Career outcomes
Overview
Careers
Industries and roles
As a bi-lingual professional, you’ll be in high demand, particularly in a professional working environment. Your ability to facilitate international communications will make you a perfect fit for multinational business, communications and diplomacy.
You could also use your qualifications to help people understand languages with a fulfilling career in translation or teaching.
Paarangat Pushkarna
Paarangat Pushkarna is a currently completing a Bachelor of Science, with breadth subjects German Studies
I studied German throughout high school, so when given the opportunity to continue learning at university with the breadth subject option, I was keen. As an aspiring physics major student, I had heard much about German research organisations such as the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft and Helmholtz institutes, and I thought that studying German might open up opportunities for overseas study further down the track.
The most enjoyable aspect of German Studies so far has been the lecture series on German linguistics, Turkish-German immigrants, and German national identity. While we focused on the German language and German points of view, we stumbled upon themes that were truly universal, such as the complexity of belonging and identity, immigration, and cultural tolerance.
Studying German has enabled me to reflect upon and recognise the complexity of national identity. This shift occurred mainly through reading Franz Kafka in German 5 and German 6, and our introduction to him as a ‘double outsider’. Kafka’s struggle to belong also resonated with me at a more personal level, as I mulled over my own identity as an ‘Indian-Australian’.
Interestingly, my closest friends are not students from my science subjects but my fellow German language seminar students. The camaraderie between German students I felt was stronger than in any other first year subject I undertook.