Using your language skills
A Translator converts written material from one language into another, ensuring that the translated version reads as clearly and accurately as possible. Practitioners translate legal, scientific, technical, commercial and literary texts, business reports, insurance claims, private correspondence, information for websites and subtitles for films.
With the expanding use of English globally, translators are increasingly involved in editing and revision work. For more information, see Translator.
Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in Cheltenham recruits most of the translators in the Civil Service. They work primarily translating information related to politics, economics or international crime or terrorism. The languages in greatest demand are Russian, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, Urdu and Persian and some African languages, but this may change from year to year. It is possible to enter with one language and then train in another.
Security Service (MI5) employs linguists to translate and transcribe overt and secret information obtained in many languages. Much of the information derives from telephone and postal communications and the main tasks are to select relevant intelligence, translate it into English and assist in interpreting information. The languages required vary, but Persian, Urdu, Arabic, Kurdish, Bengali, Somali, Mandarin and Russian are currently in demand. Some applicants selected for these posts will be expected to train in another language.
Vacancies for translators are advertised occasionally, as and when required, on the Civil Service Jobs Online website.
All the institutions of the Europa employ translators. Each recruits independently and entry requirements vary. Several EU institutions run five-month ‘stages’ (traineeships) in translation - see European Commission Traineeships Office (Bureau de Stages) . To be eligible, you must be competent in three of the 20 official EU languages. Selection procedures are complex and lengthy, so apply early. Recruitment of staff translators takes place once every three years.
The Court of Justice of the European Communities based in Luxembourg, recruits translators who are also qualified lawyers as lawyer/linguists. The working language of the Court is French and all documents and Court proceedings are translated back into the other official languages when a case is finished.
The United Nations (UN) and its specialist agencies, e.g. the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) , employ translators to translate from and into English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic (the six official languages), and occasionally Italian, German, and Scandinavian and East European languages. Relevant postgraduate training and/or experience is usually necessary. There are occasional openings for translators in other international organisations, such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), or the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) . See working abroad for details of opportunities overseas.
Most large organisations with in-house translators employ small teams who review and edit texts drafted by freelancers. Some educational organisations also employ translators. The number of translation agencies is increasing, but many of them use freelancers rather than permanent staff.
Lexicographers are responsible for writing, compiling and editing dictionaries. Bilingual lexicographers translate words and expressions rather than defining them. There are few publishers of dictionaries and even fewer staff positions. Freelancers are often used. The ‘big’ languages such as Spanish and French are most in demand. Oxford University Press and HarperCollins are among the major players. Translation or editing can provide a way in and it is also an asset to have knowledge of ‘corpus linguistics’ - the use and analysis of collections of text from which to establish the context of words. Vacancies are rarely advertised, so speculative applications are encouraged. Progression within this career is hard. The main option is to move into more general management positions within publishing.
The majority of translators now work freelance, often through agencies that provide a range of translating and interpreting services. For more information, see freelance and portfolio work.
French, German and Spanish are now part of the national curriculum in secondary schools only up to the age of 14. However, there are now over 220 specialist language colleges at secondary level, established as part of a drive to raise standards of achievement and teaching in languages. There are also increasing opportunities for teaching languages in primary schools, as part of the UK’s National Languages Strategy .
French is still the most popular choice of language in schools, followed by Spanish, German, Italian, Russian and Japanese. Specialist language colleges offer a much wider choice of languages, including Mandarin Chinese, Japanese and other non-European languages.
Independent schemes for teaching young children such as Le Club Français are thriving in many areas but posts are part time and there is a preference for native speakers.
You will need to gain qualified teacher status (QTS) in order to teach. Unless you already have a degree which gives QTS, this is usually achieved through a one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or, in Scotland, the Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE). Full details of different routes and funding are on the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA).
There is a demand for teachers of Welsh in primary and secondary schools, and for teachers of any subject or key stage who can teach in Welsh.
Teachers in Scotland must be registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) and hold a teaching qualification (TQ). Full registration is guaranteed to all teachers trained in Scotland after a satisfactory one-year probationary period.
See teaching and education for more information on applying for teaching courses and jobs in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Also have a look at Secondary school teacher and Primary school teacher.
Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) is a worldwide industry with opportunities in Britain and abroad. To teach English as a foreign language, it is not necessary to speak other languages, but it can be a real advantage and can increase your opportunities of working abroad.
