Careers for Foreign Language Majors
As more and more machine translation is used to translate text or speech from one language to another, we are becoming more and more aware that such translation does not take into account the translation of meaning. One of the more common methods to this end is statistical machine translation, but this still may run into errors where the meaning of the text depends on the specific situation. Human knowledge is still the best arbiter as to what text or speech may mean, but this may still produce errors. Here is an article by Katie Kress, a student at The College of Saint Rose, on past human translation mistakes: https://www.languagealliance.com/resources/translations-with-major-consequences/.
The following is a list of possible occupations and fields that foreign language students--especially majors--may consider as they move forward with their education. Some of these careers may require education beyond an Associate in Arts Degree (A.A.)--for example, a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or higher--and may also require experience or education in another area. Whatever you decide, your foreign language study will give you an edge in an increasingly global job market!
Business:
Advertising
Business Executives
Personnel Manager
Receptionist
Secretary
Import/Export
Sales
International Law
Banking and Finance
Fashion Industry
Automobile Industry
Public Relations
Communications:
International Operator
Foreign Correspondent
Journalist
Photographer
Translater
Interpreter
Editor
Customer Service
Publishing
Advertising
Telecommunications
Film and Entertainment
Subtitles/Voice-Overs
Education:
Teacher (K-12)
University/College Professor
Overseas Teacher for Foreign Companies & Diplomats
Study Abroad Coordinator
Tutor
Teacher for Commercial Language Schools
Textbook Author/Editor
Missionary Work
ESL (English as a Second Language) Teacher
Government Service:
Peace Corps
Diplomatic Corps/Foreign Civil Service
Court Interpreter
Intelligence (CIA, FBI, National Security)
Immigration and Customs
Federal Agencies
Overseas Dependents' Schools
Aid Agencies
Armed Forces
United Nations
Social Work
Humanities and the Arts:
Historian
Travel Writer/Blogger
Author
Vocalist/Singer
Art Historian
Critic/Reviewer
Actor/Actress
Linguist
Theater
Philosophy
Theology
Area Studies
Sciences:
Technical Translator
Researcher
Lab Technician
Field Researcher
Engineering
Medicine
Museum Studies
Nursing
Library & Information Science
Anthropologist
Archaeologist
Archivist
Technology:
Software Designer/Tester
Applications Trainer
Technical Writer
Technical Support Specialist
Web Community Manager
Web Localization Specialist
Web Developer
Software Consultant
Software Localization Specialist
Travel & Hospitality:
Event Management
Hotel and Restaurant Management
Tour Guides
Car Rental Agency
Publisher of Tourist Literature
Foreign Travel Advisors
Travel Agents
Visitor and Convention Bureaus
Airline Services
Sommelier
National Parks