Being bilingual gives potential employees a leg up on the competition

     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.