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Modern Languages at UL Lafayette
H I S P A N I C S T U D I E S
Careers
Introduction
| Business and Commerce
| Government | Education | Library Science | Law
| Media
| Tourism | Health Services and Social Work |
Introduction
Graduates of the programs in Spanish at UL Lafayette
have traditionally gone into teaching, translation and interpretation,
or graduate study in literature and linguistics. These options are
still popular. Recent graduates are enrolled in M.A. and Ph.D. programs in Spanish, Comparative
Literature, and Latin American Studies at institutions including LSU,
the University of Madrid, and the University of New Mexico. Many of our
graduates are teaching in local high schools or pursuing advanced
degrees in Education at UL Lafayette and elsewhere.
Other graduates have also gone into professional fields such as
social work, community organizing, travel and tourism, business, and
law. However, graduates in Spanish can find positions in a much
greater professional range, where fluency in Spanish is required. These
positions will require not only Spanish proficiency but also research
ability, communication skills, and an understanding of Hispanic
cultures and heritage.
Spanish speaking job seekers should check out www.latpro.com, a comprehensive job board with excellent advice on career building. The resume writing tips and other information at
http://www.my-des.com/ may be
useful as well. Another excellent source for students seeking
information on employment opportunities is Edward Bourgoin’s Foreign Languages and Your Career (Guilford: Audio-Forum, 1993). The following information is adapted from Bourgoin’s work, as well as data from the United States Government Manual and insights from Spanish faculty members at UL Lafayette.
Business and Commerce
There are many job opportunities for Spanish
speakers in business, industry and commerce, where companies are
increasingly eager to hire personnel with skills in a second language.
When choosing among candidates, most companies will give preference to
those with knowledge in a widely used second language. Spanish is by
far the leading foreign language in the United States as Hispanics are
the fastest growing group in this country.
The expansion of domestic and international markets offer a great
variety of opportunities for Spanish graduates. Companies search agents
and sales representatives to work in Hispanic areas of the United
States, in Latin America and in Spain. Thousands of Spanish graduates
are hired as subsidiaries and affiliates of American firms in Latin
America and in Spain, in positions ranging from executive to clerical:
Management, Marketing, Banking and secretarial positions (salaries
advertised for secretaries fluent in Spanish are regularly higher), as
well as technical and industrial positions when Spanish is combined
with a second major.
Students with a double degree in Spanish and Business are also
valuable employees of government agencies such as the the departments
of Commerce, Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, and
Transportation, or in the office of the United States Trade
Respresentative. They can also seek employment in independent
establishments and government corporations such as the African
Development Foundation (in countries with Hispanic legacies such as
Morocco or Guinea-Bissau), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission,
the export-import Bank of the United States, the Inter-American
Foundation, the Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Housing Finance
Board, or the Federal Trade Commission.
Government
Spanish graduates can be hired by the United States
Federal, State, or local government in diverse positions (ranging from
the postal service to the National Park Service to law enforcement) and
by international organizations in which the United States participates.
The Federal Government hires more Spanish graduates, for national and
international positions, than any other public entity.
The Federal Government seeks Spanish graduates for:
1. The Department of State in foreign affairs, where emphasis on
proficiency in a foreign language is growing. When considering
candidates for positions as Foreign Service Officers in
Spanish-speaking countries, the government pays special attention to
those candidates with a university degree in Spanish. These officers
are employed in almost 300 diplomatic and consular offices in
Washington and in all over the world.
2. The Agency for International Development (AID), where Spanish
graduates with another major (economics, finance, auditing, accounting,
international law) can offer a valuable service to less developed
countries in Latin America, and receive a good paycheck in a usually
inexpensive destination.
3. The United States Information Agency (USIA), to work for offices
dealing with education and cultural, exchanges, radio stations,
libraries, and schools in Spanish speaking countries.
4. The Peace Corps, which promotes progress in underdeveloped
communities of Latin America. Having worked for Peace Corps is a good
asset to anyone’s professional résumé. Candidates
from all academic backgrounds are constantly hired by Peace Corps to
serve in Latin America; however, those who are fluent in Spanish have
an obvious advantage over those who are not.
5. The Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), an organism
sponsored by non-profit organizations that creates jobs to assist
communities in need within the United States. Hispanic communities are
often be among those which need assistance on all social fronts: legal
rights, housing, education, etc.
6. The Department of Agriculture through the Foreign Agricultural
Service (F.A.S.), which ensures the international agricultural
cooperation needed to “feed the world” and looks after
United States agricultural interests beyond our borders.
7. The Department of Commerce, division of Foreign Commercial
Service, where an academic background in marketing, business
administration or statistics, combined with proven competence in the
Spanish language and Hispanic cultures will make the candidate highly
desirable.
8. The Department of Energy, where Spanish-speaking candidates are
hired over any other candidates speaking any other second language.
9. The Department of Defense, as interpreters, translators or language teachers.
10. The CIA and other intelligence agencies, which seek language specialists who are well grounded in Hispanic culture.
11. The Department of Education, where candidates with research interests in teaching methodology are always needed.
12. The Department of the Interior, responsible for the management
of public lands (Fish and Wildlife Service, National Geological Survey,
National Park Service, etc.) in the United States, also regularly sends
representatives to Latin America, for which knowledge of Spanish and
cultural awareness of Hispanic cultures are a must.
