Using your language skills : Information work

Unless you are working in a specialist area of the information, heritage and culture sector where knowledge of a language is vital, e.g. as a subject specialist for modern languages in an academic library, or working in a museum with a regional department, opportunities to use your languages will be limited. You therefore need to do careful research into where you would use your language skills most frequently. See types of jobs for further details.

Library and information management

If your first degree is not in the field of librarianship or information management, you will need a postgraduate diploma for entry into this profession. For librarians and information managers in all sectors (public, academic, scientific, government departments, business, charity, law, schools, etc.), language competence can be useful in cataloguing and assessing foreign language materials and in helping users who do not speak English. It also increases opportunities to work abroad in all sectors and to volunteer to work in developing countries. Information scientists research and exploit information, so language skills enable them to uncover a greater wealth of resources.

See Academic librarian, Public librarian Information officer.

International officers

Some universities employ an individual or have a department that deals with international matters. Roles might include recruitment of overseas students, managing services and information for students from outside the UK, and handling European funding and exchange programmes. There is no obvious route into this career. Some international officers are academics and others may have joined the university via an administrative support role. An ability to speak languages and experience of living and working or studying abroad could prove useful or be desirable.

Some parts of the UK have organisations that encourage businesses from overseas to relocate to a particular region or city. Very often, local authorities and representatives of the local business community manage these organisations and staff with language skills may be useful.
Many local authorities are involved in setting up and managing twinning arrangements with other cities. There may be opportunities if you have experience of other cultures, particularly related to education or business.

Museums

Major museums such as The British Museum have regional departments (Oriental, Western European, etc.) where appropriate languages can be important. Imperial War Museum and other military museums like some recruits to have German, French, Italian or Japanese. Provincial museums seldom have language requirements.

Museums run all kinds of education programmes and languages can sometimes be useful here, or for arranging to take exhibitions abroad or bring exhibits to the UK. Museum knowledge and skills would always be required for the limited opportunities available.

See Heritage officer/interpreter and Museum education officer