French for Your Future

Happy female student holding her notebooks.

Have you recently graduated from the French Immersion program? Have you mastered the French language otherwise? If so, keep reading to better understand how to strategically use your bilingualism to your advantage.

1. Study at a Bilingual or Francophone Postsecondary Institution

If you have not yet determined where you want to go for college or university, I highly recommend that you consider attending a bilingual or French-speaking institution. Not only will it allow you to maintain your bilingualism but also permit you to thrive in the francophone environment. In fact, the same could be said for a bilingual campus within an English-speaking institution. Moreover, think about all the connections you could make when you have bilingual or French-speaking professors, instructors, staff, and peers at your disposal, not to mention all the student-centered and employer-related events that will be organized and hosted on your behalf. Lastly, if the goal is for you to use your bilingualism to your advantage when entering the workforce, you want to ensure that you have a solid grasp of the language in addition to the key terminology required for your desired industry and/or role. So in the end, one must be fully immersed in the language to learn how to apply it effectively.

2. Learn French for a Specific Industry or Role

This brings me to my second point. When one learns a language to become bilingual or multilingual, the main goal is to be able to listen, speak, read, and write in that target language so that they can interact with people who communicate using the same language and so that they can function in a space or society that operates fully or partially in that language. However, when one wants to work in a certain industry or desired role, they must also be able to comprehend and employ specific key terminology and concepts to be able to effectively communicate with colleagues and clients, not to mention to be able perform their role accordingly. So, think about it this way. If you want to be a bilingual marketing specialist, bilingual project manager, bilingual translator, bilingual engineer, or a French Immersion teacher for example, it is imperative that you not only know and understand how to do your responsibilities for said specialization, you must also know how to do so in French.

So if you are wondering how exactly can you go about doing this, here are some examples:

• Major in your desired industry-specific program at a bilingual or francophone postsecondary institution,

• Complete a specialized degree, diploma, postgraduate certificate, postgraduate diploma, and/or micro-credential,

• Pursue a specialized certification or specialized online courses, and/or

• Watch videos online to better understand your industry and/or role.

3. Know Your Worth

Female student typing on her laptop while scrolling on her phone.

Now this might be the most important point in my opinion. No matter how much work goes into where you study and the specific terminology you learn in French, none of that matters if you do not know your worth before entering the workforce. So, what does that even mean? It means do your research. Although being bilingual does not actually pay more for most jobs, it will in fact get you the job if there are no other qualified candidates for the role. That said, it is extremely important to know how much that role pays on the low end, on average, or on the high end before accepting any offer being presented to you. So, if you are looking for a free bilingual database that will highlight this information and more for practically all occupations in Canada, I would highly recommend the Job Trend Analysis platform, which is funded and updated by the federal government.

Additionally, once you have done your research, make sure you understand the difference between an hourly rate and an annual salary. In fact, I once thought that making $20 per hour for 40 hours a week was a huge deal when in actuality it meant earning approximately $38 000 per year. Now that is not to say that there is anything wrong with earning that amount to start, but if you are not aware of what that hourly rate converts to, you may end up accepting a job offer that is way below what you should be making for that particular season in your life. As a result, be sure to use an hourly to salary converter such as the ones available on hellosafe, Indeed, or Talent.com.

All in all, being bilingual affords you a certain level of superpowers that would not be available to someone who does not speak the same language. However, you must take the time to be strategic in your professional journey to be able to get the most out of all your hard work. So as you prepare to enter the workforce or prepare for a professional transition, you must devise a plan that affords you the most favorable outcomes as a bilingual professional.

On that note, if you would like for our Career Development Consultant to work with you as you navigate your bilingual professional journey, consider booking one or more of our Career Services. Moreover, if you plan to attend an English-language college or university, or if you attend one now, this suite of services has been curated for you. All our virtual appointments are available in English, in French, or both languages. They also last 30 minutes and are followed by an email with your personalized comments and/or customized resources.

Connect with our Consultant

Not ready to commit just yet? No problem! Consider reading So you’re bilingual, now what? for additional support. 

Written by Shana Baptiste-Iseyemi

Career Development Consultant and Former French and Careers Teacher

Mrs. Baptiste-Iseyemi has 10 years of experience supporting students from diverse learning and linguistic backgrounds. She has taught in both the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the York Region District School Board (YRDSB). She has also lived, studied, and worked in Grenoble, France.

She has a Honours Bachelor of Arts in French Studies with a minor in Anthropology from York University. She also has a Bachelor of Education with a focus on French as a Second Language and General Social Sciences from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) of the University of Toronto. Furthermore, she has additional qualifications in Guidance and Career Education and Co-operative Education from OISE. Lastly, she has a Career Strategist Certification with a focus on career development, career planning, and career management from the Career Professionals of Canada.