Steps Towards Building a Career With Your French

A well-paying, glamorous international job is not likely to appear out of nowhere. Developing a professional profile that will lead to a job in which you can use your French (here in the U.S. or abroad) requires some strategizing. Be realistic: the job you may be imagining is probably a few rungs up the ladder. Your first job will be a great stepping stone.

While at UMM, use your French

• Take advantage of every opportunity to use French: attend French conversation table, film screenings, and special events
• Ask your French prof. whether you might be a good French tutor for UMM Academic Assistance or a good candidate for Work Study in the French Discipline

Find French encounters over summers

• Apply to work at Lac du Bois (Concordia Language Villages). Many UMM students work there summer after summer
• Go on the July in Paris Program and take courses with native speakers at the Sorbonne
• Join the French Heritage Society to travel to France and to participate in the preservation of French historic sites
• Read a work from the French Discipline Summer Reading List
• Catch a French movie whenever you can
• Consult the Work, Intern, and Volunteer Abroad web site through the Learning Abroad Center (UMTC) if you are looking for other opportunities.

Study abroad (See Study Abroad in French)

• If the study abroad program you select has an internship component (as UMTC Montpellier does) take advantage of an opportunity to experience the working world in that country.
• Consider teaching English in a French middle or high school (either during your time at UMM or afterwards) through the Assistant Program. The program places applicants anywhere in France and pays a reasonable stipend for twelve hours of teaching per week. Many UMM students go on this program. (Note, you must be at least 20 to apply).

Create job materials in English and French (while still at UMM)

Enroll in French 4901: Senior Seminar, which features a systematic approach to finding a job using your French. In 4901, you will work with your French prof and the UMM Career Center to develop a resume, a CV, a basic cover letter, and interview skills in both French and English that you can refine as your career evolves.

Use all resources available to you to search for jobs requiring French or jobs abroad

• Keep your eye on the UMMENTRENOUS@ listserv
• Check the UMM Career Center web site regularly for new opportunities
• Consult the Work, Intern, and Volunteer Abroad web site through the Learning Abroad Center (UMTC) if you are looking for other opportunities.