It’s important to recognise that languages are no substitute for specific qualifications or training. A bilingual sales manager, for example, is a sales manager first and foremost, with the added advantage of foreign language skills. And an Accountant for an internation company will have to have all the necessary financial qualifications before starting to use their languages to advance their career.

Of course, the same applies to the specialist language occupations, too. The ability to translate from French to English is not, in itself, enough; translators may need to specialise in an area such as medical or legal documentation and will need specific expertise to complement their linguistic ability.

We’ve some good examples of how you can set about acquiring this experience and expertise in other fields on our Work Talk factsheet, which you can download for free.