Foreign Languages Jobs in the Federal Government
- There is a growing demand for people with foreign language skills across the federal government.
- Since 9/11 the FBI has hired close to 1,000 linguists. It is projected that 274 new hires will occur in the next fiscal year.
- The National Security Agency (NSA) is aggressively recruiting and plans to hire 1,500 people a year, many of them language analysts, until 2010.
- Due to the high demand of qualified linguists, the Pentagon is temporarily recruiting foreigners on work or student visas. Read more about this initiative.
Many Federal Agencies Offer Attractive Signing Bonuses
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) offers a Corporate Language Hiring Bonus Program for individuals who have exceptional language skills. New employees who are hired for a language specific occupation must be tested in order to meet eligibility requirements. The size of the language bonus is determined by tested proficiency, language difficulty and level of critical need as determined by the CIA. Individuals may qualify for multiple hiring bonuses if they are proficient in more than one language. The maximum bonus awarded is $35,000 per person.
Students who graduate with a proficiency in a foreign language or professional linguists may qualify for work at the National Security Agency (NSA). New NSA employees receive competitive salaries and may be eligible for signing bonuses of $7,500.
Job Profiles
Here are examples of recent job openings. Explore more and apply now at USAJOBS.
International Trade Specialist
- Salary Range: $50, 275 - $65,352
- Duty Locations: Minneapolis, MN
- Summary: Located in the Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration
- Major Duties: Help open foreign markets, ensure compliance with trade laws and agreements, and lower barriers to U.S. competitiveness. Join a winning team helping U.S. industry to meet and beat foreign competition, both at home and abroad. Foreign language ability is highly desirable. Check out the International Trade Administration at http://trade.gov/index.asp.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol
- Salary Range: $24,966 - $51,972
- Duty Locations: South Texas, West Texas/New Mexico, California and Arizona
- Job Summary: Join the Department of Homeland Security by working for Customs and Border Patrol at the gateway between the United States and Mexico. Candidates must be fluent in Spanish and English.
- Major Duties: Detect, prevent and apprehend illegal immigrants attempting to enter the United States. Protect the border using surveillance systems, monitor and respond to electronic sensor alarms and use infrared technologies at night. Interpret physical evidence including following tracks and marks. Additional duties include conducting traffic and transportation checks, and patrolling for illegal drug trafficking.
Inventory Management Specialist
- Salary Range: $51,630 - $67,114
- Duty Locations: Lorton, VA
- Summary: CBP (Customs & Border Protection) is within the Department of Homeland Security and is the sole organization responsible for securing the nation's borders. As part of its carefully selected, highly trained team, you'll leverage state-of-the art technology, innovative strategies and world-wide partnerships to protect our communities and defend our frontier.
- Major Duties: Manage inventory and assets utilizing established and commonly applied supply principles, concepts, and methodologies, including knowledge of laws, to determine, evaluate, and manage asset inventories, status of funds for repairs, and funds available to execute the annual supply program. Control the distribution and/or redistribution of stock within the organization’s supply and equipment management utilizing inventory control systems and warehouse powered equipment.
Internship ANd scholarship Examples
The Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship is funded by the Department of State and is administered through the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation (WWNFF). The goal of the fellowship is to attract students from diverse backgrounds, with an interest in international affairs, political and economic analysis, administration, management and science policy, to the Foreign Service. The fellowship award includes tuition, room, board, and mandatory fees during the junior and senior years of college and during the first year of graduate study. Fellows commit to pursing a graduate degree in international studies at one of the schools chosen by the WWNFF.
http://www.woodrow.org/fellowships/foreign_affairs/pickering_undergrad/index.php
The National Security Education Program is administered through the Institute of International Education and provides undergraduates with scholarships to study abroad in regions such as Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East. The program offers students an opportunity to learn about other cultures and to study languages in regions critical to national security. Upon completion, students are required to work for the Federal Government in agencies such as the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, State or the Intelligence Community. http://www.iie.org/programs/nsep/default.htm
The Critical Language Scholarships Program is offered by the Department of State and the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC), and consists of over 500 overseas scholarships for intensive summer language institutes in eleven critical need foreign languages. Participants take part in seven to ten week group-based intensive language instruction and extensive cultural enrichment experiences at the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels. All program costs, including travel, are covered by the scholarships.
http://www.clscholarship.org/home.php
Federal Jobs by the Numbers
A Sample of Agencies that Recruit Students with Foreign Language
Skills
Field |
Full-time and Permanent (FTP) Positions | Projected Hires FY 2010-2012 |
|---|---|---|
Customs & Border Protection |
20,816 | 4,950 |
Border Patrol Enforcement Series |
19,768 | -- |
Intelligence |
10,446 | 390 |
General Arts & Information |
3,684 | 204 |
Equal Opportunity Compliance |
1,703 | 300 |
Language Specialist |
1,041 | 35 |
Customs & Border Protection Interdiction |
740 | -- |
Customs Entry and Liquidation |
512 | -- |
Source: Where the Jobs Are 2009
Percentage of Foreign Languages Positions by Region
