What should I do carreer wise?

Question

I'm 20 yrs old...I am studying to become a teacher. I am learning Spanish. (I'm not fluent yet, pero alguin dia voy a hablar espanol perfecto!)

I just got my AA. I want to study in Spain for a semester next year. I want to be fluent in Spanish. I'm thinking about becomine a teacher in High School because it could be fun. But I also want to be a translator, I also want to make a decent living. (let's face it, teachers dont make as much as they should!) I'm thinking about going all the way and getting a proffessional degree, my major at my new college is pre-spanish edu. (i'm working on my BA). Does anyone have any good advice or ideas about what moves I should make career wise? I want to be marketable and have a great job while also making mucho dinero! Any advice/ideas/tips or comments are greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

It's tough to get a very well-paying job if you major in education or liberal arts. Some people do, but generally they just get lucky. There's not really a plan toward it.

In general, you'd probably have an easier time finding work as a Spanish teacher than as a translator. Many translators only work part time. To get a well-paying full-time job, you'd have to be very, very good at it (and also be lucky.)

If making money is really important to you, you might want to study international business instead. You can still use the language skills, but your future job would probably pay more than teaching and translating.

Answer 2

I would strongly consider spending more than a semester to get the full affects of speaking Spanish fluently, which is best done by being where they are.  You might also consider other factors such as Mexico, South America, etc.  You will still need to have a teacher certification which you can do in your senior year or after, but you need it before you can teach in the USA.