Using your degree: Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics

Using your degree: Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics

What do Cambridge graduates do?

The top three sectors that MMLL Cambridge graduates joined in our most recent survey were Teaching (circa 13% of those who responded), followed by varied service industries such as retail, property, recruitment (7%) and then Public Service, Technology and Communications (each 4%). Of course many MMLL students continue on to further study (circa 30% of the most recent survey) and this may be something that you want to consider.

Will employers want my degree?

The majority of employers that recruit Cambridge graduates do not require a certain degree. They are usually more interested in what you can do rather than what you have studied. Want to know what role would suit you? Take a look at the transferable skills from a MMLL degree and those for linguists good places to start too. Try looking for ideas for help with identifying your personal strengths and preferences. Then search Handshake for internships, jobs or graduate schemes you are interested in. Note the selection criteria that usually focus on "competencies” rather than having studied a certain subject and see which ones are a good fit.

If you are wanting to use your language in a role try putting the language into the keyword search, and maybe 'fluent' as well - to see which roles come up that require a specific language.

Using my degree

MMLL graduates who want to use their degree end up working in a wide range of companies and sectors - from UNICEF, law firms, BBC World Service, accounting firms, Embassies, retail and banking. Be aware that all of these sectors have a wide variety of roles. For example HR, Marketing, IT, Finance and Logistics. So if you are interested in a certain sector think about what you are good at and which roles might be a good fit for you - as well as where you can use your language. You want to ensure that you are going to enjoy and excel in your job, rather than settling for a role just so you can use your languages.

You can research sectors here. Network with alumni who studied MMLL. You can see what they do, their career to date and contact them for further information. This can be especially useful if you're looking to work overseas.