Careers
Many Language graduates want the opportunity to use their language in their work after graduation and a high proportion go on to find employment in jobs where their languages are advantageous to their work. For others of you knowledge of French will not be central to your career plans.
What skills will I gain?
The general skills you are acquiring and developing through the process of learning and of being taught in a Humanities subject are of as much significance to your education and employability as subject-specific skills and knowledge. Think not only about what you are learning, but also about what you are learning to do, and how your personal skills are developing in the process. Your personal tutor will discuss these with you and may help you to monitor your own aims and aspirations in this general area. You might find it helpful to set yourself individual targets for each term or year, under such headings as "Communication", "Planning and organisation", "Working with others", "Self-management", "Analysing and solving problems", and to discuss these targets, and your success in meeting them, with your personal tutor.
Our graduates identified the following skills which they felt the department's teaching methods had helped them to develop:
- effective organisation of time
- development of critical and analytic powers
- independent thought
- working to deadlines
- confidence in public speaking
- ability to express oneself on paper
- ability to think rationally and purposefully
- presentation techniques (developed in seminars)
- communicative skills
- adaptability to new environment
- working on own and in groups
Quotes from recent graduates
The University Careers Advisory Service recently undertook a survey of graduates, asking them to comment on how well their degree programmes had prepared them for the world of work. Here are some of the positive comments received from graduates in French:
" ... a tremendous help to my confidence ... has developed my ability to work independently, efficiently and fast.”
"Researching essays and dissertations and having to organise my work independently developed valuable skills in working alone and organising myself.”
"... being able to work on my own initiative, making the best of the resources available, and planning my time effectively. I have learned flexibility, and the ability to work under pressure and to deadlines.”
Types of careers for graduates of French
Language graduates are in high demand, as employers value their international outlook, good organisational skills, and the ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
There is an increasing number of opportunities with international organisations, where fluency in French and a good knowledge of French institutions and habits of thought may be a useful extra qualification. In fact, in this era of the global economy, mastery of a foreign language is an asset in most graduate jobs. In areas including finance, consultancy, publishing, civil service, journalism, the media, marketing, travel and tourism, it is especially helpful.
The life skills and maturity acquired during the year abroad make graduates in French attractive to employers. Having spent time abroad, linguists are able to claim an understanding of another culture and an international outlook, and will have demonstrated the ability to survive and communicate in a foreign environment, which are also marketable commodities.
Relatively few modern language graduates become professional linguists (translators or interpreters). Those who do usually speak at least two foreign languages and undertake specialised postgraduate training. Some graduates who want to use their language as a core of their job choose to teach - others who want the opportunity to live abroad again for a while teach English as a foreign language
Bristol French Studies graduates have gone on to work in the media, theatre, accountancy, law, banking, consultancy, travel, international commerce, marketing, management, European administration, interpreting, teaching and publishing. Graduates have pursued careers working within the UK, Europe and internationally.