See English as a foreign language teacher and English as a second language teacher.
Further education (FE) colleges for students aged 16+ offer many language courses, including GCSE, AS and A-level and a variety of vocational courses that may include languages. New full-time and permanent part-time (fractional) lecturers in FE institutions in England and Wales are required to hold or work towards Qualified Teacher, Learning and Skills (QTLS) status. See Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) for details.
Language teaching in universities has changed with the increasing number of degrees offering languages in combination with business, law, IT or other vocational courses. Many still offer the traditional language degrees with their in-depth study of foreign language and literature and can provide an opportunity to teach your language at an advanced level.
Adult education, with its vast network of evening and daytime courses in a huge variety of subjects, often offers a selection of language courses. Many of these are designed for adults who wish to learn a language for pleasure or possibly for business. Most teaching opportunities are part time and only offer a few hours per week. You will also need QTLS status.
See Adult education lecturer, Further education lecturer, Higher education lecturer and freelance and portfolio work.
Unless you are recruited as an Interpreter or a Translator, opportunities to use your language skills vary from post to post.
Graduate entry to most government departments is possible at two levels, the Civil Service Fast Stream , and the operational grade. Most vacancies are in the operational grade. Knowing a foreign language is not an essential requirement, but some posts in some departments may provide opportunities to exercise your language skills.
If you are recruited to the Civil Service Fast Stream , you will work on the formulation and implementation of policy, so excellent analytical and communication skills and an interest in current affairs are most important. Opportunities to apply your language skills may be infrequent. See the Civil service fast streamer for more details.
The extent to which you can use your languages depends on the department you work for. Some departments may offer opportunities for staff to serve in embassies and UK delegations abroad. For example, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), in its work on agricultural policy, has many staff working in Brussels.
Operational grade work is usually concerned with the effective application of policy. There is likely to be even less opportunity to use your languages at this level. Visit the Civil Service Jobs Online for career opportunities.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) recruits graduates every year to the Fast Stream for the Diplomatic Service. An aptitude for foreign languages is an asset, but most recruits are not language graduates. You will be given intensive language training before any overseas posting, the first of which comes after two to three years in London. Most posts abroad involve dealing with representatives of overseas governments, explaining British foreign policy and negotiating particular issues, or promoting exports and assisting trade.
The Diplomatic Service (Economist) scheme recruits several additional graduates in economics annually.
Operational entry vacancies are advertised annually. A degree is not a requirement, although the majority of entrants are graduates. The range of work is wider than the policy grade and includes commercial, consular, managerial, immigration/visa and information roles. The first three years are spent in London, followed by an overseas appointment.
There are opportunities for graduates of any discipline to obtain general administration posts in the European Commission . Details of competitions for traineeships are available from the European Commission Traineeships Office (Bureau de Stages) and EU Careers . A good level in a second EU language is required.
The EU has its own Civil Service and the UK government is keen for more UK nationals to apply for posts within it.
The other institutions of the EU have a much smaller demand for graduate staff.
There are numerous satellite employers surrounding the institutions of the EU. These include trade associations, pressure groups, political consultancies, law firms and media and PR agencies. Most vacancies are filled by networking or speculative applications, although some are advertised in the local press or specialist journals.
English is one of the official working languages of the United Nations (UN) , but vacancies for recently qualified graduates in the UN and its agencies are rare. Posts in administration demand considerable practical experience, as well as high academic achievement. Successful applicants often have postgraduate experience and/or relevant work experience
Consult working abroad for further information about working overseas.
Few posts in the commercial sector are advertised with a foreign language as an essential requirement, but it will often be regarded as an asset. In dealings with overseas clients, it is increasingly expected that communications will be in the buyer’s language. You need to demonstrate a range of skills, including commercial awareness, communication and organisation. Research companies and exploit any opportunity to use your language skills once you are employed.
Look for job titles such as export sales assistant/manager, or for companies with overseas clients. You may be based in the UK, but you are likely to have regular contact with overseas clients and, at more senior levels, you may travel abroad. Also see Sales executive and Marketing executive.
Many companies source raw materials, components and equipment globally, contacting suppliers to obtain quotations, negotiate prices and draft contracts. See Industrial buyer and Retail buyer.
