When you want to elevate your career, speaking a second language makes a difference. Many employers actively seek out multilingual candidates, often favoring them above job seekers who only speak one language. Plus, being bilingual can have a positive impact on your financial life.
If you’re wondering how multilingual skills can elevate your career in Wichita, here’s what you need to know about the bilingual advantage.
How Multilingual/Bilingual Skills Can Elevate Your Career
While the majority of the American workforce speaks English, other languages are widely spoken among the population. Recent immigrants may rely solely on languages other than English, and their descendants may use a non-English language as their primary one, too. Visitors to the country may know little (if any) English, too. Plus, multinational companies often have customer bases that speak a wide variety of languages.
In the United States, being bilingual does provide professionals with several advantages, including opportunities to elevate their careers. Speaking another language allows you to engage with customers, clients, or colleagues whose primary language isn’t English. Often, speaking Spanish provides the most value to employers, as it’s the second-most widely spoken language in the U.S., but others may also be beneficial.
Along with allowing professionals to communicate with a diverse population, companies may offer financial incentives to employees who are multilingual. Often referred to as “bilingual pay” or “multilingual pay,” professionals with proficiency in more than one language can qualify for a pay differential that boosts their earnings. Typically, it’s offered through an elevated salary range or a boost in hourly pay rates that’s only available to multilingual professionals.
How to Demonstrate Bilingual Expertise
If you want to use the bilingual advantage to elevate your career, you typically have to demonstrate suitable proficiency. Often, this is reasonably straightforward for professionals in the United States whose native language is something other than English, as it is their mother tongue is potentially sufficient.
For professionals whose primary language is English, including a language section on your resume, can work as a starting point for showcasing your skills. Then, you can list additional languages and your level of proficiency, giving employers insights into your capabilities.
However, earning a certification in the second language is typically the best approach. By doing so, you’re showing that you meet the fluency standards set by a certifying organization. As a result, it’s often the most effective way to prove your multilingual expertise. Since it can significantly boost your career, it can make any time, energy, or other investment required to earn the credential definitively worthwhile.
Are You Bilingual and Looking for a New Job Opportunity in Wichita, KS?
Ultimately, being bilingual can open up new doors, giving you access to more career-boosting job opportunities. Plus, multilingual professionals can earn more in their positions, as some employers offer financial incentives to bilingual candidates.
Are you ready for a new job that allows you to leverage your multilingual skills? If so, Top Notch Personnel wants to hear from you. Find out more about our current job openings online or connect with our recruiters to see what’s available today.
