Bilingual Secretary

Typical Salary

£18,000 To £35,000

Typical Hours

37 to 39 a week

evenings flexibly

How To Become a Bilingual Secretary

You can get into this job through:

a university course
a college course
an apprenticeship
applying directly

College / University

It could help you if you have a degree in modern languages or languages combined with business studies, although this is not essential.

2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Completing a recognised qualification in administration or office skills may improve your job prospects. Colleges offer a wide range of full-time and part-time courses. Relevant subjects include:

business administration
typing
audio transcription
computer skills
shorthand

Apprenticeship

You can get into this job through a business administrator advanced apprenticeship and combine it with your language skills to find work.

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

Routes into this Career are not listed for this job.

You can apply to companies directly if you have some of the relevant skills and knowledge required for this role.

You'll need at least one A level or equivalent in your second language unless it's your native tongue or you became fluent by living abroad.

Employers may also expect you to have GCSEs or relevant office skills and experience.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

administration skills
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
the ability to work well with others
to be flexible and open to change
sensitivity and understanding
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
knowledge of English language
excellent verbal communication skills
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day duties could include:

translating documents and letters
writing letters, emails and reports in a foreign language
translating or summarising articles from foreign journals
speaking in a foreign language on the phone or face-to-face
interpreting at meetings

You may also have general administrative duties, including:

acting as a personal assistant (PA) to a manager
organising meetings, making appointments and keeping a diary
arranging travel and accommodation for business trips
filing, typing and photocopying
updating computer databases

Working Environment

You could work in an office.

Career Path & Progression

With experience, you could be promoted to personal assistant or office manager.

You could move into translating or interpreting, or international business, sales or marketing.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Career tips

Most businesses look for bilingual secretaries who can speak a European language like French, German, Spanish or Italian.

Other languages like Russian, Chinese, Japanese and Arabic are also growing in demand.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Chartered Institute of Linguists for professional recognition, training opportunities and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You'll get more advice about working and training in languages through the Chartered Institute of Linguists.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.