So you're bilingual, now what?

A male teenager rests his hand on his chin.

Have you always been told that learning French will open doors for you? Have you been constantly reassured that being bilingual will get you that government job? After all your hard work, are you finding yourself lost or unsure of what to do next? Whether you have completed the French Immersion program recently or have mastered the French language otherwise, this article is for you.

1. Complete a Career Assessment or Career Quizzes

Here’s the thing. Your passions, interests, and overall motivations will inevitably change. So when you said that you wanted to be a teacher in grade 4, and then again in high school, and while completing your undergraduate degree in university, it may come as a surprise that you no longer find the profession appealing after volunteering as a Teaching Assistant in second year for example. This is why I strongly recommend completing a career assessment not only that one time, but every single year, as it will amaze you how different you feel about teaching elementary school students versus secondary school students, or teaching overall. You may even find that the recommended professions actually fall under the education sector but do not require you to teach school-aged children or teenagers but rather adults much like what a College Professor or Course Instructor does. It may also include roles that require you to work behind the scenes to enhance the learning of others like that of a Curriculum Specialist or School Superintendent.

If you are looking for examples of existing detail-oriented career assessment tools, kindly refer to the list below:

• Alis Career Quizzes (English only)

• myBlueprint (Available in both English and French)

• Xello (Available in both English and French)

• Career Cruising's Matchmaker & My Skills Assessment (Available in both English and French)

  
  

That being said, please note that the last three recommendations can only be accessed if your elementary, secondary, or postsecondary institution has partnered with the platform.

2. Do Your Research

Please note that it is not enough to simply do a thorough career assessment or a bunch of career quizzes every year, given that you must also do your research. Below is a checklist of some things to consider when looking at your career results:

• What do the descriptions say?

• How much would you make on the low end, on average, or on the high end should you pursue any of those careers?

• What are the chances of you securing a job in the roles in the next three, six, or even ten years?

• What is trending in those industries?

• Will they create and/or take away potential job opportunities for you in the near future

• What are the educational requirements for any of these roles?

• Do you have to go to graduate school or is attending a college and/or university sufficient for the role?

• Conversely, is it enough to merely complete a couple of micro-credentials, some online courses, watch videos online and/or a combination of any of the suggestions above?

• Lastly, what skills do you need to enhance and/or master in order to be successful in any of the recommended professions?

In the end, it is absolutely imperative that you take the time to better understand your possible outcomes, which is why using available online resources is key. If you are looking for a free bilingual database, I would highly recommend the Job Trend Analysis platform, which is funded and updated by the federal government. Moreover, you can also ask your preferred artificial intelligence productivity tool to do the work for you, but be prepared to still have to do some light research to validate the information that is provided.

3. Explore All Your Options

A scenic view overlooking mountain tops and bodies of water.

Now when everything is said and done, even after you have done an evaluation of what you like, dislike, and what you would consider in addition to properly researching what it takes to pursue your preferred profession, your bilingualism will not automatically land you the job. Employers want to see that you have some relevant experience associated with the role and that you have the necessary skills to do your job with little to no supervision. 

This is why it is extremely important to take advantage of experiential learning wherever possible. That could look like the following:

• volunteering with an organization,

• sitting on a board of directors as a student volunteer for an association that is related to your desired field,

• participating in the Work-Study program at your college or university that allows you to gain real-life experience while studying,

• joining clubs or organizations while pursuing your postsecondary education,

• participating in any available co-operative education program or work integrated learning opportunity,

• completing internships, whether locally or internationally, while you are eligible to do so, and/or

• completing a working holiday to further explore your options related to your desired industry and/or profession.

  
  

Please note that this last opportunity is available to people who are between the ages of 18 and 35 in most countries, and allows you to develop international and relevant experience.

All in all, the world is changing at lightning speed and the way in which people are entering and exiting the world of work has drastically changed. As you may already know, people no longer stay in a profession or with an employer for forty to fifty years. They would much rather have a more fluid and fruitful professional journey that can look like starting in one field or career, going back to school, regularly pursuing professional development, or even starting all over again. Regardless of the path you choose, you must have a very good understanding of where your passions lie, what you value in the workplace, and what kind of work-life balance you envision for yourself in the long run to be able to truly grasp what you could do next now that you are bilingual.  

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 French for Your Future 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.