13. The Department of Justice, with the FBI, the DEA and the
Department of Homeland Security, who have an increasing need to hire
candidates proficient in Spanish.
14. The Department of Labor, where Spanish-speaking candidates are
hired for their service assisting the United States in bilateral
negotiations with Latin America to set labor agreements.
15. The Department of the Treasury, division of International Affairs, which sets policy and creates programs for Latin America.
16. Local government, where candidates with proficiency in Spanish
and competence in Hispanic culture are sought to work in areas with
large Hispanic populations.
17. International organizations like the United Nations, whose
purpose is to preserve peace, security, and progress in the world.
Latin America is a prime region for work by UN officials. The
Organization of American States and the Pan American Health
Organization (to fight disease and train health professionals) are also
good sources of employment for Spanish graduates.
18. The Smithsonian Institutution, which preserves millions of
items of universal cultural interest in several museums in the U.S. and
abroad where Hispanic cultures are represented.
19. The Library of Congress, for which personnel who are both
educated and fluent in Spanish is most useful to catalog, classify, and
research Hispanic written and non-written sources. The Hispanic
Division of the Library of Congress is very active and important, and
is constantly growing.
Education
Spanish graduates can work in this sector not only
as regular teaching faculty, but also by doing research in the field of
education, or working in administrative and counseling positions in
Spanish-speaking communities. Spanish teachers can work in private and
public schools, and they can also find teaching positions within the US
Government (from Peace Corps to the Department of Defense).
Library Science
A degree in Library Science or Library and
Information Science (an M.L.S. or M.L.I.S.) is most marketable when
combined with another degree or a minor in a second language. Here
again, Spanish stands as the most necessary and desirable second
language in the United States, and the market for librarians
specialized in Spanish and Latin American Studies is expanding
spectacularly. Hispanic book industries produce millions of volumes,
and there are major Latin American holdings at a number of university
libraries nationwide. Universities such as Duke, LSU, and others now
offer combined M.A./M.L.S. programs in Library Science and Latin
American Studies, and offer federally funded scholarships to
dual-degree candidates.
Law
Fluency in Spanish and critical understanding of
social issues involving cultural and ethnic differences in this country
has become an essential tool for career success in the domain of law.
Urban centers are most demanding of this expertise in Hispanic Studies:
immigration or minority issues pertaining to U.S. Hispanics form the
basis of thousands of legal cases every year. An academic preparation
which links a B.A. in Spanish and a further degree in law is very
attractive on the job market.
Government branches, executive agencies, government corporations,
and quasi-official agencies and corporations where Spanish graduates
with a degree of law could serve valuably include the United States
Commission on Civil Rights, the Department of Justice, the Department
of Labor, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission, the Federal Election Commission, the National
Mediation Board, the Office of Government Ethics, the Legal Services
Corporation, the State Justice Institute, the United States Institute
of Peace, and others.
Media
Public opinion and decision making in our
communities are largely based on what one reads or hears through the
media. The world of news and information to the public is greatly
dependent upon the interpretation of information and facts. An accurate
interpretation of information pertaining to Latin America, Spain, or
the Hispanic United States, cannot be fully accomplished without access
to primary source material in Spanish, contextualized by a good
knowledge Hispanic cultures. Academic training in Spanish combined with
studies in Journalism, Radio, Television, or Cinema, can produce a
highly attractive professional profile.
Tourism
Spain and the Spanish American countries are among
the most visited nations by tourists from all around the world. At the
same time, the United States is the primary tourist destination in the
world, and a very large percentage of our visitors come from either
Spain or Latin America. The difference between a travel agent who uses
previously prepared travel packages and relies solely on English to
communicate, and the agent who fully understands the reasons for and
the cultural meaning of a touristic visit, and who is able to speak
Spanish, is self-explanatory. Professionals and leaders in tourism will
often have to visit the travel destination, make personal contacts, and
follow up on contacts by all means of communication available involving
speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish, as well as knowing how to
handle cultural differences. Language and cultural proficiency often
make the difference between a dynamic professional with a promising
future in travel and tourism, and a limited employee with limited
resources.
Health Services and Social Work
Professionals in physical or mental health who are
able to communicate in Spanish at critical times where or when an
interpreter is not available, can make a difference that saves lives.
Hospitals and clinics in all of the United States receive numerous
patients who only speak Spanish. More and more doctors, nurses, and
hospital staff are becoming fluent in Spanish in order to be more
efficent at their work. Understanding one’s patients does not
only involve speaking their language but also being familiar with their
cultural backgrounds. Counselors and social workers in all major cities
of the United States must apply their knowledge of Spanish on a daily
basis. Professional training in health services or social work,
combined with academic training in Spanish and Hispanic cultures, is a
very attractive profile for those who seek positions in government or
private offices, or in hospitals and clinics. Social workers and health
professionals with academic training in Hispanic Studies may consider
pursuing a career within the US Government for the Office of Special
Counsel, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the Federal
Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, the Consumer Product Safety
Commission, the Corporation for National and Community Service, the
Nuclear Defense Facilities Safety Board, or the Environmental
Protection Agency.
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