In our last blog we highlighted some of the signs that it’s time for a career change. If you’re looking to utilise your language skills to make a job move, it can be hard to know which careers with languages and jobs for multilingual speakers would be best suited to you. According to a recent article for HR Digest, though, if money is a big motivator, these bilingual jobs below might be right up your street.
Translator and Interpreter
It’s perhaps no surprise that translators and interpreters are on the list of highly paid – and widely sought after – bilingual job roles. For multilingual individuals, the ability to translate text from one language to another – including any nuances in dialect – is a highly sought-after skill.
As businesses increasingly become globalised, they need experts that speak another language to ensure communication can be shared worldwide. It is highly likely, then, that demand for translators and interpreters will continue to grow in the future as it becomes the norm for businesses of all shapes and sizes to operate across multiple borders.
International Sales Marketing
In a similar vein, as organisations increasingly look at international markets for expansion, having a sales and marketing expert able to speak a foreign language is crucial to negotiating deals effectively. For anyone able to speak multiple languages with a sales background who is looking to broaden their horizons with bilingual jobs, the international sales field could prove highly lucrative.
Customer Service/Call Centre
Where organisations are taking an increasingly global approach, the need for bilingual customer service and call centre staff is also growing. With international audiences being engaged with, a growing number of firms are recognising the need for multi-language skills in the business. And while these might not necessarily make the list of big billers, the opportunities are rife and certainly worth looking into if you speak multiple languages.
College Lecturer
When we consider that multilingual professionals are in increasingly high-demand, it perhaps makes sense that bilingual jobs such as college lecturing are equally highly sought after and often well-paid. If you are experienced in speaking multiple languages and are keen to impart that knowledge to others, this could be a fantastic career with languages for you.
Intelligence Officer
Multilingual skills are in relatively short supply, but for global governments and intelligence operations, access to people who are able to translate and interpret is crucial. And perhaps more importantly, jobs for multilingual speakers pay very good money for people with the language capabilities they need. While you might not get the chance to be the next James Bond, the opportunity to work with global intelligence operations and governments could certainly prove highly exciting.
Best language jobs: more than money
While the above are certainly the jobs that are likely to be the most lucrative for multilingual experts, there are so many other benefits to a career with languages. In the first instance, the sheer variety of the opportunities across the world means that individuals can choose from an array of jobs for multilingual speakers. And with contractors in increasingly high demand, experts have the chance to work on multiple projects, making every day very different from the last.
Learning a foreign language is also hugely rewarding and can open the door to a number of career opportunities. Foreign language skills can often increase your global employment options, which includes the possibility of travelling internationally for a job (when it is safe to do so, of course) allowing you to see the world while working.
It can also be a great way to expand your professional knowledge and experience. Given the high demand for jobs for multilingual speakers, individuals can tap into roles across a variety of sectors, helping you develop your professional skills and giving you access to a range of experiences that will certainly look good on your CV.
There are also a number of roles which can prove highly rewarding in a non-financial way. ESL (English as a Second Language) Teachers, for example, are in high demand and the role can often provide a fantastic sense of achievement and a chance to experience global cultures. Anyone can be eligible to teach English as a second language if they have:
- A degree in English
- A high proficiency of the language of the country they’re seeking employment in
While it’s not a necessity, relevant language experience or an add-on certification in education or training can help to pursue such a career with languages.
Other language jobs to consider
If you’re looking to make a career-with-languages move and are well versed in foreign languages, there are multiple other opportunities that could be suitable for you. Journalism, for example, could be a route for those with good writing skills and ability to speak a foreign language.
The industry is one of the biggest employers of jobs for multilingual speakers and often provides an opportunity to travel regularly. If you’re looking for a role where no day is the same this is certainly a career route to explore.
And while the tourism and hospitality industries may be facing a tough time at the moment due to the Covid-19 related travel restrictions that are in place across the globe, once some normality returns language experts will find their skills in high demand.
Looking for your next role?
Considering a language career but not sure where to start or what your options are? Check out some of our recent guides, including an overview of which languages are in demand at the moment, top tips to make the most out of job fair networking in a virtual world and job interview tips in the age of social distancing.
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