Being bilingual is now one the best skills to have when
applying for a job. It is nice to be organized, well rounded, and even being great
at multi-tasking, but having the ability to speak and translate another
language can give a job candidate the competitive edge they need to obtain
employment over someone who doesn’t have this same ability.
The job market today is very competitive with fresh graduates
competing against experienced veteran workers for the same job. One thing that
gives certain job seekers the ability to stay ahead of the competition is their
ability to speak Spanish, or French, or Chinese or any other language. According
to the table to the right, one of the biggest barriers of targeting the Hispanic population
is the ability of companies to hire and train bilingual staff. Companies look
for candidates with these qualities because it adds to their diversity and
makes it easier for a company to converse or cater to a population that speaks
a language other than Spanish.
Even beyond trying to obtain a job, it’s a great asset to
have while at your place of employment. Spanish is America’s second language,
unofficially. With over 34 million Hispanics in America, it is important to
cater to this open market. University of Maryland has many departments that
support and cater to the Spanish population. Upon speaking with Jose Fortun,
the Customer Service Manager of the Department of Transportation here at the
University of Maryland, he shed light on how being bilingual has given him the ability to
communicate with a population that he wouldn’t have been able to communicate
with if he didn’t speak this other language.
Even more specifically, he comments on how it has affected
him positively in the workplace. He states that he is often called upon to
translate for the person. The fact that he or one other person might be the
only ones available to be called upon in time of need increases their value.
Besides the fact that it is good for the company to be able
to reach out an open job market, it is also a good way to make the customer
feel more comfortably. Many people feel that when immigrants (legal or illegal)
come to America, they should be able to speak English. Even though many people
believe this, it is in a company’s best interest for them to make their customer
feel welcome and allowing them to speak in their native language can give them
this ability. Lisa Holche, a graduate student whom has worked overseas, agrees
that being able to speak Chinese allows for the client to feel more comfortable
with their company.
After visiting,
http://www.cupofsnarky.com/2011/11/benefits-bilingual-workplace/
one could see that one of the underrepresented markets for Hispanics is the
insurance market. The ability to speak Spanish could open up new avenues to
reaching this market. This could be a job opportunity for many people and being
bilingual can give a person the competitive edge they need to get ahead. This
is only on example of the various openings that occur when a person has
bilingual skills that can be used to reach a market that does not speak
English. According to CareerBuilder.com, being bilingual opens up job opportunities
in various job markets. They mention banks and mortgage companies seeking
tellers who can converse with their Spanish speaking population, hospitals seeking
medical practitioners who can serve patients who don’t speak English well, even
salesmen who can sell to the underrepresented population.
http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/CB-163-Salaries-Promotions-Bilingual-Youre-Valuable/.
Besides the fact that being bilingual can help obtain
employment and advance one’s experience at their workplace, it also thought to
boost brain power. According the Washington Post, the ability to speak two or
more languages fluently can help to exercise the brain. “Bilingual speakers are
better able to deal with distractions than those who speak only a single
language, and that may help offset age-related declines in mental performance,
researchers say.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39338-2004Jun13.html
Being bilingual does not automatically guarantee a job, but
it does have its many advantages. University of Maryland supports diversity and
the rest of America is beginning to as well, therefore America will need a
workforce to make this transition to an even bigger and more welcoming melting
pot.
