2008 Woodie Awards
Foreign Language Proficiency Marketable Skill in the Workforce
Tanisha Mathis
Issue date: 9/11/06 Section: Holt News
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Becoming proficient in a foreign language is no longer strictly for those who desire to become high school Spanish or French teachers. For the past few years the term globalization has been lofted around corporate conference rooms and college campuses alike. In a world where a Fortune 500 company is just as likely to have a main office in Buenos Aires as it is in New York, foreign language study should no longer be seen as a hobby but a practical business skill.
The Sunday classifieds are full of positions that say "Spanish a plus" but the need for bilingual employees is not simply in the service and health industries due to first generation immigrants who move to the United States without knowledge of the English language.
A quick search on www.Monster.com found 1,000 available jobs that require perspective employees to know another language. Some of the positions are for call center representatives in California who know Spanish and/or Vietnamese, a bank branch manager in Texas who speaks Spanish, sales representatives in New York who know Korean, financial analysts in Kentucky and Tennessee who are proficient in Japanese and a Japanese bilingual accountant in California.
In today's job market, foreign language aptitude can play a crucial role in securing a job and enhancing one's career. The American business is not confined to the borders of the United States. For instance, in 2005 roughly 220 of the Fortune 500 companies from countries such as the U.S., Japan, France and the United Kingdom operated in India.
It is not only call centers that have made their way to India but research and development departments as well. As a corporation's market in another country grows so does the need for headquarters and employees in that country. It could be very beneficial for an established employee who is willing to work abroad in his company's new international office.
"Companies need plenty of good loyal talent in all the markets where they operate, so take advantage of that." says Jon Zion, president of Eastern U.S. operations for Robert Half International, a global staffing firm. "English and Spanish are the two most widely used languages in business globally now, but Japanese and Mandarin Chinese are in huge demand," he says. "If you can speak either of those, you can practically write your own ticket."
The Sunday classifieds are full of positions that say "Spanish a plus" but the need for bilingual employees is not simply in the service and health industries due to first generation immigrants who move to the United States without knowledge of the English language.
A quick search on www.Monster.com found 1,000 available jobs that require perspective employees to know another language. Some of the positions are for call center representatives in California who know Spanish and/or Vietnamese, a bank branch manager in Texas who speaks Spanish, sales representatives in New York who know Korean, financial analysts in Kentucky and Tennessee who are proficient in Japanese and a Japanese bilingual accountant in California.
In today's job market, foreign language aptitude can play a crucial role in securing a job and enhancing one's career. The American business is not confined to the borders of the United States. For instance, in 2005 roughly 220 of the Fortune 500 companies from countries such as the U.S., Japan, France and the United Kingdom operated in India.
It is not only call centers that have made their way to India but research and development departments as well. As a corporation's market in another country grows so does the need for headquarters and employees in that country. It could be very beneficial for an established employee who is willing to work abroad in his company's new international office.
"Companies need plenty of good loyal talent in all the markets where they operate, so take advantage of that." says Jon Zion, president of Eastern U.S. operations for Robert Half International, a global staffing firm. "English and Spanish are the two most widely used languages in business globally now, but Japanese and Mandarin Chinese are in huge demand," he says. "If you can speak either of those, you can practically write your own ticket."
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
bibhuti narayan
bibhuti narayan tripathi
posted 9/12/06 @ 7:53 AM EST
ya
THIS INFO I SUPERB
I MEAN I'M GOIN TO JUST FOLLOW THE WORD BY WORD STATEMENT.
Thomas Romens
posted 9/14/06 @ 2:59 PM EST
Prior to working in government I was a foreign language instructor at the college level. I can still vividly recall my job search efforts as I attempted to transition from teaching to private business. (Continued…)
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