Journalists who haven't perused the world of J-School websites recently should be sure to check out the online version of The Columbia School of Journalism. Yes, it's a slick piece of marketing material, but I keep returning for the comprehensive Career Services section. While some of the links are accessible only to Columbia affiliates, there's a surprising amount of useful information on finding a journalism-oriented job in a bad economy. I'm a big fan of the Getting Started link-- it's a great primer on everything from how to negotiate a salary to how to put together an online resume. It was the resume section, in fact, that got me thinking about the importance of foreign languages in the job search process. As the Columbia website puts it:
"This could be the skill set that puts you in front of your closest competitor, so ALWAYS list your foreign language skills, no matter where you are applying. But don't overstate your abilities. Our rule is that if you can use a foreign language well enough to gather information or conduct interviews, and feel comfortable using the information in your story, then you're proficient."
If I was more interested in becoming a foreign correspondent I might try to learn Arabic or some other difficult language, but what about those of us who are interested in covering science, technology, and business? Surely some other language in addition to English must be of use in the newsroom (other than LOLSpeak, of course).
I studied Spanish in high school and part of college, but I am far from proficient. Spanish seems like a straightforward option because of the number of people in California who speak it as their first language, but I'm not convinced that it's the obvious choice for this sector. Thoughts?
Image courtesy of gabyu.
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