Volunteering and work experience

Volunteering for a charity can give you experience, but only take unpaid work if it's genuinely for a good cause and doesn't undercut paid professionals.

Good options

Translation for registered charities and community projects, and work placements arranged through your course.

Be careful

Avoid unpaid "trials" for commercial companies. If a business would profit from your work, it should pay for it.

Good to know

• Our student ambassadors run events at universities across the UK.
• Ask your course leader whether your university has a group membership arrangement with SFTI.
• Student members get a reduced conference ticket of £95.

Downloads

• Careers in languages leaflet (PDF, 400 KB)
• Student membership application (PDF, 85 KB)

Page last reviewed 31 July 2026