Career Opportunities

World map.

Our alumni have pursued successful careers in social work, foreign service, business and finance, journalism, law, medicine and health care, library science, translation and interpreting, retail, entertainment and the arts and tourism.

Popular Career Fields

International Development
Learning a second language is critical if you aspire to a career in human rights, gender justice, women's entrepreneurship, law, rural development, agricultural development, translation/interpreting, or similar international development disciplines. Whether you want to in working with a non-profit organization or a corporation, solid foreign language skills will put you ahead of your peers when it comes time to look for a job. International job listings abound on the internet. Try these for starters:

Secondary Education
Many RLL alumni choose to serve in the field of education. For public schools in New York State, this requires obtaining certification through an MAT program, such as the Learning and Instruction program at the UB Graduate School of Education. For private, parochial and charter schools, teachers may be hired with only a bachelor's degree in a language. Additionally, the NYC Teaching Fellows Program trains college graduates to teach specifically for the Department of Education in New York City, functioning as an alternative certification program. For a change of climate, the Southern Teachers Agency recruits recent college graduates for teaching positions in the Southern United States.

Medicine and Health Care
Whether you want to practice medicine or work in public health in a refugee community right here in Buffalo, or join an international medical team in Africa or South America, excellent second language skills are key. Recent RLL graduates have gone on to careers in opthamology and dentistry. Get some ideas about Centers for Disease Control global health jobs and opportunities. Check out opportunities at the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Teach Abroad
Spain and France have Teaching Assistant programs that pay college graduates to teach English conversation classes in their public schools. Chile has a similar program, but for volunteers.

Academia
For a career in higher education, many students pursue an RLL graduate degree. We have a highly competitive placement rate for our PhD alumni, with most obtaining full-time tenure-track employment within five years. The faculty take an individualized approach toward guiding students into the best possible career positions. Former students are now tenured or tenure-track faculty at institutions such as Hofstra, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Franklin & Marshall College, University of North Georgia, University of Denver and Ithaca College. If you are interested in an academic career, make an appointment with one of your favorite professors to get started!

Alumni Careers

The following alumni represent just a few of our successful graduates:

  • David Turnbull, Career Diplomat, U.S. Department of State
  • Sophie Michaud, Secondary Education
  • Molly Poremski, Library Sciences, University at Buffalo
  • Nicole Bojko, PhD, Professor of French, Chaffey College, Ridgecrest, CA
  • Isabel Fournier, PhD, Visiting Assistant Professor of French, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
  • Elise Roberts, Teaching Assistant, Italy, Doctoral Candidate in Political Science

Our students have also pursued successful careers in:

  • Anthropology and linguistics
  • Public relations
  • Customs and immigration
  • Diplomacy and foreign service
  • International student advisement
  • International trade
  • International relations
  • Broadcast and print journalism
  • Translation
  • Federal civil service
Career Design Support

When it comes to finding a career or prepping for an interview, you're not alone!

The Career Design Center is available to any UB student. Book a career design appointment through Bullseye powered by Handshake. For after hours, explore the Career Design Studio or ask Virtual Vic, your 24/7 virtual assistant, your career questions.