> > on the strength of a degree and competence in,
> say,
> > Russian, Hindi, Chinese or Japanese, even if they
> were
> > competent in bread and butter fields like CS,
> > accountancy, economics and b) if hired, retained
> as
> > valuable members of staff in a budget crunch.
> >
>
> Foreign languages are a definite asset in my London
> law firm, and, as far as
> I know in most international services firms
> (accountants, consultants,
> lawyers,etc) because it is so useful in
> international transactions,
Well, then something must have changed the last 5
years. The last time I tried to get a job in London my
experience and languages got me absolutely nowhere.
Btw, I managed to get a temporary call centre job on
the strength of knowing German, but that was pretty
much it.
I am considering doing a CPE etc., but the one reason
I hesitate is that I dont want to end up as someone
who is regarded as the equivalent of a freak.
> translations, talking to clients, you name it. I
> recently (from the London
> office) worked on a deal between Japanese and
> Germans and there are
> frequently emails going around the office asking for
> translation help.
yes, but does it amount to a permanent advantage for a
lawyer?
>
> The application form for new employees (and this is
> true of all major London
> firms) has a prominent section asking you to list
> all the languages you
> know, and you are tested on your languages when you
> first join, and it is a
> huge factor in getting foreign postings, and so
> on..not so much Asian
> languages yet, but that's only a matter of time..
I am sorry to be so sceptical, but I spent 15 years of
my life , until I went to the US at least, apologizing
for knowing languages and getting nowhere.
-frank
>
> Badri
>
>
>
>
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