Many organisations run international conferences. Planning trade fairs and other promotional events is also a growth area. See Event organiser and Conference centre manager for further information.
Bilingual administrators combine secretarial and language skills to interpret, translate or summarise information. High-level secretarial skills are as important as your language ability.
Some major banking groups have a branch network overseas and assist trade across national boundaries.
Investment banks with international interests are based mainly in Britain, Europe, the USA and Japan. Specialist departments work to invest the bank’s funds in international ventures.
Whilst law firms consider language skills an asset, they will, of course, be looking for legal skills and qualifications. Larger law firms, particularly those in the City, are international, with offices throughout the world. They employ translators and interpreters as necessary, but staff with language skills may be in a better position to deal with international cases or get overseas postings.
For more information on becoming a lawyer, see law.
Patent examiners need a scientific, technical or engineering background. It is sometimes useful to know European languages at a conversational level. The European Patent Office (EPO) , requires a good knowledge of at least two of the official EU languages (English, French and German).
Patent agents, who apply for the granting of patents, may find French or German useful.
Also see Patent examiner and Patent agent.
Large accountancy firms audit and advise clients with international businesses, which may require accountants to audit the company’s business and transactions in all its foreign locations.
In the public sector, The National Audit Office (NAO) , is responsible for the audit of the Diplomatic Service, including its embassies and high commissions.
Many larger insurance companies have overseas departments. Initially, graduates are likely to be taking professional exams and gaining a breadth of experience but, after this, overseas postings are a realistic option.
Much overseas business is reinsurance, to prevent crippling claims for damages following earthquakes and other disasters all falling on one company. Larger firms of insurance brokers advise on and arrange insurance worldwide. See banking and finance for further details.
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.
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.
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.
Major museums such as The British Museum have regional departments (Oriental, Western European, etc.) where appropriate languages can be important. The 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.
Whether you are aiming to work abroad to develop or use your language skills, or whether you want to use your languages to support the leisure and hospitality industry in the UK, there are a variety of opportunities in this sector. A wide range of casual or seasonal work is also available, which provides opportunities to develop and build your language skills for other careers.
The travel and tourism industry covers a broad area including tour operators, travel agencies, business travel specialists, villa rental companies, airports, airlines, ferry operators, tourist boards and local authority tourist departments. Vacancies arise in all these organisations from time to time. If you are competent in a foreign language, you may be at an advantage for many posts. Though many visitors to the UK speak English, there is a growing awareness in Britain that we could do more to welcome tourists if staff across the leisure and hospitality industry had better language skills.
Some larger tour operators run graduate recruitment schemes, usually offering specialist training in such areas as marketing or finance. Employers look for graduates of any discipline with a strong sense of commercial awareness, numeracy and organisational skills. Graduates recruited into the travel agency side of the business are less likely to have opportunities to use their language skills.
Work as a courier, though seasonal and not usually a long-term career, does allow you to use your languages. A high level of fluency is required to organise tourists in and out of airports, coaches and hotels, to act as a guide, handle paperwork related to travel documents, accident and injury forms, and deal with any crises that arise. Some airlines recruit graduates of any discipline to graduate development programmes in departments such as marketing, finance and information management. Foreign languages will make you more effective, particularly in areas involving direct contact with customers. Outside the graduate programme, there are occasional opportunities for staff with languages to work in air terminals, and cabin crew need at least one language as well as English.
VisitBritain has an overseas network of outlets, from which it markets Britain as a business and holiday destination. Occasionally there are vacancies for graduate information officers who are friendly, customer-focused and fluent in at least two languages.
Foreign language skills are not required for work in British hotels, although having another language may be an asset, but some international groups have hotels abroad where there may be openings for experienced staff. Major hotel groups operate training schemes. If you don’t have a relevant degree, you may need to do a postgraduate vocational course to get into a good management training scheme.
For more information, check out hospitality.
Few people fulfil the journalist’s dream of becoming a BBC foreign correspondent, but many other media organisations have offices around the world. Since communication is the key to many media jobs, having foreign language skills can be a major advantage.
The largest London-based advertising agencies are becoming part of international groups. Advertising needs to be tailored to suit different cultural contexts, and sometimes there is a role for UK-based staff who can use other languages when ideas are being exchanged. Some overseas companies use UK advertising agencies to promote their products and services in the UK. Market research agencies may undertake work overseas for British clients or take commissions in the UK for foreign clients.
