is considered "harmless."

"They (women colleagues) all take care of me like a younger brother," he says.

Workwise, he tends to look at women's fashion from a man's point of view, which often makes his work distinctive.

"It's just like what happens when I go shopping with girls," he explains. "I give them suggestions from a man's point of view, which often surprises them but the result is good."

There are also disadvantages. For example, Chen always needs a female assistant during shooting projects. "It's not so easy for me to guide those female models," he explains. "Female editors can go straight and adjust the length of the straps or the skirt, but I can't."


Source: ShanghaiDaily.com