To ask for your help figuring out how I can get some income in fast

Should say democratic!

It's years ago now but but I had a friend who spoke German and Italian and she worked at a credit card companies call centre offering help international customers.

Public sector translation work maybe? Remember French is a first language of a lot of disaspora communtities in UK cities - a lot of African and North African communities.

Similarltly as French is an internarional diplomatic language could there be work with charities that work with the UN?

Can you commute easily to London? It might be worth looking in to work with Eurostar or Le Shuttle? As well as on baoed crew, they operate a customer call centre sin French, Dutch and English and I expect they will have translation work for all of their technical, staff and passenger materials.

In the same boat OP, it is terrifying.

I never finished my degree or would have gone into teaching a few years ago.

I think teaching/TA/cover/education is absolutely your best bet for short-term. Search all the supply agencies and register with all of them. Focus on how immediately available and DBS-checked you are, and find referees. I'd be surprised if you haven't found something by half-term.

Teach English and your other languages on Preply?

Local councils may be looking for people to help update the electoral register. It would be part time evening and weekend work

Yes my sister’s best friend is a German and Spanish grad who has just changed career to be a Speech and Language Therapist. She went to City Uni.

Look into recurring revenue b2b sales, they often hire people with language skills as a priority. It is often well paid and remote. Good luck!

What about some sort of admin or assistant work for French or German companies, especially banks, in your city. You don't always need direct experience but your languages would be a real asset.

Join an agency to be a TA in a High School. Where I am they take you without experience. Lots of students do it after Uni while they're figuring out what they want to do. Your language experience would only be a boon . Its difficult if a pupil needs a scribe and is doing languages to find anyone to fit the bill.

If you're personable, how about nannying? I'm stuck up enough that I'd love to hire a nanny to play with my kids in French who wasn't just 20!

French and German are two of the most common MFLs taught in schools and MFL is one of the areas with the highest teacher shortage - have you looked into teaching? If you already have a degree you can train in a year and often you are able to do this whilst employed by the school. Obviously not a short term plan but could be a longer term option, being in your 40s wouldn’t be off-putting to most employers in education.

Set up your own tutoring business

I’d look at more skilled roles not just entry level as entry level/retail are often inundated.

A few posters have suggested you do private tutoring with your language skills. I do post grad tutoring. I charge £80-£120 ph depending but I am a retired academic operating at MA and Ph.D level. There are also postgrad students looking for someone with French and German qualifications who can help them structure their thesis. Student or undergrad tutors can charge £25-£35 ph - more if they have qualifications. You would probably need a DBS check if tutoring children or vulnerable people. Not necessary for adults.

You don’t say if you can drive or where you’re based.

Have you got an up to date CV? That would be with doing so that it’s easy to just tweak as needed.

I’d have a look and get registered on Indeed.

There are always jobs in the care sector available. You could look for PA positions if you prefer to support the same person regularly.

Shops and delivery firms are starting to advertise for Christmas staff, some do get kept on afterwards. DH worked for Asda delivery not so long ago when he got made redundant, he’s also applied to Tesco and they offered him a job the day after he started with Asda.

Retraining is an option, but your salary would be lower during those years and you would have student loans to consider for degree subjects such as SALT.

Good luck.

The probation service use The Big Word interpreters - they provide in-person, online, and telephone service, so might be worth looking into.

Have you thought of being a companion? The Lady magazine runs adverts like that occasionally - or a live-in tutor? I know it is a weird idea, but maybe for a short time?

You will have lots of transferable skills have a look at civil service vacancies.

Doing a PGCE might be an option if you will consider retraining as a language teacher. There is a 20K bursary for languages.

Tutoring is also an option.

In the short term if you have a driving licence you could do deliveries or work for a cab company.

Most vacancies these days seem to be for care works but it is not for everyone.

Please, before you think of ironing or deliveroo or cleaning, use your amazing language skills in English - private hospitals and NHS hospitals always need medical audio-typists. My friend does audio-typing for them, through an agency, because she does not want to work full-time. They will do your DBS at their expense, the agency I mean and you can audio-type. I was surprised when I found out about it - I thought it would have been done by AI, but no. Lots of other areas where they still use audio-typists. You can do it from home, extremely flexible. Don't know now, but my friend was paid £24 per hour 2 years ago, she is still doing it now, but I know know what the rate now is.

hub.transperfect.com/public/learn-more

Also private tuition in French and German. Just dbs!

My brother teaches English online to non-native speakers all over the world (so.sometimes weird hours but he can choose his clients) so there presumably would be a demand for other languages.
It's on a.specific site which I can't remember (sorry!) Bu must be Google-able

My DD’s friend just got work in a company where she has to take calls in the language she has studied to masters level (she’s a translator not an interpreter). So like customer service type roll taking queries I think.