The BBC World Service is renowned for its unique programmes in a wide range of languages. Candidates for World Service traineeships should have detailed knowledge of the countries to which they aim to broadcast, and have spent time living and working abroad. Your foreign languages would be regarded as a useful asset rather than an essential requirement. Programme assistants in a language service require knowledge of the relevant language. BBC Monitoring is part of the World Service and listens to radio and television programmes from around the world. It recruits language monitors with a command of one or more foreign languages. The ability to translate into good English, familiarity with the relevant country and its culture, and a good understanding of world affairs are necessary. The BBC also employs linguists for international sales marketing, programme research and website translations.
A few British journalists work abroad either as foreign correspondents or with news agencies such as Reuters or Bloomberg , where knowledge of both language and culture or business is required. Some graduates (especially those with unusual languages) get jobs on academic and trade journals dealing with particular parts of the world.
A large proportion of books published in Britain (especially educational books) are exported. Working in this international field is akin to export sales and marketing. Foreign language dictionary publishers also employ language graduates as lexicographers. As a result of modern technology, the printing industry is increasingly operating in an international market and graduates may be recruited in sales, marketing, production and finance.
See media.
If you are studying science, engineering or technology, you may well have the option to study a modern language as well, or perhaps you already speak other languages. You may wonder about opportunities for using both your technical or science degree and your languages in your career.
Biotechnology companies, manufacturers, IT specialists or civil engineers are likely to be most interested in the technical content of your degree and your work experience, and whatever language skills you possess will be of secondary interest. But companies are increasingly involved in joint ventures or setting up projects and winning contracts overseas, so you could find yourself working in a multicultural team. Your language skills may also put you in the best position to get work abroad, if this appeals to you.
Languages are useful if you are discussing very particular technical issues, where getting the fine detail of a design specification right, or understanding the contents of a scientific research paper, is important. Contact is always more immediate, and sometimes more accurate, if you don’t have to work with a translator as an intermediary. If you are working in any project leadership or training function, being able to speak to your staff in their own language has clear benefits. At a more down-to-earth level, it is simply good to be able to socialise and communicate well with all your colleagues - things usually run more smoothly that way.
There are many careers in these areas that might be of interest if you wish to combine languages and technical work. Consult types of jobs, particularly under the headings: animal and plant resources; engineering; information technology; manufacturing and processing; and scientific services, as well as engineering and manufacturing.
Management jobs in transport and distribution companies are open to numerate graduates of any discipline, and an additional European language is valuable. Trainees may move to managing distribution centres in mainland Europe or marketing the company’s services abroad. Further information can be found in transport and logistics.
The Baltic Exchange in London is the world centre for matching cargoes with ships. You don’t have to be a graduate to get into shipbroking, but firms increasingly prefer to take graduates. Some shipbroking firms also act as ships’ agents through their representatives in foreign ports. They deal with local operational matters on behalf of a ship’s owners. Knowledge of one or more foreign languages (particularly Greek, Norwegian and Japanese) is helpful, although English is the language of international shipping.
Freight forwarders offer a specialist service to importers and exporters; they arrange documentation, customs clearance, packaging and insurance. They understand international rates and routes, and may specialise in certain commodities or regions of the world. Most firms are small and have few vacancies. Language skills are a great asset, if coupled with analytical, negotiation and problem-solving skills.
See Freight forwarder for more information.
While there are many voluntary organisations that provide overseas aid in the form of health, education, agriculture and construction projects, a major objective of these organisations is to devolve as much management and project development to local people as possible. Nevertheless, there are opportunities for volunteers with relevant skills such as teaching, health care, or crafts and trades to become involved in setting up these projects and to act as links with the head offices of aid organisations. Even if you don’t speak the local indigenous languages, there are still many parts of the world where French and Spanish, as well as English, are widely spoken.
Most permanent staff employed by voluntary organisations have administrative and overseas experience prior to recruitment.
Within the UK, there is a range of charities and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) where the knowledge of other languages is helpful, especially those dealing with refugees and asylum seekers.
See the charities and voluntary work sector for further information, job vacancies and volunteering opportunites. Also have a look at Charity officer and International aid/development worker if you are interested in these specific occupations.
