Languages
Careers using languages vary widely and include translating, interpreting, teaching and working within international call centres and shared services centres. With an increasingly global marketplace, small and medium sized organisations communicate with clients internationally so a competence in a second language is an asset in a number of fields.

Translators translate written material from one language to another ensuring that the content, context and style of the original material are maintained. Graduate opportunities exist to work on a freelance basis, for agencies, or in the translation departments of multinationals.

Interpreters translate oral communication from one language to another. A number of different specialisms exist. Consecutive interpreting involves interpreting a speech in its entirety after a speaker has finished. Simultaneous interpreting involves the interpreter sitting in a booth listening to a speech through a headset and translating it into a microphone whilst the speech is ongoing.

Career options exist to work on a freelance basis or as a staff interpreter. Staff interpreters work within translation companies, government departments and international organisations.

Entry routes
To embark on a translating career, it would help if you have a degree in language or linguistics. You need to have good command in the languages you choose to translate in and good knowledge of the subject if you choose to specialise in technical areas.
For interpreters, a diploma or degree in linguistics would help. Fluency in the languages you choose to work in is a must. Immersing yourself in the cultures of these languages will help you understand cultural differences too. You would also need to know about interpreting techniques and the profession's code of ethics.

Culture sector
Employers are typically large state organisations and small businesses. Self-employment is quite common. Career opportunities within the sector include:

Curators: work within museums, zoos, botanical gardens and historical sites. Responsibilities include supervising the cataloguing, indexing and storing of species; overseeing the development of guided tours, planning and preparing exhibitions, supervising volunteer programmes, and preparing budgets. Curators generally specialise within a field, eg history, art, botany.

Conservators: manage, care for, preserve, treat, and document works of art, artefacts, and specimens. They examine specimens and determine their condition, the treatment needed and the appropriate method for preservation. They tend to specialise in a particular material or group of objects, eg books, textiles, metals.

Education officers: are responsible for liaising with schools and organising visits, providing educational services including teaching, talks, seminars, courses, meetings, demonstrations, outreach, developing, preparing and managing educational resources.

Arts officers: Various local authorities employ arts officers to promote the development of arts and culture policies. Responsibilities include developing information services, co-ordinating marketing activities, supporting arts projects and initiatives, supporting artists, promoting the profile of the arts locally and nationally and promoting arts in communities and schools.

Entry routes
Routes into the industry vary widely. Many people start in quite junior roles and some begin by working on a voluntary basis. Although the area is open to all degree disciplines, a degree in one of the following areas may be an advantage; drama/theatre studies, film studies, arts, music, archaeology, English and history.