Careers
- What can you do with a degree in foreign languages and literatures?
- What Recent Alumnae are Doing
- What Students are Doing
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EMPLOYERS |
STRATEGIES |
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| Government | ||
| Translation/Interpretation Journalism/Broadcasting Linguistics Diplomacy Civil Service Foreign Service Immigration/Naturalization Customs Intelligence/Law Enforcement |
Federal government organizations including: Overseas aid agencies Intelligence and law enforcement agencies Federal Bureau of Investigation Central Intelligence Agency Drug Enforcement Administration Department of State Immigration and Naturalization Service Customs Service Library of Congress Armed forces Voice of America |
Learn federal, state and local job application procedures. Plan to attend a specialized school that teaches foreign languages. Join armed forces as a way to get experience. The government is one of the largest employers of people with foreign language skills. |
| Arts, Media, Entertainment | ||
| ARTS, MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT Advertising Translation/Interpretation Journalism/Broadcasting Publishing/Editing Public Relations |
Museums Foreign news agencies Book publishers TV networks Radio stations Film companies |
Learn about the customs and culture of the country in which your language of study is primarily spoken. Spend time studying or working abroad. Read international newspapers to keep up with developments overseas. |
| Industry and Commerce | ||
| Translation/Interpretation Banking/Finance Sales Customer Services Manufacturing Engineering/Technical Research Operations Management Consulting Imports/Exports Administrative Services |
Banks/Financial institutions Import/Export companies Foreign firms operating in the U.S. American firms operating in foreign countries Manufacturers Retail stores |
Supplement coursework with business classes. Gain experience through an internship or work abroad program. Find out which companies do business with the countries in which your language of study is spoken. Be prepared to start in a position in the US working for a firm with an overseas presence. Very few entry level positions are available in international business. |
To explore your career options, visit the Meredith College Career Center
What Recent Alumnae are Doing
Camille Nichols, '94, French major
"Currently I develop and deliver customized software training to Fortune 500 companies domestically and internationally. To prepare for these events, I conduct needs analysis within the client environment, study the software to be deployed, create a curriculum that will best suit the client's needs, test my materials through a pilot training event, and once they are polished, I train the rest of the instructor team. I might then either participate in or oversee the training event. Since I teach in both English and French, my assignments have taken me all over the U.S. as well as Quebec, Switzerland, France, and England.
I was hired for this position because I speak French fluently and have a degree in Education. Speaking a Western European foreign language was the non-negotiable requirement. Language skills alone may not be enough to land a job in today"s market; however, if two candidates with equal credentials apply for a position yet one is bilingual, it seems that this one quality is sufficient to tip the scales in one"s favor."
Fluency in French: "I am very involved in a Francophone group that is comprised of fluent speakers from France as well as Canada, Togo, Ivory Coast, Haiti and Congo. Each week we meet to read and discuss books that we have read in advance. It's essential in order for me to pursue my perpetual goal of mastering the French language."
Best experience: "One of the best decisions I made was to study abroad. Leaving my country for the first time and looking back at it through the eyes of another helped me to develop a greater sense of self-awareness. This enhanced cultural understanding and sensitivity has helped me in many facets of my life."
Alison Schofield, '96, Admissions Officer at United States International University in San Diego, Spanish major
"I am now the Admissions Officer at United States International University in San Diego. I continued my international focus throughout graduate school and wanted to find a university that catered to such a population. USIU was certainly the place. I have been here for just under a year and love what I am doing."
Life after Meredith: "After graduating, I moved back to New York and obtained my M.S. in Student Personnel Administration while performing the duties of a resident director for two years in an all-women's residence hall. After completing my masters, I taught Spanish at a local high school as a long-term substitute for two months."
Lindsey Lambert Rivers - '97, International Studies major, French minor
"I have been working in various industries since graduation, but haven't been able to get around to working in something international like I've always wanted... until now. I have just changed jobs into a position where I use French.
The position is with Research Triangle Institute International (RTI International), and I will manage projects that the USAID contracts with RTI for in developing countries. RTI contracts with USAID to do projects in countries like Benin, Morroco, Algeria and Indonesia to help them to develop through humanitarian and economic means. They were drawn to me because of my French skills and need someone to handle the Francophone country projects they have."
Fanella Bell Tague, '98, High School Spanish Teacher and Adjunct Spanish Instructor at Meredith, Spanish major and K-12 licensure
"After graduating from Meredith I went on to The Ohio State University where I received my M.A. in Hispanic Linguistics in the spring of 2000. I returned to North Carolina where I began to teach in the Wake County Public Schools. I currently teach high school Spanish at Wakefield. In addition to the three years I've been at Wakefield, I have been an adjunct professor at Meredith for the past two and a half years."
Lindsey Jones, '04, spent the summer of 2005 working as an intern at the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan. Dana Turnage, '01, is working for an international development consulting firm in Washington, D.C., and is pursing a graduate degree at George Washington University. Sarah Margaret Tulloss, '05, attends New York University to earn a Master's degree in Near Eastern Studies. To read about what Lindsey, Dana and Sarah Margaret have done since taking Arabic at Meredith, visit Meredith Magazine.
