Your Foreign Language Degree
 
 
What can I do with my degree? The answer to that question depends on your interests, but there are many kinds of careers that will put your language skills to good use. 1. Translating and Interpreting Translators take a text in one language and put it into another language. Most translators translate from one or more languages into their own native language (i.e. a person whose first language is English might be a Chinese-to-English translator). Interpreters convert one language into another, but they do so orally. Some interpreters may provide simultaneous interpretation, in which they interpret while someone else is speaking. a. What kind of jobs are available for a translator or interpreter? i) court interpreter ii) medical interpreter iii) legal, medical, and technical translation iv) editing and copy-writing v) in-house translator for corporation, hospital, or law firm vi) freelance translating and interpreting (see sites like Proz) b. How do I become a certified translator? Several universities in the U.S. offer M.A. programs in translating and interpreting. These include: i) The Monterey Institute ii) The University of Massachusetts Amherst iii) and many others You do not need either certification or an advanced degree to translate. However, becoming certified may help you to find work and it is a great help to freelance translators and interpreters. Certification is available through the American Translators Association which also offers a wealth of information on careers in translating and interpreting. 2. Editing & Publishing Textbook publishers often look for employees with experience in education. Other editing jobs require attention to detail and familiarity with correct grammar, punctuation, and style guidelines. Graduate students in the foreign languages have all of these skills, as well as years of practice learning different standards and styles. a. What kind of jobs are available in textbook publishing? Look at the kinds of jobs advertised at the following sites: McGraw-Hill (textbook publisher) offers a career track for students. Holtzbrinck publishers also provides internships and entry-level jobs. b. What about other kinds of publishing? 1. There are also job listings on job clearinghouse websites, like the following page of: Jobs in Publishing 2. Women looking for jobs in publishing in Chicago may want to investigate: Chicago Women in Publishing 3. Foreign language newspapers and magazines also offer possibilities. 4. Also consider the foreign rights and acquisitions departments of American publishers. Who owns the rights to a foreign author’s work? Can anyone publish a translation of a certain author? This division of publishing is responsible for finding answers to these kinds of questions. 5. University publishing (university presses, campus magazines and alumni magazines). Can you write about university life, do interviews, and communicate with college graduates? 6. General newspaper publishing. There are many entry-level jobs of all kinds, and many newspapers and magazines to choose from. One example of a regional media company with many kinds of writing-related jobs: The Tribune Company 3. Educational Administration & Student Services You have years of experience working with students. You know the difficulties they have adjusting to college, you know what faculty expect of them, and you know what it takes to succeed in school. These are the skills you need to advise students in all kinds of settings. Some jobs in this field: a. Student advising b. Private school and college admissions c. Program assistant in university special programs (for minority students, scholarship students, etc.) d. International programs (study abroad advising, program coordination, etc.) e. Development (fundraising for schools and universities) Many kinds of jobs in this field can be found at: American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers And if you want to know how these jobs pay and what the future looks like: Bureau of Labor Statistics information on education administration jobs 4. Non-Profit or Government Administration You can also choose a career helping other achieve their research and education goals. Some kinds of jobs in this field: a. Program support for a foundation that funds research The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation The Fulbright Fellowships, administered by CIEE and U.S. government jobs at The National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Humanities Other jobs are available at the state level, through the Illinois State Government jobs website, which links to jobs at, for example: The Illinois Arts Council b. Program support for a foundation that funds education Council on International Educational Exchange c. Other related non-profits: The American Library Association, National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers 5. Teaching There are many kinds of teaching jobs, some of which do not require teaching certification. You can apply directly to the schools, or use the services of a recruiter: a. Teaching jobs at private and independent schools listed in a directory: National Association of Independent Schools b. Teaching jobs through a recruiter: Carney Sandoe Associates c. Education for other purposes: If there’s an organization you care about or an issue that is your passion (the environment, health, HIV/AIDS, community development, the fine arts, etc.), consider working in their “education and outreach” department. You could help them educate members of a community, or bring their message to schools, or provide programs that explain what they do and why it matters. 6. Graduate School in your foreign language When should you pursue a graduate degree in a foreign language? Pursue an M.A. in a foreign language only if you have a clear career goal in mind and that degree is necessary for your goal. If you wish to teach at a community college, realize that many people who hold Ph.D.s will also be competing for these jobs. If you wish to teach at a university, you will not be able to get a full-time, permanent position (certainly not one with tenure) without a Ph.D. An M.A. will give you access to adjunct teaching positions, paid per course. If you are considering a Ph.D. in a foreign language, you should be certain that you want to pursue a career in academia or that you have already identified a career path that requires a Ph.D. Under no circumstances should you pay or borrow to pay for an M.A. or Ph.D. in literature. Pursue this path only if you receive grants and tuition waivers that will entirely pay for the cost of your studies. Download this page as a Word document here. If your future is in academia, make sure you’re ready by taking this Pop Quiz. http://www.proz.com/http://translate.miis.edu/http://www.umasstranslation.com/translationstudies.phphttp://programs.gradschools.com/usa/translation.htmlhttp://www.atanet.org/http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/careers/students.shtmlhttp://www.holtzbrinckusa-jobs.com/http://www.bookjobs.com/http://www.cwip.org/%20www.mac.comhttp://www.tribune.com/index.htmlhttp://www.aacrao.org/jobs/http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos007.htmhttp://www.woodrow.orghttp://www.ciee.org/about/careers.aspxhttp://www.nea.gov/about/Jobs/JobsMenu.htmlhttp://www.neh.gov/whoweare/jobs.htmlhttp://www.illinois.gov/jobs/http://www.ala.org/ala/education/empopps/jobseeking.htmhttp://www.nea.org/jobs/index.htmlhttp://www.aft.org/about/jobs/index.htmhttp://careers.nais.org/search.cfmhttp://www.carneysandoe.comLanguage Careers_files/CareersinFL.docLanguage Careers_files/How%20professional%20am%20I.docshapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1shapeimage_1_link_2shapeimage_1_link_3shapeimage_1_link_4shapeimage_1_link_5shapeimage_1_link_6shapeimage_1_link_7shapeimage_1_link_8shapeimage_1_link_9shapeimage_1_link_10shapeimage_1_link_11shapeimage_1_link_12shapeimage_1_link_13shapeimage_1_link_14shapeimage_1_link_15shapeimage_1_link_16shapeimage_1_link_17shapeimage_1_link_18shapeimage_1_link_19shapeimage_1_link_20shapeimage_1_link_21shapeimage_1_link_22shapeimage_1_link_23
Careers for Students in the Foreign Languages