The know-how of building a successful multilingual career path
There’s more than meets the eye when finding opportunities and building a multilingual career path. It goes far beyond skillset, personality and drive. The missing piece to the puzzle is know-how. Here are my top ten tips for building a successful multilingual career:
1: Know-how on presenting yourself
This one is probably the most important one. It got me thinking as not long after graduating I received a phone call from a recruiter while out with a friend. The recruiter asked me what level my language skills were at. I told him ‘I’m fluent in French, Spanish and Italian’. I also told him that my friend was also seeking a role in languages. I passed the phone over and she told him that she spoke French like a native and that her German needed work as it was rusty. We were both fluent, but we presented ourselves differently. I received further calls back from the recruiter and my friend didn’t. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but how we present ourselves is vital when talking to recruiters and potential employers.
2: Know-how on asking the right questions
When I started seeking roles I didn’t ask the right questions. I’d travel to the other end of the country for an interview without even knowing the salary. Many companies wouldn’t tell me the salary and it got to a point where I had to attend interviews. I also forgot to ask other vital questions, such as information on shift patterns, chance of progression, how much I’ll be using my language skills etc. As time went on I grasped the kind of questions I should be asking.
3: Know-how on promoting yourself
Self-branding is beneficial for all professionals. However, I’d say this is even more important for linguists as it is likely that we will be working for an international company or possibly abroad. Self-branding becomes even more important as we will be promoting ourselves further afield. Demonstrating your language skills through LinkedIn via posts and videos is also important to prove that you are capable of what you say you’re capable of doing.
4: Know-how on figuring out your Unique Selling Point
Keep asking yourself ‘What is your unique selling point? What skills have we picked up from university that can be transferred into an international workplace?’ We often have more to offer than we think. The skills picked up from studying languages at university and studying abroad are endless and can’t be swept under the carpet.
5: Know-how on valuing your skills
Remember to keep valuing your multilingual skills even when they are undervalued in societies where English is the lingua franca. Put a value on yourself and be strong when you’re knocked down, whether that’s being offered low salaries or being questioned on why you’ve bothered learning foreign languages when everyone speaks English.
6: Know-how on accepting the right opportunities and turning down the wrong ones
It’s not always easy knowing which opportunities are the right and wrong ones before you’ve given them a go. Some opportunities I turned down were roles where I’d have to constantly meet unrealistic targets or I’d be in a role where I’d be doing the same thing all of the time and felt like it wasn’t varied enough. You start to understand what types of opportunities suit you best.
7: Know-how on creating your own opportunities
Self-branding, networking and understanding your worth play a big role in this. Being present on LinkedIn will increase your chances of being found as you will become more visible. Opportunities can include voluntary ones too, which will allow you to meet other linguists who may refer you for a role or may have knowledge on which companies hire linguists. All knowledge is beneficial when it comes to seeking multilingual roles.
8: Know-how on what type of job sectors require linguists in each region
Each region will offer different types of multilingual roles. Nottingham tends to offer multilingual roles in IT, Business Development and Customer Service. Whereas Birmingham tends to offer multilingual roles in Car Manufacturing, Derby offers roles in Pharmaceuticals and Travel and London offers roles in all kinds of sectors. Knowing what type of role you are looking for will have an impact on where you will potentially relocate to.
9: Know-how on working out which companies value language skills and those that don’t
You’ll start to grasp which companies value language skills and which ones don’t. If you keep seeing the same roles being advertised at minimum wage it tells us that languages are not valued and that the company is struggling to retain its staff. These are the types of companies to avoid.
10: Know-how on understanding when it’s time to move on
There have been times where I’ve been ready to move on. I often asked myself, ‘How will I benefit if I stay here any longer?’ Companies have offered progression, but not in languages specifically. I moved on when I felt that the time was right to. I always gave things a good go and ensured that I left on a good note, but when you study solely languages you are working out which jobs you enjoy and which ones you don’t. A lot of it is trial and error and is expected when pursuing a multilingual career path.
Conclusion
These know-how tips combined will allow you to ensure that you present and promote yourself well, whether that’s speaking to recruiters or in the public eye, allowing you to attract the right opportunities and to be seen as a serious candidate for roles that you apply for. You will start to value yourself as a linguist in the working world after understanding what your Unique Selling Point is, which can be invaluable within an international company. You can build up your network and connect with other linguists who will often relate to you and support you.
For more career advice, check out our blog post about preparing for your first job interview and check out our work experience dos and don’ts!
