LANGUAGE CAREERS

including "What can I do with a Degree in Modern Languages?"

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INTRODUCTION

This section has been written for undergraduate and postgraduate students of modern languages at the University of Kent. It attempts to give a brief answer to the question: "What can I do with my degree?". This section is also likely to be of interest to students of other subjects whose degree includes a language (such as European Studies or English and French Law) and to students who have a good knowledge of another language through their personal background even if they have never studied languages formally.

Although your main interest may be in how to make the best use of your degree subject, there are many issues which are common to all undergraduates and postgraduates planning their careers. Some of these are covered in our Personal Development Workbooks, which will also help you to assess your strengths, weaknesses, interests, abilities and skills in order to relate career options to you.

WHAT SKILLS HAVE I GAINED ON MY COURSE?

The primary skill you have gained on your course is your ability to communicate at a high level in another language, together with a knowledge of another country and its life and culture. However, employers will be at least as interested in the more general skills you have developed.

These are likely to include written and verbal communication (in English as well as in your other language[s]); analytical skills; initiative and self-reliance (developed through your year abroad); time management and personal organisational skills.

OCCUPATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH LANGUAGES

Although there are many occupations where languages are useful, the only ones where languages are always essential are teaching, translating and interpreting.

Teaching may involve teaching the language you have studied to speakers of English, in schools or in further/higher education, or teaching English to speakers of other languages. The second option does not normally require any knowledge of your students’ language, as teaching is carried out entirely through English, but this would often be helpful, especially for working abroad.

Translating is often of technical or specialist material and is likely to require further study. Many translators work on a freelance basis. Organisations employing staff translators include the European institutions (a knowledge of three EU languages is required here), GCHQ, the Security Service and translation agencies such as RWS. Lingo24 have created a career guide to translation www.lingo24.com/careerguide.html

Interpreting is a tiny and stressful career area, which can be difficult to break into on a full-time basis. Employers include international organisations.

See our web page on careers in translating and interpreting

Of course, a knowledge of the relevant language is also essential when working in another country, or working in a situation which requires regular contact with speakers of that language

SOME OTHER OCCUPATIONS WHERE A LANGUAGE DEGREE WOULD BE USEFUL

 

The AGCAS booklet, "Using Languages" gives much more information on ways in which language skills can be used in a variety of different careers – pick up a copy in the Careers Service or see www.prospects.ac.uk/links/languages

CAREERS OPEN TO ALL GRADUATES

About 40% of all vacancies advertised for graduates do not ask for a specific degree subject. However, you may sometimes need postgraduate training or work experience.

Major areas of graduate recruitment include Business and Finance, Computing and IT, Education, Marketing, Public Sector Management but there are many more opportunities.

For more information on career choice and graduate opportunities generally, see the Prospects website

WHO EMPLOYS MODERN LANGUAGES GRADUATES?

A wide range of employers, including the Civil Service, local authorities and other public sector organisations, universities and colleges, manufacturing and commercial companies, financial institutions, solicitors' firms, publishing companies and media employers.

Graduate recruitment programmes:

Translation services:

Recruitment agencies for linguists

WORKING ABROAD

Approximately 12% of language graduates obtain their first job after graduation outside the UK. This compares with less than 2% of graduates overall. Few of these jobs, though, are "career posts" - more often, they are seen as a way to live abroad for a little longer without necessarily offering any long-term prospects. Most recent graduates working abroad are, in fact, teaching English as a foreign language (although this can be a long-term career if the graduate wants).

It may be more difficult for new UKC graduates to enter the type of "career posts" abroad that they might expect to obtain in this country. In the UK Humanities graduates can easily enter careers in business and finance which would only be open to graduates with business-related degrees in most other European countries. It is usually easier to join a graduate training scheme with a UK (or UK-based multinational) employer in this country, and then move with them to another country after two or three years, than to get onto an equivalent scheme abroad.

Non-EU countries will also have work permit regulations that may prevent or limit your taking up employment.

Many Web sites can provide information on working abroad, either generally or in relation to specific countries. See our International Links section or the PROSPECTS website.

POSTGRADUATE STUDY

WHAT DO MODERN LANGUAGES GRADUATES DO?

Over the last three years the destinations of graduates in Modern Languages have broken down as follows:

Working in the UK 49 %
Working abroad 9 %
Further study 27 %
Time out/Unavailable 7 %
Unemployed 6 %
Other 2 %

( Figures from HESA www.prospects.ac.uk/links/wdgd )

Below you will find some examples of the destinations of past Kent graduates in modern languages and related subjects

These statistics only cover the first six months after graduation. A significant number of graduates are, at this stage, engaged in work which they would regard as temporary - using a short-term job to gain work experience that could act as a stepping-stone to a better position, or earning money to finance postgraduate study or time out travelling, for example. Please remember this if some of the graduate destinations listed seem surprising or discouraging

Examples of jobs and postgraduate study entered by Kent language graduates

 

Arts, Design, Culture, and Media Sector
History of Art & Italian Brooklapping (TV) Researcher
Business and Finance Sector
European St (ComLangs) Banco Sabadell Administrator
French & Business Admin. Man Financial Operations Analyst
French & Spanish L'Oreal Commercial Team Assistant
German & Business Admin Fidelity International Offshore Account Associate
French & Italian Marlow Ropes Customer Services Export
Education Sector
Italian & Spanish School SCITT (teacher training)
French & German University of Reims Language Assistant
Health Sector
French NHS Trust Health Visitor
Hospitality Sector
European St. (French)   Assistant Events Co-ordinator
Spanish & Business Admin IPQC (Events Company) Events Executive
Spanish & Business Admin. Institute of Engineers Events Assistant
Property and Construction Sector
French French Property Agents Head of Administration
Hispanic Studies   Management trainee (Property)
Public Sector
Spanish & Business Admin District Council Admin. Ass't Environmental Health
French Foreign & Commonwealth Office Administrator
Social and Welfare Sector
French & Spanish Help The Aged Fundraiser
Tourism, Sports and Leisure Sector
European St. (French) Mark Warner Customer Service Officer
Italian & Spanish Thomson Ski Representative
Transport & Logistics Sector
French & History of Art Clothing Company Logistics Administrator
Postgraduate study
European St. (German) University of Nottingham MA Diplomacy
French University of Kent MA French Literature
French Stendhal University MA Literature
French Univ Transmanche MA Intercultural Relations

LONGER-TERM PROSPECTS

A survey by the School of European Culture and Languages of Kent language graduates ten years after leaving the University found respondents working in the following areas:

Plus one person in each of the following career areas: Drugs Counsellor; Translator; Film Publicist; Italian Fashion Manager for Vogue; Museum Curator; IT Training Officer; Communications Manager for international business consultancy.

OTHER OPTIONS

Like many graduates, you may not want to go straight into a full-time job or course when you graduate. Alternatives may include time out, voluntary work or starting your own business - but all these need thorough investigation and planning. See the AGCAS information booklets Your Degree - What Next? and Alternative Work Styles (including Self-Employment) and reference books or files in the Careers Service.

USEFUL LINKS AND INFORMATION SOURCES

 

Be suspicious of native-born Esperanto speakers.

Coup de grâce - French for lawnmower.

There are hundreds of languages in the world, but a smile speaks them all - Jennifer Doubleday

 

Last fully updated May 2009