second language

If you are bilingual or speak even more languages than two, there are jobs out there suited towards your strengths. Knowing more than one language is not only a personal achievement but is valued in a variety of fields of employment. Your love for linguistics can help you land a job that others may miss out on because they only speak one language.

According to NBC News, "In 2010, there were roughly 240,000 job postings aimed at bilingual workers. But by 2015, that figure swelled to about 630,000. The study also showed that bilingual workers were in demand for both low and high-skilled positions."

NBC News continues, "'In today's global economy, businesses require employees who can serve customers in a variety of languages,' John Feinblatt, chairman of New American Economy, said in a prepared statement. 'This research highlights the growing need to attract and promote a multilingual workforce.'"

According toMonster, "The most sought-after languages employers hire for—according to data from the Center for Immigration Studies and New American Economy - are for speakers of Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic. And that translates to more jobs calling for a bilingual skill set."

The uptick in sought-after employees who speak these three languages (among others) is seen nation-wide, but some cities (generally port cities) are hubs for bilingual employees. Monster lists the top ten:

1.Los Angeles, California

2.New York, New York

3.Dallas, Texas

4.Miami, Florida

5.Boston, Massachusetts

6.Chicago, Illinois

7.San Francisco, California

8.Houston, Texas

9.Washington, D.C.

10.Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

So, if you are bilingual and located in or near one of these large cities, your language skills are your strong suit. Here are five careers to consider if you speak more than one language and want to utilize your talents on the job.

Flight Attendant

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If you have the freedom to travel and love the idea of interacting with people and aiding air travelers to and from their destinations, becoming a flight attendant could be your dream job. Not only will you visit exciting places and meet new people, but your bilingual skills will be useful when communicating with international flyers. As per Live Lingua, "If an attendant has the ability to speak with a diverse range of passengers, it increases the safety and understanding of everyone onboard."

Customer Service

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Nearly every company has a customer service department or at least someone in the role of aiding customers and clients. This provides a good deal of job opportunity in this field. That said, being bilingual makes a prospective customer service employee even more valuable. According to The Mezzofanti Guild, "Customer service roles of just about every kind are increasingly in need of more multilingual staff." Your ability to communicate with speakers of a native tongue can help a company retain and gain customers.

Online Content Creator

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There is so much available work for online content creation. The internet offers endless possibilities for a platform for content, be it for blogs, websites, social media, etc. Being able to produce content for American companies in another language helps them broaden their consumer base. Whether you can create new content or translate existing content, your bilingual talents will prove indispensable. Not to mention, much online content work can be done remotely, so you can live practically anywhere in the world and use your bilingual skills to your advantage.

Social Worker

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Social work is a selfless job, one that takes a special kind of patience and personality. If helping the lives of others is close to your heart, think of how many more people you can reach thanks to your language skills. As Live Lingua notes, "A social worker is involved in personal details of a client's life. If he or she can communicate in the heart language of the family or individual that is being treated, it gives them an edge over other candidates. This is a career path for anyone with a heart and commitment to serve others."

Human Resources

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Companies rely on their human resources department to keep the business in check - from hiring to training to making sure people comply with company standards and rules. Speaking more than one language allows the HR specialist to reach more people within the company including those who may work abroad. As per Live Lingua, "The ability to speak multiple languages is an asset during the interview and training processes, particularly for companies that hire workers for manufacturing or manual labor."

According to New American Economy, "The demand for bilingual workers is rising." Use your second language skills to succeed!

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Almost everyone wants to learn another language, but not that many actually commit to this self-improvement project. This usually comes down to a lack of motivation. It takes quite a bit of time and effort to become proficient in a language and even more time and effort to become fully fluent. Without a concrete motivating reason, many people don't even start in the first place, or become discouraged and give up. But there are many benefits to learning another language, including ones that will very positively impact your career.

1. A second language looks impressive on a resumé.

The most obvious reason to learn a second language is to brag about it. And it is pretty impressive. (There's a reason some people lie about it on their resumé, after all.) It doesn't really matter what kind of job you're applying to, pretty much everyone will give you a second look. Taking the time to learn a second language shows incredible discipline and dedication. It's a decent boost to your resumé, even if you don't really need it for your chosen career path.

2. Knowing more languages significantly increases your job opportunities.

Ever wanted to live in another country? Knowing another language can help open those doors. Rather than being limited to English-speaking countries, you could be able to live and work almost anywhere. For this option, you might want to pick a language that is widely spoken. The first most spoken language in the world is Chinese. Spanish is second and English is third.

3. You can increase your contacts and build more relationships with a second language.

But maybe you don't need new job prospects. Learning another language can probably help you in the job you already have. If you work in business, learning the language most of your clients speak can go a long way to build trust and create long-lasting relationships. The same situation can arise if you're a doctor or nurse. Knowing another language can help even if you're law enforcement. The possibilities are pretty endless.

4. Learning another language improves your memory and decision-making.

Let's say you don't need a new language for any practical reason. Taking the time to study one can still help you immensely. Studies show that there are many, many benefits to becoming bilingual. The ones most applicable in the workplace are improvements to your memory and decision-making. People who know more than one language have to know a lot more vocabulary than monolingual people. Because of this, it's often easier for bilingual people to retain information like phone numbers or grocery lists. When speaking in any language, you have to be careful of what vocabulary you are using when. This kind of decision-making can make you more conscientious on the job.

5. Ultimately, the practice of studying a language can ultimately improve your English.

Studying a foreign language brings your focus to the mechanics of the language, including grammar, conjugations and sentence structure. Being aware of how another language works can also lead to you become more and more aware of how English functions. You'll be more comfortable with the ways it can be structured and how it can be manipulated. These skills can make you a more effective communicator. That's a skill you need in pretty much any career path.