Many employees and professionals are willing to do anything to advance their careers and be a step closer to their dream jobs. Some would strive to continuously expand their network, try out as many hustles as possible, or take additional classes related to their college degree. They’d try anything to make themselves a valuable asset not only in the local but also in the global economy.
One way you can advance your career and turn yourself into a global employee is by enhancing your foreign language skills. Over the recent years, the demand for bilingual and multilingual professionals has continuously increased. Regardless of your industry, your foreign language skills can come in handy, especially for companies planning to expand internationally. Learning a second or third Language Training can give you a sense of fulfilment. Career-wise, it can also boost your career growth and provide a plethora of benefits that monolingual people may never have.
Here are five ways foreign language skills can advance your career and motivate you to learn a foreign language.
- They Can Boost Your Resume’s Marketability
Your resume is one of your most important tools when job hunting, so you need to ensure its content is strong enough so you can stand out from other applicants and boost your chances of getting hired. Aside from writing down your educational background, work experiences, and training certificates, highlighting your foreign language skills can make your resume more appealing.
Anyone can write down their educational background or work experiences, yet not everyone has the skill or fluency to speak and understand foreign languages. Employers, especially from the retail, tourism, transportation, and manufacturing industries, know that bilingual and multilingual employees are rare, making them a premium and attractive addition to their company.
So if you wish to boost your resume’s marketability, you can start by joining online language classes. Better yet, you can personally attend foreign universities. For instance, you can learn Spanish in Spain as this option wouldn’t only make you fluent, but it can also make you almost as good as a native speaker. Sooner or later, your hard work in learning a foreign language can make you an invaluable employee.
- They Can Amplify Your Distinguishability In Job Interviews
Aside from boosting your resume’s appeal, your foreign language skills can also give you an edge during job interviews. Everyone knows how job interviews could be intense as many applicants are competing for one company role. Sometimes, it’s challenging to stand out from the pool of candidates, especially if all of you have similar skills, experiences, and training. But knowing one or more foreign languages can automatically make you an attractive asset.
- They Can Open Up New Job Opportunities For You
Your foreign language skills can open up more job opportunities that may never be available if you’re a monolingual employee. More job positions have started opening since more industries have expanded globally. Some of these include tourism, transportation, education, law, banking, sales, marketing, public relations, and so on.
These companies would need interpreters or translators to help them create a bridge between different countries and cultures. Meanwhile, others may also need employees assigned to cater and assist customers from different parts of the world. This is usually seen in the tourism and transportation industry. So if you wish to have greater job opportunities, learning a foreign language may be the best way to start it.
- They Can Create Better Business Relationships
For businesses that wish to reach out to the international market, building business relationships is relevant. However, building relationships with your potential customers and prospective business partners is impossible, especially if you’re from a different culture and speak a foreign language. And so, the demand for bilingual and multilingual employees is continuously on the rise as these people can help companies create better relationships with anyone around the globe.
Aside from that, speaking the same language as your clients’ and business partners’ would allow you to better understand their culture and develop a deeper and more personal relationship with them. As a result, they’d feel more comfortable and confident in reaching out to you and your company, leading to better service, stronger interaction, and more sales. Overall, being a multilingual employee automatically makes you a valuable asset in any company you belong to as they can use you as the face of the global market.
- They Can Provide Opportunities For A Higher Compensation
One thing employees look for when applying for jobs is the amount of compensation they can earn. If you wish to boost your chances of landing high-paying jobs, sharpening your foreign language skills can be the best way to go.
The increasing demand for bilingual and multilingual employees comes from the reality that they’re only a few. And so, some companies would offer higher pays to secure themselves their very own multilingual employee. Thus, if you have fluent foreign language skills, companies would consider you as an employee who deserves a higher price tag.
Conclusion
Having foreign language skills can positively help in your career growth. So if you’re looking for ways to advance your career, land on your dream job, and upgrade yourself into a global employee, this may be a good sign to start learning a foreign language.