Bilingual secretary
Bilingual secretaries provide administrative services in English and one or more foreign languages.
Also known as: Bilingual executive assistant
- Starter salary£25,000 a year
- Experienced£45,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 40 a week
What you'll do
As a bilingual secretary, you could:
- translate documents
- write letters, emails and reports in a second language
- speak with overseas clients on the phone, online and in person
- handle sensitive business data in line with company policies
- act as a personal or executive assistant to a manager
- interpret at meetings
- organise meetings, make appointments and keep a diary
- arrange travel and accommodation for business trips
- update computer management systems
Working environment
You could work in an office.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- administration skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- excellent language skills
- the ability to work well with others
- active listening skills
- customer service skills
- to be flexible and open to change
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become a bilingual secretary
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
University
You could take a modern languages course at university. Courses that combine languages with another subject are also widely available.
Combination subjects include:
- linguistics
- business administration and management
- economics
- international marketing
- law
- English
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
College
You could study languages at college and do a recognised qualification in administration or office skills.
Relevant courses include:
- business and administration
- digital skills
- International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL)
- T Level in Management and Administration
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
Apprenticeship
You can apply to do a Business Administrator Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, with a commercial company or public sector organisation.
You would need to develop your language skills at the same time, for example through a college or online course.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
Work
You could start as an admin assistant with an organisation and work your way up through training and promotion.
You may be able to work towards a Certificate in Bilingual Skills , which is equivalent to good A level standard or higher.
Direct application
You can apply to companies directly if you have some of the relevant skills and knowledge required for this role.
You'll usually need at least one A level, or equivalent, in your second language unless it's your native language, or you're fluent from living abroad.
Employers will also expect you to have GCSEs or relevant office skills and experience.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could work as:
- a bilingual executive assistant
- an import-export clerk
- a translator
- an interpreter
- an office manager
- an international business, sales or marketing executive
You might apply to gain Chartered Linguist status , which gives professional recognition of your skills and expertise and could expand your career options.
Career tips
Most businesses look for bilingual secretaries who can speak a European language like French, German, Spanish or Italian.
Other languages like Russian, Chinese, Japanese and Arabic are also popular.
Professional and industry bodies
You could join the Chartered Institute of Linguists for professional recognition, training opportunities and to make industry contacts.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleAdmin assistant
- Job roleExecutive assistant
- Job roleInterpreter
- Job roleTranslator
- Job roleOffice manager
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0