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Department of the Languages and Cultures of Japan and Korea

Graduate Destinations

How does a degree in the Languages and Cultures of Japan and Korea help with my career?

A degree in the Languages and Cultures of Japan and Korea from SOAS provides its students with competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. You will develop a familiarity with the region through a combination of the study of language, literature, history, cinema, politics, economics or law. Graduates leave SOAS with linguistic and cultural expertise along with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers in both business and the public sector. These include written and oral communication skills; attention to detail; analytical and problem solving skills; and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources.

Former Languages and Cultures of Japan and Korea students have gone on to employment in a range of professional roles in business and public sectors, as well as continuing in the field of research either at SOAS or other institutions

Destinations of recent graduates from this department immediately after graduation include:

  • Tokyo - Newspapers: Assistant Correspondent
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers: Accountant
  • The Rickety Press: Chef
  • Bloomberg: Financial Analyst
  • JET Programme: Translator
  • English National Opera: Marketing Trainee
  • Baoding Foreign Language Middle School of Hebei Province: Teacher
  • Daiwa Anglo Japanese Foundation: Events Assistant
  • Flamingo Research: Research Executive
  • Pokemon International Company: Translator
  • Square Enix: Game Designer
  • Deloitte & Touche: Associate Tax Adviser
  • Japanese Government: Translator
  • JET: English Language Assistant
  • British Government: Personal Assistant to a Government Minister
  • Nihon Shokken: Field Representative
  • Sega Europe: Brand Marketing
  • Bank of Tokyo: Associate HR
  • Bloomberg: Interpreter
  • BBC: Logistics Organiser
  • Citibank: Client Service Officer
  • Standard Chartered Bank: Graduate Associate Wholesale Banking
  • HSBC: Analyst
  • King's College London: MA Terrorism, Security & Society
  • SOAS: MA Pacific and Asian Studies
  • Wasedea University: Researcher
  • Japanese Gallery: Gallery Assistant
  • European Parliament: Stagiaire/Trainee at the European Parliament
  • Nikkei Europe Ltd: Advertising & Marketing Executive
  • 21st Leaders Foundation: Project Co-ordinator
  • Ernst & Young: Business Consultant
  • Al-Jazeera English: Researcher
  • konnichiwa-japan, Inc.: Creative Director
  • La Martiniere: Publisher
  • Stanford University: Research Associate
  • Mitsibushi Securities: Investor Relations Officer
  • Civil Service: Civil Servant
  • The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation: Investor Relations
  • UBS: Banking Operations
  • Global Group Europe plc: CEO
  • Eton College: Head of Japanese
  • SOAS: PhD Japanese Modern Literature
  • Waseda University, Japan: Research Student on Japanese History

DLHE Statistics

The chart above shows that SOAS Languages and Cultures of Japan and Korea graduates are very employable. Graduate Destination Surveys from 2004-2011 show that 87% of graduates who could be surveyed are either in work, further study, work and study or volunteering.

Further information about DLHE is available on the Careers Service website.

What do Graduates do?

Job Profiles and Careers Information

Relevant Links

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