Pssssst. We’ve discovered a few magic words which will help give your job applications a boost in today’s competitive market. No, it’s not “will work for free” – though admittedly that does seem popular these days – rather “bonjour”, “hola” and “ciao” could be the key to a golden hello.
The words “graduate with a foreign language” on your CV will have many recruiters going back for another look. That’s because a relatively small pool of Brits have foreign language credentials, so they stand out from the crowd and, consequently, have far healthier career options, according to a recent Independent article.
Apologies, though, if we lured you in thinking we were going to reveal a sneaky quick fix for your CV, as it takes years of hard work to learn another language. For those who commit to it though, there are some great perks. For one thing, you don’t have to gloss over all those job ads where languages are either a “minimum” or “desirable” requirement. Then there’s the flexibility in terms of where you work as well. A one-way ticket to somewhere exotic, anybody? If only I hadn’t left languages behind in my teens…
Plus, Teresa Tinsley from CILT, the National Centre for Languages, argues that graduates in a foreign language have lots more to offer a potential employer than just their ability to operate in that language. She told the Independent that international awareness and an understanding of how businesses operate in other countries are just some of the skills you can gain from a languages degree.
So, considering employers in almost all sectors value applicants with a foreign language, we’ve decided to take a closer look at the opportunities out their for those who can speak another lingo. So, if you want to know more about the employers who’ll value your language skills, join our experts on Friday 1 July from 1pm until 4pm – advance questions welcome below.
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Our panel:
Tamara Bloom and Catriona Howard work for the National Network for Interpreting, which aims to promote careers in interpreting through events, a website and a series of interactive online resources.
John Tanner has been head of EAL (English as an additional language) at Southbank International School in London for the past three years.
Elizabeth Dickson is admissions officer for the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI), a professional association of practising translators and interpreters.
Teresa Tinsley was until recently director of communications at CILT, the National Centre for Languages. She now represents the UK on the European Commission’s Languages for Jobs group.
Ben Brogden leads the specialist sales and marketing team at Euro London Appointments. Ben completed a degree in law with German at the University of Sheffield.
Eve Elwell and Liam Long are joining us from the European Commission’s Directorate General for Interpretation in Brussels. Eve works in external communication and Liam as a full-time official interpreter.
Ben Taylor, Krisztina Csanaky and Amy Crawley are joining us from Language Connect, an international language services company which helps organisations overcome language barriers.
Vicki Wolf is business development manager at ABTA, which represents more than 5,000 travel agencies and more than 900 tour operations throughout Britain.
Evan Hancock is a careers adviser from The Careers Group, University of London who currently works at SOAS, the School of Oriental and African Studies. SOAS teaches a wide range of the languages of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Miranda Reid is associate director of Multilingualvacancies.com, which specialises in bilingual jobs and language recruitment.
Lynsey Devon is public relations manager for TUI Education, a provider of global student travel. Lynsey has been working in the travel industry for more than 20 years.
Rosalind Davies is head of global opportunities at Career Destinations, University of Southampton. She has a background in modern languages and TEFL.
Rita Hinek and Jane Pedder work in the communications team at the European Personnel Selection Office – the organisation responsible for selecting staff to work in the institutions of the European Union.
