Looking to start a career. Anyone know of a job posting?

[Bungleau]

Hmmm... a quick thought came to my mind... what about translation and interpretation services? Googling turned up...

• Fluent LS (Raleigh / Charlotte)
• Noebem Translation Services (RTP)
• UNC List of translation service providers
• Kelly Services list of translation service providers

The first one lists additional certifications and such that can make your life as a translator or interpreter much easier. A nice prerequisites list, really. For the others, it also seems like having a background in another area can make things a whole lot easier -- legal translating, medical translating, and so on.

And thanks for the reference, Lucern [img]smile.gif[/img] I do have my thoughts on the topic, don't I? [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

[Larry_OHF]

Thank you all for the help so far.

I have looked into interpreting and translating services and it did not appear to be too good of a career. Mainly because I would be on call 24/7 but with no promised base pay...as it is a needs-only basis. I have gone to the hospitals but they say that they hire from an agency when they need it, and I had a friend work for that particular agency and he hated it because of the insecurity of regular hours.

I have looked into court interpreters but that is for people who speak better than me, because I could be held in contempt of court for not properly interpreting, even by accident, word for word and phrase for phrase. My Columbian friend would not even register for it when she and I went to a training years ago and were asked to sign up.

Lucern, you may be quite right on my need to find a career that accepts "any" degree and the perk of speaking Spanish will not be my only ticket in, but instead just be a bonus to my entry into the company.

Networking. I am starting to learn how to do that. I have you guys helping me out as well as some friends and family keeping a watch for things. My only interview I have had come from a friend who had a friend who was looking to hire for Nationwide Insurance. I did not want that job, however...but I went to the interview.

I'll keep you all posted. Meanwhile...remember that I am willing to relocate...to about 20 of the 50 states in the US...so if you hear something, let me know! I might become your neighbor! (We are good neighbors).

[SpiritWarrior]

But anything in customer service that deals with spanish-speaking people could be for you. I amn't just talking about being a translator, but doing something else alongside your language skill. For example, in a travel agency I worked for (a very large agency with 5 floors in it) the manager had two languages (english and spanish) and a degree in psychology. Not exactly very job specific credits. But, alongside her qualifications and the fact that she could manage the store in two different languages, dealing with foreigners and natives alike fluently and diplomatically, got her the job. And she basically ran the whole place.

[Bungleau]

Exactly.

It comes down to a simple question: Are your language skills the *primary* reason for the job, or a *secondary* reason for the job? Math is a secondary skill for an engineer, but a primary skill for a math professor.

Spirit's examples show where language skills help in the job, and the translation / interpretation areas show where they *are* the job.

If your language skills are going to be primary, then you need to continue your education in Spanish. More studying, activities in the Hispanic community, and so on.

If they're going to be secondary, then you need to decide what's going to be primary.

BTW, have you checked schools that offer language programs? I know that up here earlier this year, they didn't have a Spanish instructor. They had someone who couldn't speak doing the teaching... pathetic, really. They've hired someone since, but I'm sure they're not alone...

[Larry_OHF]

My resume is posted on Monster, Employment Security Commission and Carolina CareerSeeker. This morning I received two e-mails, inviting me to an interview. Ameriprise (formerly American Express Financial) and some bank I have never heard of before. I have a friend working at AE, but I have no real desire to get into that field of work. However, going to the interviews might be at least educational.

[Link]

I don't know about the United States, but here in the Netherlands apart from a degree (which, to be honest, only starts with a bachelor -- you're better of with a master's degree) your resume is looked at for extracurricular activities (hobbies, sports etc.). And you really should be more specific "Helping out locals" says absolutely nothing.

[Larry_OHF]

Originally posted by Link: I don't know about the United States, but here in the Netherlands apart from a degree (which, to be honest, only starts with a bachelor -- you're better of with a master's degree) your resume is looked at for extracurricular activities (hobbies, sports etc.). And you really should be more specific "Helping out locals" says absolutely nothing.

I intend on getting a Master's but not in Spanish. I am still trying to figure this all out with going back to school because there is a way to get a Master's in something without getting a Bachelor's in that same thing first as long as any Bachelor's degree exists already on my record. I don't know if I have to get the Master's before I graduate or not, because if I do graduate and want to go back to school, I have to take 30 credit hours of residency courses...but if I do not graduate and go back to school, my current credits will take care of those 30 hours (10 classes). I guess I need to call the school and ask them what my options are...but I need to start working now. We want to move so danged bad from this crappy street.

As for your mention of "helping out locals", I put that because a Career Services Counselor suggested it due to seeing a bonus in having it mentioned for sake of showing time spent at work on something, but also listing the information as vaguely as possible to avoid unnecessary religious information that would harm the resumé.

[Bungleau]

Are you talking about a Masters or a second Bachelors? A second BA would imply a need for the core courses, but an MA would not.

When I went back for my MBA, I didn't have to revisit the basics. I had to address the business basics, but not the "well-rounded" basics that they make you do with a Bachelors.

As for "Helping out locals", I concur that it's too generic. If you post what you did (or PM me if you want), perhaps there's some wordsmithing that can be done to help. After all, flipping a bum a quarter is helping out a local... and I suspect you did more than that.

[Larry_OHF]

I'll send a PM.

About the Master's...do you think that HR is a good career move?

[Bungleau]

It all depends on where you want to end up, Larry. Foreign language skills are very helpful in HR, management, and sales, just off the top of my head.

Me, I'm still working on what I want to be when I grow up [img]smile.gif[/img] I'm pretty sure that running my own business is it... provided I get off my keister and do something about it.