The Modern Language Faculty would like to invite you to explore the opportunities that await you when you wish to put your foreign language skills to use in the workplace.  There are numerous types of employers who seek potential employees with foreign language skills.  Normally, positions can require foreign languages as a primary, secondary or as a recommended skill.  In today’s global marketplace, it is beneficial to be able to read, write and speak a foreign language.  Surely you will find an area that interests you.  Read on to discover how languages can enhance your future career. 

Primary Language Skills in the Workplace

Primary language skills exist in a wide variety of professional arenas: communications, business, government service, education, and travel and tourism.  All of these careers can be exciting and rewarding.

Communication involves both written and oral skills and encompasses several types of jobs.  Most professionals opt to work as translators and interpreters.  They may find work in a company, with a translation firm or as freelance translators.  Another popular field is print or broadcast media.  Most common employers include newspapers, magazines, TV and radio stations.  Jobs include correspondents, journalists, writers, editors and broadcasters.  A more exotic path would be one in the entertainment industry, where people with foreign language skills are needed for jobs ranging from promotion abroad to translating for subtitling, to working as interpreters on location in foreign countries. 

Business is another area in which primary language skills are in demand. Positions vary, yet some of the most common are: executive secretaries, personnel managers, bankers, financial advisors, lawyers, accountants, and specialists in fields such as public relations, import/export, marketing and sales. Advertising agencies promote their clients’ products abroad, computer companies often need people to translate software and manuals into multiple languages, banks deal with both clients and other financial institutions abroad. 

Government service often employs individuals with foreign language skills at federal and state levels and depending on the geographic location, there may also be opportunities at the county and municipal levels.  From local to federal courts, the FBI, CIA, Departments of Defense, State, Commerce and the Library of Congress all seek applicants with foreign language skills.

There is always a demand for qualified teachers at all levels of education.  Now more schools are beginning to teach foreign languages in elementary schools, which means even more opportunities for work.

Travel and tourism is an ever growing and exciting field for people who wish to utilize their language skills.  Airlines, travel agencies, the International Visitors Information Service, hotels and resorts continually seek professionals to work in customer relations, advertising and public relations. 

Secondary Language Skills in the Workplace

There are many job opportunities out there that demand foreign language skills to be secondary in nature.  Here are some that you may find interesting yet practical.

Businesses seek potential employees who are versatile.  For example, multi-national corporations hire in a variety of areas as in their sales, marketing, legal and finance departments.  In any of these areas, you can expect to use your foreign language skills as well as your knowledge in other fields.  Book publishers also employ those who have strong writing and speaking skills in English and another language.  Positions such as sales representatives, editors and copywriters exist for those interested in foreign language text book and literary publishing.  Computer companies often advertise for potential employees to translate software into other languages.  If you enjoy travel, this is another business that is booming for those who know a foreign language.  Airlines employ people to work in areas such as sales, service and of course on board as flight attendants.  Travel agencies, especially American Express (AMEX), the leading provider of travelers checks, often need employees in customer relations and sales who are bilingual.  Phone companies often need bilingual representatives as well. And banks are known to hire people who speak more than one language.  They often offer opportunities to work abroad as well which can be very exciting and rewarding. 

If your interests lie in research, there are also opportunities to put your language skills to use in this field.  If you plan on pursuing a Masters or a Doctorate degree, it is very useful to have a reading knowledge of languages such as French, German and Spanish.  Some key fields in which research is published in these languages are: Music, Art History, Political Science, History, Mathematics, Sociology, Engineering and Biology.  Another field which utilizes individuals who have reading knowledge of foreign languages is Library 

Science.  Evaluating books and journals for possible adoption is a key responsibility.  Working in a museum can also be rewarding if you have a reading knowledge of another language.  Often art and natural history museums hire multilingual curators and assistants to read foreign texts or to speak with foreign museums about special exhibits or acquisitions.

If a career in service is something that interests you, then consider utilizing your foreign language skills to make it more rewarding.  State, county and municipal social service agencies need people with foreign language skills to better serve clients.  Medical providers, pharmacists and pharmaceutical sales representatives could be faced with non-English speaking clients at any time.  Knowing a foreign language could help out tremendously.        

With all of this inspiration, surely you can make foreign languages work for you!

Related resources and articles:

Government agencies employing professionals with foreign language skills.