What can I do with this major?
As a Spanish major you will be prepared for the teaching and writing of
literature, editing, pursuing graduate degrees, or working in other
fields involving the communication of abstract ideas. Graduates of the Department of
Language and Literature have gone on to professions in teaching,
publishing, and law, while others hold responsible positions in
business, industry, and government.
- MyPlan
--a career assessment and occupational information website for
exploring career and educational options. This is free to Malone
College students. www.malone.myplan.com
- MaloneCareerConnections
-- the resume and job posting system, run by the Career Development Center, for all
Malone students/alumni. This will include information and
opportunities regarding work-study, part-time jobs, internships, and
full-time career opportunities along with mock interview schedules and
job fair dates. www.malonecareerconnections.com
For additional links including job information, jobs listings, and resume postings, see our page on Foreign Language Links.
Below are a listing of ideas for fields of employment.
Area of Employment
-
Advertising
-
Translation/Interpretation
-
Journalism/Broadcasting
-
Publishing/Editing
-
Public Relations Example Employers
- Museums
- Foreign news agencies
- Book publishers
- TV networks
- Radio stations
- Film companies
Strategies to Achieve your Goals
- Learn about the customs and culture of the
country in which your language of study is primarily spoken.
- Spend time
studying or working abroad.
- Read international newspapers to keep up with
developments overseas.
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Areas of Employment
-
Translation/Interpretation
-
Journalism/Broadcasting
-
Linguistics
-
Diplomacy
-
Civil Service
-
Foreign Service
-
Immigration/Naturalization
-
Customs
-
Intelligence/Law Enforcement
Example Employers
-
Federal government organizations including Overseas aid agencies
-
Intelligence and law enforcement agencies
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Central Intelligence Agency
- Drug Enforcement Administration
-
Department of State
-
Immigration and Naturalization Service
-
Customs Service
-
Library of Congress
-
Armed forces
-
Voice of America
Strategies to Achieve your Goals
-
Learn federal, state and local job application procedures.
- Plan to attend a
specialized school that teaches foreign languages.
- Join armed forces as a way
to get experience.
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Areas of Employment
Example Employers
-
Banks/Financial institutions
-
Import/Export companies
-
Foreign firms operating in the U.S.
-
American firms operating in foreign countries
-
Manufacturers
-
Retail stores
Strategies to Achieve your Goals
-
Supplement coursework with business classes.
- Gain experience through an
internship or work abroad program.
- Find out which companies do business with
the countries in which your language of study is spoken.
- Be prepared to start
in a position in the US
working for a firm with an overseas presence.
- Very few entry-level positions
are available in international business.
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I nterpretation: Simultaneous , Consecutive, Conference, Escort/Guide, Judiciary
Translation: Literary, Localization, Medical
EMPLOYERS
-
Freelance
-
Educational services
-
Business services
-
Government agencies
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Healthcare organizations
-
International organizations
-
Courts
-
Publishers
STRATEGIES
-
Develop a "near perfect" knowledge of a second language.
- Seek out any
opportunity to converse with native speakers to better learn the language.
- Gain
experience through internships or volunteering. Learn a third language for
great job opportunities.
- Develop aptitude with computers and the Internet.
- Most
people who work in this field freelance--freelancers who have expertise in a
particular area such as law or medicine may find more opportunities.
- Seek
certification or accreditation from an interpretation/translation organization.
Areas of Employment
Example Employers
-
Hospitals
-
Religious and volunteer organizations
-
International organizations
-
Law enforcement agencies
-
Social service agencies
-
Universities/Colleges
-
Pre-schools
-
K-12 schools
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Professional language schools
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English language institutes
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Overseas dependents' schools
Strategies to Achieve your Goals
-
Obtain state teacher licensure for K-12 teaching.
- Develop superior written and
oral communication skills in the English language including proper sentence
structure and comprehensive vocabulary.
- Notify local hospitals, schools, and
chambers of commerce of your availability to translate or interpret for
international visitors.
- Minor or double major in another subject that you could
also teach.
- Consider teaching English in another country. Service and
Education.
Obtain a graduate degree for college or university teaching opportunities.
- Get
experience by becoming a teaching assistant or tutor.
- Be familiar with the
cultural base of your language (literature, art, politics, etc.) as well as
with cultural traditions.
- Specialize in an area of research.
- Plan to take both
written and oral examinations to become an interpreter.
- Get a part-time job
teaching English as a second language.
- Volunteer with government programs such
as Peace Corps or VISTA.
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Areas of Employment
Example Employers
-
Tour and excursion companies
-
Travel agencies
-
Hotels/Motels
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Resorts
-
Restaurants
-
Airlines/Airports
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Cruise lines
-
Railroads
-
Bus lines
-
Convention Centers
Strategies to Achieve your Goals
-
Take courses in hotel/restaurant administration.
- Get a part-time job in a hotel
or restaurant to gain experience.
- Spend some time abroad to learn the
traditions of fine dining, wines, etc.
- Brush up on your knowledge of geography.
- Plan to attend a travel school.
- Develop office skills such as typing,
organizing, and working with computers.
- Read international newspapers to keep
up with overseas developments.
-
Choose an additional academic area of study to supplement the foreign language,
preferably one that requires a high degree of technical skill. Most people with
foreign language ability use those skills to assist them in a different career
field such as business, education, etc.
- Related courses to study include geography, history, civilization, foreign
relations, international law, and world economics.
-
Decide and choose which language is necessary for your career. Decide the level
of foreign language ability you will need to acquire for success in your
career. Possible languages to study: Spanish, German, French, Russian,
Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Hebrew, Arabic and Portuguese.
- Plan to attend a private language institute to learn additional languages
and cultures.
- Travel to a foreign country or study abroad in international exchange
programs to learn different cultures.
- Study and practice your foreign language skills by reading foreign
newspapers, magazines and books.
- Watch foreign movies and listen to foreign broadcasts to maintain your
fluency.
- Volunteer your language skills to churches, community organizations and
programs that work with people who speak your target language.
- Participate in summer programs, co-ops, and internships to improve your
skills.
- Pen pal with a correspondent from a foreign country.
- Contact professional associations and read their publications to learn about
job opportunities.
- Research job postings on the Internet to get an idea of jobs in which
knowledge of a foreign language is useful.
Prepared by the Career Planning staff of Career Services at The University
of Tennessee, Knoxville. (2005) UTK
is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA Employer
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