One of the significant impacts of the increasing globalization is the higher demand for individuals who can communicate across borders. That explains why many employers nowadays are looking for people who can speak more than one language.
There’s also an increased amount of foreign language teachers who are enthusiastic about teaching new languages. For example, Hana Korean and others provide course materials adapted to K-Drama so their students have more fun learning the language.
Regardless of what language you want to learn, speaking one or more languages can help you seek career opportunities that best suit you. In addition, your career options are almost boundless because speaking new language arms you with a broad range of soft and hard skills that make you the best, attractive candidate.
1. It Gives You More Job Opportunities
Learning a new language equips you with various job opportunities unavailable to individuals who are only fluent in one language. You have a wide range of job options within multiple industries with your language skills, and you can choose a career that suits you. To name a few, you can find career opportunities in sales, marketing, education, tourism, public relations, and the communication industry. You can be a translator or interpreter, teacher, content creator, sales representative, customer service representative, or travel agent.
The demand for individuals who can communicate in different languages grows as the world becomes more global. For instance, the US Department of Labor estimated that there’d be a 42% increase in the need for translators and interpreters over the next decade. Thus, communicating skillfully in another language will be a huge asset even if you don’t want to become a full-time translator or interpreter.
In addition, when you learn a second language, you increase your chances of being hired by a foreign company. For instance, if your second language is Korean, you have an opportunity to work for a Korean company that’s looking forward to hiring a native English speaker.
2. It Increases Your Chance Of Being Hired
Most people who can only speak one language have difficulty looking for work for a few reasons. One of the reasons is that some companies are only looking for candidates they already know. Another reason is that some managers prefer to fill the job positions through team member recommendations or recruiters instead of posting on job boards. Lastly, it’s hard to land a job when hundreds of applicants are applying for the position.
Some employers are looking for extra qualifications that make a strong impression, and foreign language skills are among those qualifications. Taking the time to learn a new language indicates a strong work ethic impressing any employer. Furthermore, businesses that aim to reach customers around the globe will look primarily for an applicant who’s culturally aware and has the necessary linguistics abilities that’ll help the company. For that reason, speaking, reading, and writing in a different language can make you even more appealing to potential employers.
3. It Increases Your Earning Potential
People desire to increase their income for a few reasons, including to save for the future, live comfortably, get out of debt, and have a financial cushion for emergency needs. Fortunately, many options are available to increase your income such as obtaining a new certification or learning a new language.
In fact, businesses are willing to acquire a team with good language skills because they notice the correlation between bilingual or multilingual team members and growth in the international market. A study has found out that bilingual individuals earn around USD$3,000 salary per year more than people who can only speak one language.
In addition, a recruitment agency in the United Kingdom specializing in foreign languages assesses that speaking one or more languages can increase an individual’s salary from 10% to 15%. Although it depends on the nature of the company you’ll work in, it still generally makes companies think that those who are active and hard-working to learn a new language would likely be hard-working at work as well.
4. It Helps You Become A Valued Team Member
You can make the most of career opportunities available within your language skills by learning a new language since nearly everything in a workplace boils down to effective communication. Effective communication can help professional and personal relationships work more productively and cooperatively. Thus, you’d be a more valued part of your company’s team if you could understand your team, speak to them, and know how to make your points clear using a different language.
Furthermore, having the ability to communicate well in a second language makes networking more effective. That’s why employers look for and retain workplace teams who are effective bilingual or multilingual to further the company’s goals, build a competitive business, and maintain strong relationships. Proving yourself valuable can be helpful, especially when you’re positioning yourself for career advancement.
5. It Makes Your Career Future-Proof
The job market and its jobs are evolving as technology develops, making it crucial for job-seekers to search for future-proof jobs or careers. A future-proof career means your career will likely be in demand as the job market changes and new technology emerges. Fortunately, learning a new language can help make your potential career future-proof due to the high demand for foreign language skills.
On top of that, combining language skills with an understanding of how to bridge cultural gaps and having strong communication skills will become significantly essential in a globally connected world wherein AI and robots perform repetitive tasks that don’t need creativity and human connection.
In addition, learning a new language can help you grow your sources of income, hence making your career future-proof and ensuring you still have an income in the future. You can do this by creating a passive income stream such as a social media content creation focusing on traveling or language learning niche. Doing this will ensure you have another source of income apart from your chosen career.
Conclusion
All in all, learning a new language is fun and exciting, especially when you’re interested in a particular country’s food and culture. But apart from that, being able to speak a new language is highly valuable in your career development. It empowers you to go to your dream country, meet new people, and seek career opportunities.
