World Language Jobs

Worldwide, governments and municipalities are among the largest recruiters of people with language skills capable of performing a variety of jobs within diverse communities. There are jobs for all majors and all languages in this sector.

 

Jobs might include:

• Helping new arrivals to the United States or other countries (immigration and customs; resettlement and social agencies; child advocacy, charitable organizations).
• Communicating local and federal government agency policies and procedures to US residents (through fieldwork or office work involving conversation, interpretation, translation and/or multilingual reports).
• Working within organizations dedicated to international policy or diplomacy such as the US State Department, the United Nations, non-governmental relief organizations or charities (writing reports, analyzing data, working with international groups, problem solving).
• Using language skills within the justice system (law enforcement, courts, prisons) or within intelligence agencies to uphold the law and ensure fair treatment of all.
• Teaching and counseling. Local and national public and private school systems are actively seeking dedicated professionals to fill positions in World Languages. All educational and counseling professionals in New Jersey will use language and cultural understanding to engage with multilingual students and families.

What side skills should I develop?

• Most administrative and communication positions require some business or programming skills as well as good face-to-face, writing, communication, and problem-solving skills. Learn to analyze data and prepare reports related to cultural difference or resource allocation (locally or internationally). See ideas for courses and free workshops at Montclair.
• Seek out volunteer opportunities and internships. The United Nations Volunteer Program provides flexibility and experience for a wide range of interests, talents, and languages, as does Volunteer.gov. The State Department’s paid foreign policy internship program provides experience in that field. On campus, participate in the Bonner Leaders Program.
• Apply before graduation to spend a year or two honing your language skills through programs such as Fulbright and the Peace Corps. Specialized jobs requiring legal, judicial, or diplomatic training require advanced training in Political Science, Justice Studies, Law, or International Relations in addition to language skills, while jobs in Public Health, Counseling, Child Advocacy or teaching generally require special state or federal certifications or licensing. Take as many credits as you can to fulfill those requirements while still in college.
• If you know where you would like to work (township or geographical region), you can think more about the languages spoken by people there. What languages will help you work with those populations?

Where to look for jobs and model career paths?

• USAjobs.gov and NJ jobs are entry points for thousands of jobs and can be filtered by the region where you’d like to work
• The Job Exploration Tool for US government Intelligence internships and careers helps match skills to positions.
• The United Nations recruits language speakers for a wide variety of careers
• Interested in translating? The American Translators Association offers career tips, training, and a job list
• The State of NJ licenses teachers and provides resources for teaching and other positions within schools and universities in New Jersey.
• The NJ Court System always seeks language speakers to perform a variety of tasks. They also offer a training program for court interpreters.

List of majors that complement world language skills in Government, Law and Public Service

Global sectors that involve exchanges of talent and cross-cultural sharing place a premium on language skills and cultural understanding, whether they involve travel abroad or catering to international visitors within the United States. There are jobs for all majors and all languages in this sector.

Jobs might include:

• Working internationally or locally in cultural institutions such as theaters, museums or local heritage sites as performer, designer, project manager, curator, translator or interpreter, multilingual customer service representative, content producer, guide, arts educator or audience engagement expert, legal representative, accountant, public relations, grant writer, fundraiser, web designer and more.
• Providing language and cultural expertise to publishing, gaming and media companies. Create closed captioning or audio-visual translation for global audiences or use languages to moderate social media posts, edit and proofread texts and translations or contribute technical writing to a variety of fields. Broadcast in English and other languages. Use “localization” to provide culturally appropriate text and images for different audiences. Manage or supervise projects, engage with customers as a multilingual customer service representative and more.
• Setting yourself up as a freelancer or consultant. Work project-to-project using your language expertise as a performer, artist, writer, arts consultant, blogger, podcaster, social media influencer or blogger, translator/interpreter, talking head, web or graphic designer, editor, grant-writer, project manager, event planner and more.
• Using language and cultural understanding to make multilingual populations feel welcome, in the New York metropolitan area and abroad. Work for international airlines, cruise companies, resorts, travel agencies or local restaurants, hotels, and tourist attractions. Design culturally appropriate materials and activities, identify and cater to special dietary needs, engage with customers in English and other languages or design communication strategies for different populations.
• Combining language, arts, hospitality, and education in the private sector. Create multilingual cultural programming for senior citizen centers, retirement homes or hospitals, develop family-friendly programs for local libraries or community organizations. Work within charitable foundations or corporations to create activities or allocate funds for multilingual cultural programming, and the like.

