Careers
Careers in Teaching
Spanish Majors
- Spanish Teacher for Private Schools
- Spanish Instructor for Private Organizations
- Elementary School Teacher (with state licensure)
- Secondary School Teacher (with state licensure)
Academic Preparation for Graduate Studies (MA and/or PhD)
- Languages, Literatures, and/or Linguistics
- Second-Language Acquisition
- French, Francophone, or Hispanic, Latino/a Studies, Chicano/a Studies
Careers Outside of Teaching
Some careers outside of teaching include: Interpreter/Translator, Foreign Language Researcher, International
Airport Customer Representative, International Flight Attendant, Peace
Corps Officer, Overseas Tour Guide, Foreign Languages Textbook
Editor/Representative, and many others. Learn about additional careers.
Preparing for Jobs in Foreign Languages
According to Rivers (see reference below, pp. 1-13), employment opportunities in foreign languages are determined by:
- the professional area,
- the language,
- the level of language skill,
- the improvement, and
- maintenance of language skills.
Seelye and Day (see reference below) indicate that professions in
the following business sectors can be greatly enhanced by the knowledge
of (a) foreign language(s):
- Commerce and business,
- library and information science,
- human services,
- journalism and mass communications,
- the entertainment industry,
- health care,
- travel and tourism,
- local and federal government, and
- language intensive jobs.
Current Resources on Foreign Language Jobs
Download the Careers in Foreign Languages poster (pdf)
At Courtright Memorial Library:
- DeGalan, Julie, and S. Lambert. Great Jobs for Foreign Language
Majors. Lincolnwood, IL: NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group, 2000.
(P60.D44)
- Rivers, W., and M. Duffy. Opportunities in Foreign Language Careers.
Lincolnwood: NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group, 1998. (P60.R5)
- Seelye, H. N., and J. L. Day. Careers for Foreign Language
Aficionados and Other Multilingual Types. New York: McGraw Hill, 2000.
(P60.2.U6S4)
- Segal, Nina, and Eric Kocher. International Jobs. New York: Basic Books, 2003. (HF5549.5.E45 S44 2003)
Online/Paper Publications - Current Jobs International
- "The National Employment Bulletin in the Foreign Language and International Affairs Professions"
Department Job File The department also keeps track
of job announcements and descriptions that have been advertised in
various sources to offer students an idea of what professional sectors
recommend/require foreign language skills. Check the department bulletin
board or contact the department for further details.