language in college

Hi. I've heard that for many careers being skilled at multiple languages is a big plus. I'd imagine for i-bankign, with more work in emerging markets, knowling languages would be a plus. However, I've also heard that most finance work is in English as far as a US resident/graduate would be concerned, and other languages doesn't matter. First, how much emphasis should i put on language? As well, I still want to take a language in college, but, do you think it would be beneficial to thoroughly learn one language or gain good abilities in 2 or 3 languages (all excluding English)? Any input would be appreciated.

7 Comments
 

i dont think foreign language is THAT important. i think you'd be better off using the time/units to take some extra finance/accounting classes, unless of course you are already a finance/accounting major.

if you put too much focus on a foreign language and not enough on more relevant classes, banks might be inclined to ask "ok, it looks like foreign language was a big part of your college coursework, why would you want to pursue banking?"

banking is very much about communication, especially at the higher levels, but being that 99%+ of business will be with english speaking ceos (given that you're planning to stay in the US), i dont see the need to stress foreign language as a top priority.

 
Anonymous MonkeyHi. I've heard that for many careers being skilled at multiple languages is a big plus. I'd imagine for i-bankign, with more work in emerging markets, knowling languages would be a plus. However, I've also heard that most finance work is in English as far as a US resident/graduate would be concerned, and other languages doesn't matter. First, how much emphasis should i put on language? As well, I still want to take a language in college, but, do you think it would be beneficial to thoroughly learn one language or gain good abilities in 2 or 3 languages (all excluding English)? Any input would be appreciated.
knowling languages is a big plus, especially the grammar and spelling components. The only time that someone cared that Escribi hablo espanol en mi resumen was when I was applying for an internship at a Latin America focused boutique. But since it was only for an internship I don't think it mattered a whole lot
Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art - Andy Warhol
 
Best Response

It depends where you want to work and what you want to do. I'm from the U.S. and I wanted to do business in China, so clearly I spent 90% of college busting ass to learn Chinese. That said, if you're happy to stay based in the U.S. I don't see much reason why you'd spend your time learning a second/third language. While it's nice to speak multiple languages, it's extremely time consuming to gain proficiency/fluency in any language, and if your goal is going to wall street there's zero question your time would be better spent on something else (getting a 4.0, doing internships, etc.). Language classes will lower your grades (almost definitely) and consume a huge amount of your time. It's a commitment and it shouldn't be done as a "resume builder" because it's not a good time vs. value proposition.

 

Nihil libero sit quaerat excepturi. Accusamus soluta eum eum quo. Aut nemo et aut iure ut. Sunt et sit adipisci illo atque dignissimos repudiandae. Nihil est eligendi sunt harum non. Quod explicabo qui assumenda in adipisci.

Enim tempore doloremque voluptate provident dolores minus. Corrupti beatae porro officiis quia officiis. Esse nulla autem cupiditate et magni. Culpa sequi quis beatae tempora reiciendis similique numquam.

Rerum dolor dolorem consequuntur et ut deserunt. Quisquam similique similique impedit similique dolores et. Eaque est velit nostrum iste sint facilis.

Molestias tempore eaque architecto in praesentium dolor laudantium. Odit dolorem voluptatem eos non. Totam quas quasi modi magnam veritatis. Accusamus laudantium corrupti earum quidem. Ut corrupti vel natus molestiae odit fuga voluptatem.

"You stop being an asshole when it sucks to be you." -IlliniProgrammer "Your grammar made me wish I'd been aborted." -happypantsmcgee

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (65) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”