With so many people applying for jobs, it helps to acquire skills that will make you stand out from the pack. Learning foreign languages is one way to improve your CV. Multi-lingual job seekers will find many professional opportunities open to them. This guide explores why foreign languages are a worthwhile investment.
Stand out from the crowd
In a competitive job market with so many applicants and so few vacancies, standing out from the crowd is more important than ever. Having additional skills like languages can be crucial.
Teresa Tinsley from CILT (the Government-funded National Centre for Languages) told the Independent that language graduates have an edge over other graduates because they have gained ‘international business awareness.’ Learning languages also gives you a ‘broad range of skills.’
Give employers what they want
A poll commissioned by the National Centre for Languages in 2010 found that UK employers list languages as one of the most desirable skills in job candidates, second only to IT skills.
Earn more
Earning potential is a major factor for many students in deciding what course to study at higher education level. Which course will help you bring home the big bucks? The National Centre for Languages’ research showed that language graduates’ mean salary was ahead of maths, engineering, chemistry, physics and astronomy graduates three years after leaving university.
Get promoted
Having language skills can also have an impact on how quickly you get promoted. The more skills you can exhibit to your employer, the more valued a member of the team you will become, and the quicker you will be able to climb the career ladder.
Work abroad
Having a foreign language enables you to work in a foreign country. This multiplies the number of job opportunities open to you. Not only will you have more options, you’ll also have the chance to sample a different culture and way of life, adding to your enjoyment and life experience.
Career options
Teaching is one of the most popular career paths for language graduates. There is also the option to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL) both abroad and in the UK. Careers that specifically require language skills include translation and interpreting.
In addition to these more obvious routes, almost all sectors value job applicants that have foreign language skills. Popular industries like the media, retail, law and accountancy all welcome new recruits who can demonstrate proficiency in another language.
Popular languages in the workplace
French and German remain the most in-demand foreign languages. If you are looking for French or German courses Manchester, Brighton and Cambridge are just a few of the cities where you will find language schools offering such courses.
When it comes to Spanish, Polish and Italian courses Manchester, London and Birmingham all have language schools from which to choose. Regional language classes are available all over the UK.
{ Comments are closed! }