What side skills should I develop?

• Pick up experience in web design, marketing, entrepreneurship or small business administration alongside training in language and the creative arts Many of these are free to you as a Montclair student! Montclair’s IGNITE program is also a great way to help you prepare to operate as a consultant or to launch your own business: http://dj9t.niagarafishingservices.com/entrepreneur/
• Perfect your writing and editing skills by taking reading and writing-intensive classes! Artificial Intelligence will need fact-checkers, editors and proofreaders. Work with WMSC, Montclair’s radio station or The Montclarion newspaper. They both support multilingual and multicultural programming and broadcasting and have roles where students of all majors can master new tools.
• Volunteer or take on part-time jobs helping local cultural and arts organizations with communications, grant writing, public relations or event planning. Reach out to types of organizations that most interest you (museums, theaters, concert halls, tourist attractions, airlines, hotels, restaurants, book and magazine publishers, newspapers, game developers, broadcasters, streaming services) to learn more about how these fields work, all while building professional contacts. On campus, participate in the Bonner Leaders Program.
• Are you a creative or performing artist? Take advantage of international arts exchanges to study abroad and/or undertake post-graduation work opportunities advertised by your department. Paid programs such as Fulbright and the Peace Corps, or teaching English programs such as Japan’s JET program (Japan), the TAPIF (France) are valuable ways to perfect language skills while gaining valuable cultural and professional experience. Or look for interesting US-based paid internships, jobs, and volunteer experiences for students within the National Park Service.
• Familiarize yourself with the requirements for serving as a translator or interpreter. The American Translators Association offers valuable career development tips, certification, and job lists.

Where to look for jobs and model career paths?

• New York Foundation for the Arts: all kinds of jobs in the fine arts ranging from arts administration and record-keeping to hospitality and performance. Filters by sector, geography, skills, and type of job (including volunteer positions).
• USAjobs.gov: a countrywide listing of full-time, seasonal, student, and volunteer positions (search “museum,” “arts” or “National Park Service” for jobs with particular emphasis on language and culture).
• HCareers, jobs in the hospitality industry with a great career tips section!
• The Public Relations Society of America maintains a job list.

List of majors that complement world language skills in Creative and Performing Arts, Media, Hospitality and Tourism

Every job that involves communicating information related to health, education and general well-being benefits from language skills and cultural awareness. Even the ability to say a few sentences of welcome and encouragement can help put individuals and families at ease and build trust, while more extended exchanges can help streamline complex processes and improve outcomes. There are jobs for all languages in this sector.

Jobs might include:

• Working locally in a health-care setting or a community or faith-based charitable organization to help multilingual clients understand processes and opportunities (public-facing jobs in hospitals, clinics, physical therapy offices, senior centers, food banks, shelters, schools, libraries, Human Services, and other community, state and faith-based charitable organizations). Health care providers must provide language interpreters when requested, which provides many opportunities for high-level language skills paired with medical vocabulary.
• Traveling nationally or internationally to communicate with multilingual populations while supporting medical, humanitarian or faith-based organizations (as a Travel Nurse, with the World Health Organization, Doctors without Borders, UNICEF, CARE, physical therapist, missionary work and more).
• Supporting multilingual students and families in public and private educational K-12 schools, tutoring centers or sports facilities (teaching, providing academic support, mental health and career counseling, coaching clubs and sports, creating cultural and public health programming for families, working as a school administer or outreach coordinator and more)
• Contributing cultural understanding and multilingual services with Community Colleges and Universities (teaching, advising, recruiting new students, engaging with families, working with international partners to establish programming, advising US-based and incoming international students, and the like)

What side skills should I develop?

• Think about the work setting that most interests you and learn the associated vocabulary. If you plan to work in a medical setting, for example, ask your language instructor for medicine-related vocabulary lists and cultural information that will help you use your language effectively on the job. If you plan to work as a nutritionist, consider the kinds of food and exercise-related vocabulary that will help you perform your work tasks. Try to incorporate that vocabulary into class projects.
• Consider the kinds of specialized training or licensure you will need and work with your academic advisor to acquire as many skills as possible while on the undergraduate level. Most public K-12 teaching jobs require state certification and jobs in the health and counseling sectors mandate special licensure or advanced study. Visualize the ways you will apply language skills as you move through this training. Ask questions about how your professors use language (or wish they could use language) in the field.
• Practice language comprehension! Watch TV series, movies, and podcasts in your languages. Seek out groups to practice. Sometimes understanding another person (even if you have trouble speaking) is incredibly helpful in the workplace.
• Seek out local or international volunteer opportunities and internships. The United Nations Volunteer Program provides amazing flexibility and experience for a wide range of interests, talents, and languages, as does Volunteer.gov. On campus, participate in the Bonner Leaders Program. The CDC offers a variety of paid and summer internships as well as post-graduate opportunities. Interested in working abroad? Apply before graduation to spend a year or two honing your language skills through programs such as Fulbright and the Peace Corps.
• If you know where you would like to work (township or geographical region), you can think more about the languages spoken by people there. What languages will help you work with those populations?

