Why English?

With English as the chosen international language of communication, anyone who speaks it has an advantage when looking for a job, especially if they have other popular or transferrable skills.

What work can I do as an English speaker?

The most obvious work for an English speaker is teaching.  There is massive demand for English learning and the worldwide English Language Teaching (ELT)  industry is worth an estimated £20 billion per year. There are opportunities at every level, be it in the private, public, corporate or voluntary sectors.

It is surprising how many international organisations do not have in-house translators. As a translator, you could be working on anything from correspondence and contracts to technical data and sales literature. Most of the work will involve translating from English into the local language so you will need to have bilingual proficiency, with a wide vocabularly and a good feeling for idiom.

English is the international language of business, financial and insurance services, even in countries which do not traditionally speak English. If a company wants to export its products or services internationally, it will need English packaging, publicity, and probably even complete sales management strategies. An English speaker wiht kowledge of the local language and legal, financial or marketing experience has a lot to offer. Some companies offer internships and work experience to undergraduate students and school leavers.

If you would like to work in the worldwide travel and tourism industry, many hotels belong to international chains which need to market themselves internationally. They have a need for marketing and management personnel with knowledge of English as well as receptionists and tour operators. If you have good communication skills you might also find short ot longer term work as a travel agent or representative.

How well should I speak English?

There are three types of English speaker:

• First-language (L1) speakers have grown up in a country where English is the only or dominant language spoken.

• Second-language (L2) speakers have grown up in a country where English is a second language.

• Speakers of English as a foreign language (EFL) learn English although the language is not spoken in their country.

The line between L2 and EFL speakers is difficult; when job seeking the question is how proficient are you. The level of proficiency necessary will depend on how available English speakers are and how specialised the work is.

In Japan, for example, it is easy to find proficient English speakers but probably more difficult to find proficient English speakers with knowledge of Japanese and experience of, say, hotel management.