Oliver Stevenson is a participant in Barclays’ Future Leaders Development Programme. He completed his degree in modern languages and culture, specializing in French and Spanish, at Durham University. Although his course covered diverse topics such as Mexican mural painting, Catalan pop music, and French marketing, Oliver gained practical experience working as a local English language assistant in Argentina for three months and spending six months with a market research company in Paris. After graduating, he secured an eight-month internship with Eurostar International, where he used his French skills to communicate with French colleagues and book travel arrangements for journalists. Contrary to popular belief, the Barclays graduate programme does not require finance or mathematics degrees. Instead, they seek entrepreneurial and knowledgeable individuals from various academic backgrounds, including social sciences and languages, among others. The two-year scheme involves a rotating placement through multiple departments, and the starting salary is £36,000 per annum. Recently, Oliver’s language skills came in handy in developing closer relationships with colleagues in France and Spain.

Victoria Ferran’s passion for languages led her to study French and Spanish at the University of Oxford. She was the first person in her school to take four language A-levels, including Russian, Latin, Spanish, and French. After university, Victoria worked for Lime&Tonic, an online startup, where she currently serves as the global social media coordinator. In addition, Victoria has freelanced in various radio production companies, leveraging skills she acquired while studying literature analysis, narrative, structure, and audience engagement. Speaking multiple languages also helps her communicate effectively in her Social media work, which requires precision, audience interpretation, and language proficiency. Victoria acknowledges that her language degree opens doors to a wide range of opportunities and demonstrates multiple skill sets.

Hannah Clark’s passion for international aid work began when she spent three months in Colombia with her family at the age of 14. Although she struggled initially, Hannah’s interest grew as she interacted with the local people. She later traveled to Brazil and lived in a favela for four months, where she engaged in charity work. The experience inspired her to pursue a career in international aid work, an industry where language skills are often in high demand. Hannah has worked in different parts of Africa, requiring her to utilize languages such as Portuguese, Spanish, and French. She believes the best way to get a start in that industry is to immerse oneself in different cultures and contexts and network with people. She recommends websites such as charityjob.co.uk and bond.org.uk for job search and training courses.

Jacob Gilbert is a finance graduate of the Royal Bank of Scotland. He excelled in Spanish in school, leading him to include it in his GCE Advanced-level exams alongside mathematics and history. He wanted a career that combined both mathematics and languages, making him more employable in today’s market. After researching, he discovered universities that offer a joint honours degree in mathematics with modern languages.

Studying a foreign language and living abroad have proven to be valuable assets in my career journey. While my degree in mathematics undoubtedly played a significant role in securing a job in the financial services industry, my proficiency in Spanish served as an additional advantage that set me apart from other applicants. It demonstrated my ability to communicate effectively and added to my overall appeal as a candidate. Living abroad also provided me with a unique perspective on different cultures, enabling me to connect with individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Jacob pursued mathematics and a modern language program at the University of Manchester, which equipped him to excel in his professional pursuits. Meanwhile, Jill’s passion for the German language that stemmed from her school days resulted in her choosing to pursue it at university and exploring the Italian language while there.

Jill spent nine months living in Stuttgart, Germany, where she honed her communication skills and developed an appreciation for different customs. She cherished her time there and hopes to visit the country again in the future, drawn towards its rich traditions and robust transportation system. Jazeera faced a challenging job market upon graduation amid a struggling economy, but she leveraged her language skills to land a job at Newcastle airport, handling German interactions with customers from various markets.

Her next job with global consumer relations at Proctor & Gamble saw her using her German proficiency daily while managing product data from Swiss, Austrian and German markets, which she did for three years. Jill is now pursuing a postgraduate certificate in education to become a modern foreign language instructor as her passion for languages has always guided her career ambitions. She is keen to imbue the same enthusiasm in students, which her school mentor had instilled in her through a rigorous and engaging program.

Due to the dearth of qualified foreign language instructors, aspiring practitioners like Jill can expect to benefit from various incentives and support measures when enrolling in training programs, including bursaries and scholarships. Jill attained her German proficiency from the University of Leeds.