The Employability of Language Professionals

Jelena Gledić

November 13th, 2012

Belgrade

TOWARDS A STRATEGY FOR DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING

LANGUAGE EDUCATION POLICIES IN SERBIA (STRALED)

The Employability of Language Professionals

Who are language professionals?

Where do they seek employment?

What type of employment is offered?

How are they assessed in job interviews?

How easily can they seek jobs outside their primary professional field?

Should university studies be aimed towards employability?

Who are language professionals?

Persons who have a degree in languages People who work in translation, interpreting, teaching etc.

REFLESS Project study: 1826 respondents 827 students 236 unemployed graduate philologists 171 employed graduate philologists 526 companies 66 univesity teachers

Are they satisfied? Why did they choose philology?

Average no. of years of

study

Grade average

(out of 10)

Studied abroad

Have additional

qualifications

Un employed graduates 6,3 7,97 34,3% 55%

Employed graduates

5,31 8,47 46% 66%

Who are language professionals?

Where do they seek employment?

Schools – English, French, Russian, German (Spanish, Italian, Chinese)

Language schools

SMEsGovernment, embassies, libraries, cultural

centers,

How fast do they find a job after graduation?

What type of employment is offered?

Temporary Part-time

Language *translation, interpreting, formal correspondence

Language and culture Language, literature and culture

How are they assessed in job interviews?

Interview International certificate Recommendation

We have a talk with the candidate

Papers don’t matter, it matters that the candidate can really speak in a foreign language when needed

The candidate should really know the language

How easily can they seek jobs outside their primary professional field?

Additional skills

Professional skills over language skillsShould university studies be aimed

towards employability?