CAREER PROSPECTS FOR LANGUAGE STUDENTS

Career prospects vary from secretarial, executive and public relation assignments as well as for translation and interpretation`s jobs. Translators are employed with industries, publishing houses, research and government organization such as the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and embassies. Other job opportunities for a language specialist are travel and tourism sector, trade organization and teaching.

Interpreters and translators both need to have a good command over two or more languages. Interpreters’ job relates to interpreting spoken words of one language into another, therefore needs to have not only a good command over the language but have excellent verbal communication skills. The job of an interpreter can be of different types. Sometimes they are engaged in simultaneous interpretation, which is used for meetings, speeches. There are also consecutive and liaison interpreting. Translation work can be related to a variety of fields like technical, scientific literary or business. Translators work on books, scripts, articles and translate them into specified languages. Apart from having linguistic skills a translator must possess adequate knowledge in the area of the work so as to maintain the style and essence of the original text.

I should say that today there are many opportunities for language students. I would rather not think about unemployment, so I have every intention of making a successful career.

A language student may have got his eye on international language programs for students with an opportunity to work or travel overseas. Some of students are dying to find a job in the USA or Germany during summer holidays. The advantage point is a good knowledge of a foreign language in an advanced or proficiency level. On the other hand, every language student must pull up his socks to build a successful career after graduation from university.

A student can start his career even still studying in the fourth or third year. Some students begin to work as interpreters, translators or English home teachers. My friend, for instance, now is working for McDonald`s part-time. I do not really fancy such jobs as a waitress, maid, shop assistant or seller at the market. Personally I wouldn`t like to work under the boss and get six or seven hundred thousand rubles.

I think that personal development is the most important factor in career process. I am very much into tourism and travelling. I am determined to be a private owner of a tourist agency. My knowledge of English will certainly help me to negotiate with overseas partners and develop my business.

How to shine at a job interveiw

The interview is designed to find out more about you and to see if you are suitable for the job. The interviewer will do this by asking you questions. The way you answer will show what kind of person you are and if your education, skills and experience match what they are looking for.

At first you should find out as much as you can about the job beforehand and ask the job centre or employment agency for as much information as possible. After that you can jot down your qualifications and experience and think about how they relate to the job.

It`s very important to choose your interview clothing with care, you must look professionally-neat, clean and well-organized. It is advisable to wear a suit so as to look official because most companies have a dress-code. You should communicate using simple, direct, standard English (or other required language). Speak to the point, do not beat about the bush.

Don`t avoid eye-contact and smile when entering the interview room. Try to do your best at the interview and point out your humble, confident and helpful attitude. Above all, you should focus on what the employer needs. Don`t talk about pay checks and fringe benefits, it is better to show your keenness to work and your sense of responsibility. Don`t stress poor aspects of yourself, show enthusiasm, concentrate on what the interviewer is saying and if he/she asks if you have any questions, have at least one ready to show that you are interested. Ask questions at the close of the interview, for instance if there is a training program. You can also disagree with your interviewer- in an agreeable way, and don`t hesitate to change your mind. The conventional wisdom says ‘be yourself , true enough.

Well, if you follow all these pieces of advice you will surely get the job.

MY IDEAL JOB

I believe if you want to get on in life and to get ahead you should be a workaholic and always be up to your eyes in work, you just should be a responsible, patient and qualified person. If you are such a person, I think that you will have a good job and you will be an asset to any company. But there is no fear if you haven`t been taken on the job you wanted. It`s not the end of the world. In our days there are all the opportunities to be promoted. For some people an ideal job means that it is different from others. Some may look for a team environment, some just for a pay. Of course I want to have a well-paid job, but, as for me, it is not one of the main attractions of it . I want to work with the kind of people I enjoy spending time, I would like to have flexible working hours. I look at an ideal job as it is something that brings me joy. So to speak, to understand what my ideal job would be, I really have to understand myself first.

To tell you the truth, I`m still in two minds what my future work will be, but I`m dying to work as a personal interpreter. I`m very much into translating. This job has been my ideal and favorite job. I decided to go in for interpreting when I was at school, but my school didn`t specialize in languages so deep as others, so I had to study hard by myself and frankly speaking I picked everything up rather quickly. When I entered MSLU it was the happiest moment in my life-I had done the first step.

In my opinion it is a very exciting, not boring and not monotonous job. Of course, it will take up most of my spare time, but it will never get me down, because I will adore my job and I`ll have good mood during my working hours, and it`s a very important thing for me. Also there is an opportunity to travel a lot. It is so fascinating to see new countries, to meet new people, to see how they live, to know other cultures, to learn them, to observe how people follow their religious customs, how they celebrate their holidays, to know other views on our lives and many other things. It is very good experience.

I think that there will be such difficulties as having lack of your private life or taking different ideas, may be which you don`t like, into account, but I believe that I cope up with it.

It`s an ideal profession for me, because I like dealing with situation where an extra-consideration may take its place. It may help me to become successful in this sphere. Working as a personal interpreter has always been my dream. I believe in applying my skills to my job. I can work myself up by doing something that makes me happy.