The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
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FEBRUARY/MARCH The Linguist 25 Vol/54 No/1 2015 FEATURES departments that are full of computer scientists and quantitative analysts. Many applicants have a business, maths or economics background, although that is by no means the only route in. I've heard firms say they want people with a range of skills and different ways of looking at things. However, if you come out of university with a language degree today and you want to go into the City, you must to show evidence of your interest in business and finance, and you need a sense for numbers.' Pamela Andrew agrees. A careers adviser for this sector at the University of St Andrews, she writes that the most successful applicants are not necessarily those with a finance-related degree but those who understand the industry. She therefore recommends a proactive approach: undergraduates should get involved with their university's finance society, and should attend employer-run events and careers fairs before applying for internships. Taking the Bloomberg Assessment Test provides an insight into your suitability for finance while showcasing your abilities to employers (see http://about. bloomberginstitute.com/students). And when it comes to a job search, websites such as www.insidecareers.co.uk/professions/banking and www.efinancialcareers.co.uk are great places to start. In demand Chapman's story is an interesting one. She grew up in Lancashire and her passion for languages was ignited while visiting an uncle, who is Chief Conductor of the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, as a child. 'I have a very good ear, being a musician myself, so I picked up the language.' She learnt French, German and Latin at school, and did work experience, aged 15, at a German opera house. 'There was a team from the English National Opera over at the time, but they couldn't understand the Germans, so I helped. That became an annual arrangement every summer.' Chapman then studied French and German at Cambridge, where she realised her creative and linguistic abilities were a good match for the business world. She took the Chartered Accountant qualification, the ACA, to get her business knowledge up to scratch, and started working in the asset management industry in London. 'I wanted a people-facing role using my languages. That's what I love; that's what gets me up in the morning.' A later role at RBS saw her using French with Paris-based clients, and her position at Kames demands Spanish – in which she is taking classes – as well as German. 'When recruiters find a job that needs my specific skills and experience, they can be quite persistent,' Chapman laughs. 'I took a career break in 2011, but when this vacancy came up, I kept getting calls. It's all about relationship management and business development into Germany. What could be more exciting? My language skills are paramount.' An international lifestyle is common in this sector and Chapman travels to Germany once every three weeks on average. 'Our leaders of the future would generally have worked in two or three different locations over the course of their career,' says Dodds. 'I can genuinely say that I haven't had a dull day in 30 years. I have not, for one nanosecond, clock-watched. If you like a fast-paced environment, mixing with a broad range of very interesting men and women from a large mix of nationalities with all sorts of languages flying around, a fair amount of travel, and even the chance to live abroad, this is a career you'll love. It's challenging,' he warns, 'but people here thrive on that competitive environment.' As for Chapman, it's still all about relationships. 'I love trying to work out what each client requires and seeing if we can meet that,' she says. 'The people are the best thing about my job, without a shadow of a doubt.' IMAGES: © SHUTTERSTOCK