Foreign Language Skills and the International Job Market

February 23 - Dozens of students gathered in the College of Staten Island's 1P's Recital Hall as representatives from the United Nations, Italy's RAI TV and CSI's own faculty and staff spoke in detail about the importance of foreign languages in today's global job market.

The event, organized by CSI's Modern Languages Media Center's Valeria Belmonti, gathered together figures from the campus' Modern Languages Department and staff from the The Career Center and The Center for International Service. The Keynote speakers however, were Naima Charafi from the United Nations, Donatella Saroli from RAI Italian Television, and Alberto Prieto from Bilingual Resources.

After a few cursory remarks and thanks from the dean, Assistant Spanish Professor and International Studies Program Coordinator Jane Markus-Delgado took the podium to briefly talk about her employment experience. "Every single job I've ever gotten," she said "has been because I speak another language."

Minutes later Charafi, the United Nation's Head French Teacher, took the podium. Focusing on the specific details one goes through to get a job at the U.N., she described a number of tests. "We have to assess your writing skills, language skills and production," she said. According to Charafi, recruitment involves three stages: a personal history profile, an international competitive exam, and an interview. Since, as she states, the "U.N. staff is interested in upgrading their foreign language skills," a second Language Proficiency exam is required. For those of us who aren't the best test takers, Charafi also noted that certain short-term contracts are available without taking the exams. She pointed interested parties to jobs.un.org for more information and available positions.