Canada is a country with a low unemployment rate and a strong economy. But, when you’re in the process of trying to find a job, you need to think outside the box in order to land the job you’ve set your mind to. The skills and qualities that are strictly related to your industry are a must. But there are other ways to boost your career prospects and get hired more quickly.
Learning to speak a second language can make you a much more desirable candidate for many jobs and is a smart way to up your chances. Below, we’ll explain how language learning is a great idea for job seekers in Canada.
Government-Related Jobs
Canada is a bilingual country with two official languages, English and French. Speaking both languages is very important for government-related jobs or jobs in certain parts of the country where either of the languages is predominantly spoken. Here are just some examples:
- Immigration officer
- Visa officer
- Court judge
- Lawyer
- Social services worker
- Parole officer
- Parliamentary translator
- Government policy advisor
Speaking both English and French will make you a desirable candidate when applying for any of these and other similar jobs. With so many available positions, it’s no wonder their unemployment rate is steady at 5%.
Multinational Companies
Another reason why learning a second language can help you find a job in Canada is the fact that Canada has some of the world’s largest multinational companies operating there actively. Those are companies that are operating on a global level and are looking for people who can follow their tempo.
In this case, a variety of languages can come in handy, not just French and English. Learning to speak any other language will make your resume stand out and get you that interview call you’ve been waiting for.
In this case, your language skills would be useful for:
- cross-regional communication in the company
- marketing for foreign markets
- translating
- public relations
- management
You can use GrabMyEssay to write a killing resume. Present your skills the right way and emphasize language knowledge. Your potential employer will see great potential in communicating with their other branches or using you to break into another market.
Higher Salary
We all want to find a job that we’ll love, but that will be well-paid as well. Aiming for a high salary needs to be justified with the skills and expertise you have.
Well, speaking more than one language is considered a highly valuable skill in Canada, as in most other countries. This is why a person speaking two languages will most likely get paid better than a person speaking only one. This is due to the wider scope of operations this candidate may take on, as well as a bigger opportunity for growth and improvement inside the company.
This is certainly a huge motivation to start learning a new language right away.
Networking
You never know where the next job opportunity lies and who might be the person that will help you in your career. Networking is essential when you’re looking for a job upgrade and when you just want better for yourself.
Speaking more than one language doubles your chances of successful networking, and here’s how:
- you’re able to approach and speak to more people
- you can become a member of more groups and forums
- you are more culturally aware and empathic
- you have advanced communication skills
All of this makes you a memorable contact and more likable and professional-looking than others. And, with successful networking comes success in job-seeking, so it’s definitely something to invest in. You can use some of these best translation sites at the beginning for written correspondence before you gain full language competence.
Also Read: Video Games Developed in Canada
Cultural Awareness
Finally, the skill that so many employees will value and reward is cultural awareness. This is essentially the ability to understand people of different cultural backgrounds and work with them efficiently, regardless of the differences. It means adapting to a diverse workplace by understanding everyone’s beliefs, habits, religion, and practices.
Luckily, language learning is one of the best ways to gain such knowledge. By learning a language, you’re exploring the people who speak it and developing the necessary knowledge of their culture.
Being culturally aware will help you fit in any company or team and make the perfect addition to their existing dynamics.
Final Thoughts
Being bilingual or at least proficient in more than just your native language is extremely valuable and beneficial for your career in Canada. No matter what industry or sector you’re aiming for, your knowledge of another language will be greatly appreciated.
So, start thinking about different methods to polish your language skills, or choose a whole new language and start learning. You won’t regret it.