There are many occupations where a degree in modern languages is useful, some examples include: 

• Chartered accountant - provides financial information and maintains general accounting systems and performs audits on clients often on both their UK and foreign operations. Many of the larger firms offer opportunities to work in overseas offices after qualification.
• Buying/purchasing - promotes and negotiates sales of products or services to customers world-wide.
• Distribution/logistics manager - co-ordinates the supply, movement and storage of goods and raw materials, including operational management.
• Diplomatic Service, operational entry (grade B3) - most posts abroad involve dealing with representatives of overseas governments, explaining British foreign policy and negotiating over different issues or, in some cases, promoting exports and assisting trade.
• Marketing - analysing market information and promoting products world-wide with a view to achieving optimum market share and profitability.
• Publishing and printing - initially you are likely to be recruited into sales, marketing, production, finance, editorial or administration. Over a third of the books published in the UK are sold overseas and modern technology is tending to encourage the printing industry to operate in an international market.
• Solicitor, commercial - even in the UK, solicitors' services are offered in 22 languages and many big commercial firms have offices in trading nations world-wide.
• English as a foreign language teacher - teaching English to foreign students in either the UK or overseas.
• Event organiser - identifies potential business, researches, writes, plans and runs all aspects of conferences on behalf of a client or own organisation.
• Recruitment consultant - identifying, assessing and putting forward appropriately qualified candidates for placing into specified vacancies. Developing new business by expanding the client base of employers and candidates is integral to the work.
• Market research executive - acquiring and analysing data on what organisations or people buy, need, do or think and exploring the reasons why.

Sources: Prospects website 2004, Languages Work website 2004 and Nuffield Languages Inquiry 2000

In 2002, six months after graduation, the main occupations of employed graduates of modern languages were in clerical and secretarial occupations, in commercial, industrial, or public sector management and in retail, catering and waiting. Although useful as a guide, clearly six months after graduation it is unlikely that graduates will have settled into their eventual career path.

Other career paths and jobs which come under the heading of specialist linguist occupations are described on the Languages Work website. The Institute of Linguists and the Institute of Translation and Interpreting also provide information on their professions.

 Source: compiled using data from Prospects 'What do graduates do?' 2002, 2003, 2004

The need for properly qualified public service interpreters is likely to grow in the foreseeable future as there is increasing focus on the rights of the individual and a high expectation that public services will act without discrimination.

According to Languages Work website (2004), opportunities are expected to increase where languages of the EU accession countries are needed – such as Polish, Czech, Latvian and Greek.

Source: Languages Work website 2004