Where to look for jobs and model career paths?

• USAjobs.gov and NJ jobs list thousands of jobs and can be filtered by type of job (“nurse,” “counselor,” “dietician,” “teacher,” and the region where you’d like to work).
• The calculator and career listings at www.publichealthcareers.org/ provide helpful ideas for developing the skills to work in Public Health professions
• Interested in translating? The American Translators Association offers career tips, professional training and a job list
• Speak to your academic and career advisors about the opportunities best suited to your individual talents, interest and skill sets.
• The State of NJ licenses teachers and provides resources for teaching and other positions within schools and universities in New Jersey.

List of majors that complement world language skills in Nursing, Public Health and Education

With over 225 foreign companies that call New Jersey home, multilingual professionals who can navigate cross-border collaboration, develop international partnerships, and find localized customer solutions are in demand. The job opportunities in globalized industries are vast, so whether you are interested in the corporate world, logistics, tech innovation, or entrepreneurship, being able to communicate in more than one language can set you apart as a prospective candidate. Explore the interdisciplinary Language, Business & Culture major that combines intensive language and culture studies with fundamental business skills.

Jobs might include:

• Developing multilingual and multicultural advertising campaigns (client services, product launches, creating marketing and communication materials).
• Interpreting global market trends, consumer behavior, and user data to support technology strategies, sustainability initiatives, or business expansions (data analytics and consulting firms).
• Overseeing international markets in operations (supply chains, customer service, logistics, compliance, and operational efficiency). This could also include managing facilities like the Port of New York/New Jersey, which includes shipping, airports and transit systems.
• Supporting business functions in business-to-customer (B2C) or business-to-business (B2B) roles (retail stores, manufacturing plants, import/export firms; call centers, tech support, client service representatives).
• Working in human resources management (multilingual and multicultural talent management, training programs, conflict resolution, compliance)
• Adapting technological tools to target audiences through linguistic and cultural localization and user experience (video games, apps, software, websites).
• Contributing to artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and cybersecurity initiatives that require cultural sensitivity or multilingual capabilities.
• Working with domestic or international banks, financial institutions, or insurance firms on projects that involve global compliance or transborder clients.
• Coordinating cross-cultural teams for international or domestic projects, ensuring communication and operations run smoothly (project management and communications).
• Launching or collaborating with startups targeting international markets through market research, investor relations, or culturally sensitive branding.
• Engaging in energy, construction, or environmental sustainability projects where cultural and linguistic skills are valuable for stakeholder coordination.

What side skills should I develop?

• If you know of international businesses in New Jersey, think of their global presence and consider where working with the business could lead you. What languages will help you work globally?
• Join student organizations such as a Business Club or an Entrepreneurship Society to gain hands-on experience in business planning or pitching ideas. Collaborate on group projects with peers from diverse backgrounds to practice navigating cultural differences in real-world scenarios.
• Get involved in cultural organizations or language clubs to deepen your appreciation for how culture influences consumer behavior. Develop your cultural skills in your language, cultural anthropology, and international business courses to better understand your target markets.
• Participate in international programs, such as study abroad, virtual exchange projects, or tandem opportunities offered by Montclair’s language programs, to enhance your cultural awareness.
• Attend networking events hosted by the career center or professional organizations, organized by the language programs and the Language, Business & Culture major.

Where to look for jobs and model career paths?

• LinkedIn and Indeed offer advanced search options to filter by language (e.g., Italian business; French business; etc.). Additional business sector platforms include Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, USAjobs.gov and NJ jobs, again to be filtered by type of job.
• For tech careers, explore multilingual job posts on Dice, using your language as a keyword.
• A technology startup platform to explore is Startup.jobs, again using your language as a keyword.
• Devex is an international platform whose vision is to do more good for more people. It serves global development professionals.

List of majors that complement world language skills in Business and Technology