A Second Language Opens the Possibilities for your Dream Career

By Valarie R. Austin, September 20th, 2020, 8:30 PM EDT

(Previously Published on LinkedIn)

A second language looks great on a resume and is a valuable asset to obtain employment. Right now, America’s focus is on the COVID-19 pandemic and its reach to every sector of life. As nations open up their borders, globalization and trade will continue to be major features in every country’s economic growth. U.S. educators and parents have to look past the near term and stress to their students how becoming proficient with a second language can enhance career advancement and employment. The Visual Capitalist.com estimates that 43% of the world’s population is bilingual (http://bit.ly/Visual_Capitalist). Despite this statistic, many U.S. high school and college students that have selected a second language do it based upon random criteria. They do not use their acquired second language beyond the classroom and quickly lose proficiency. Potential hires who have learned a second language distinguish themselves from other candidates. Their language skills may be valuable to secure jobs but bilingual candidates must research companies of interest to find out if a second language is a requirement for employment. These language-specific job postings may call for relocating to another country where English is not the native language, conducting business with clients who speak a foreign language, or working in environments with co-workers who collaborate in a foreign language. A Pipplet.com article explains numerous employers use pre-employment language skills testing to evaluate a bilingual candidate’s ability in “vocabulary, grammar, reading, writing, listening and speaking (http://bit.ly/Pipplet_com_article).” Or, companies publish their hiring language scale and require potential candidates to prove their skill level by submitting language proficiency test results. According to Indeed.com, two tests that companies use to validate language skills are the English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) (http://bit.ly/Language_career). Businesses verify language proficiency to prevent expensive personnel turnover because candidates cannot meet the language requirements of the positions. Bilingual speakers that are fluent in their chosen language have an advantage over other candidates because they can use their second language to enhance their options for careers. 

There are two key reasons to speak a second language: 1) diverse language needs of U.S. residents and 2) U.S. companies are increasingly conducting business beyond U.S. borders. A 2015 Census Bureau Report stated the population within the U.S. speaks a number of different languages and dialects especially in metropolitan areas such as New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Miami and the Washington metro area (http://bit.ly/Census_2015_languages). This report documented within the U.S. there are at least 350 different languages. English is the primary language spoken in the U.S., followed by Spanish (43,200,000 native speakers) and Chinese variants, in particular, Mandarin and Cantonese (2,900,000 native speakers) as reported by a 2020 Babbel.com article (http://bit.ly/Babbel_language). This information is valuable for policy makers, planners, researchers and business leaders. For instance, Spanish speakers are not a monolith group. A BBCNews.com video highlighted that across the U.S., the Spanish language is as diverse as the people who use it. There are different dialects of Spanish within the Cuban, Salvadorian, Mexican and Puerto Rican communities (http://bit.ly/BBC_US_Spanish_diversity). The assortment of languages in the U.S. affects education the most, in particular, teaching English because primary/secondary teachers often must adapt to learners who vary by language, age group and state. Language diversity also impacts policies regarding immigration, literacy, economic growth and employment across the nation. A bilingual speaker has an advantage in pursuing careers in many areas, such as marketing, or translating English to other language content for online, audio and written materials. 

Another reason to learn a second language is the federal government and U.S. companies maintain operations in Europe, South America and Asia for political and economic concerns. The 2020 Ethnologue of Languages of the World lists the top six spoken languages in the world as: 

  1-English (1.268 billion native and non-native speakers)
  2-Mandarin Chinese (1.120 billion)
  3-Hindi (637 million with many speakers in India, Nepal, the U.S. and Mauritius)
  4- Spanish (538 million)
  5- French (277 million)
  6- Standard Arabic (274 million) (https://www.ethnologue.com/guides/ethnologue200).

These languages are in demand for careers within government agencies, academia-teaching English, tourism and business. U.S. companies with huge workforce footprints and investments overseas are Proctor & Gamble in 180 countries, Coca-Cola in over 200 countries, Wal-Mart in 26 countries and McDonald’s with 22,000 international locations, according to The Motley Fool investing forum (http://bit.ly/Motley_Fool_global_US_companies). To increase their competitive edge in international markets, multinational or global companies own overseas assets, including equipment, real estate and factories. This is why U.S. companies with overseas operations are employment conduits for enterprising and proficient bilingual speakers. Due to the growth of international markets, the opportunities are immense for bilingual candidates to obtain employment and flourish in sustainable careers. 

If your high school or college offers foreign language classes, take advantage of the opportunity. Investigate the career prospects of each language offered and choose the one that best fits your interest. Learning a second language is a fantastic way to travel the world and experience other cultures. It may also give you the advantage to ace a company’s pre-employment language proficiency test for your dream job. Just as reading opens a person’s imagination, a second language opens employment opportunities. Follow your desire to learn a second or multiple languages while in high school or earning your college degree. You can use your language skills to become a bold policy-maker, diplomat, chief executive officer, or business owner. Simplemente hazlo, 去做就对了, simplement fais-le, Mach es einfach, or Just do it! 

Be well and stay safe!

Valarie R. Austin is the author of The Student’s Comprehensive Guide for College & Other Life Lessons. She has a wealth of knowledge on the subjects of career and college preparation. She also conducts career and college readiness workshops for high school students and parents. Check out her author’s pages on https://www.linkedin/in/valarie-r-austin, https://www.goodreads.com/valarie_r_austin and https://www.amazon.com/author/valarie_r_austin. A Youtube.com review of her book can found at https://youtu.be/xy_GSHlJsa0. The article was edited by Raffie Johnson. Copyright 2020, Vauboix Publishing LLC. Article 4 of 5, Fall 2020.

The Student's Comprehensive Guide For College & Other Life Lessons
La Guía Comprensiva del Estudiante para la Universidad & Otras Lecciones de Vida