Very interesting question. I am a 1st year PhD student in comparative literature with previous working experience in the private sector (translation, export sales) and I often wonder if there are any other real career opportunities with a PhD in languages/lit apart from the academic field. Also, I wonder why everyone in academia (if what Bleep bloop says is true) is so ashamed to talk about the possibility of looking for jobs outside academia after a PhD considered that most people tell us (at least in my school) that there are very few jobs available in the academic field.