Careers & Internships
ENGLISH
The English major is prepared for a variety of rewarding but competitive careers.
The worlds of education, teaching, law, human services, marketing, advertising, publishing, public relations and management welcomes the literate, critical thinker who can write, read comprehensively and develop convincing arguments with coherence and sharp focus.
Modern Languages
Studying modern languages helps you gain a competitive edge in any career but also opens you up to careers specific to knowing another language. In the "global village marketplace" U.S. citizens must develop a broad understanding of the world, proficiency in other languages, and knowledge of other cultures to be competitive. In western Pennsylvania, for example, Pittsburgh Plate Glass owns subsidiaries in France, and the Bayer Corporation is a German-owned company.
Many jobs spanning diverse occupational areas require language proficiency. Businesses and industries for which knowledge of a foreign language will enhance your career opportunities include:
- Arts and entertainment
- Automobile industry
- Banking
- Chemical industry
- Computer and electronic industry
- Environmental science
- Heavy industry (e.g. steel, glass)
- Hotel management
- Human resources
- Import/export
- International politics/International relations
- Journalism
- Law (especially international and maritime law)
- Library science and information systems
- Media and communications
- Medical/pharmaceutical companies
- Medical research
- Medicine and hospital work
- Military & law enforcement
- Political (special interest) lobbying
- Publishing
- State and Federal Government
- Travel industry
- World health & charity organizations
Within those occupational areas, jobs and careers for which foreign language competence may be necessary include:
- Accounting
- Customer Service
- Engineering/Engineering consultancy
- Financial analysis
- Financial management
- Intelligence gathering
- Marketing and market research
- Public relations
- Research and development
- Sales and distribution
- Technical/product support
- Translation and interpretation
- Web design and management