Women's headshot with the words The difference speaking another language can make, Jessy Abramson, Career Advisor, Career & Co-op Center
Women’s headshot with the words “The difference speaking another language can make, Jessy Abramson, Career Advisor, Career & Co-op Center”
The Difference Speaking Another Language Can Make 

When I began my job search in the United States, I felt unsure about my spoken English and very self-conscious about my accent. However, taking English courses in my undergrad equipped me with a solid college-level grammar foundation. This, combined with practicing my verbal skills during a semester abroad, gave me the confidence to seek an early-career opportunity. I secured my first job as a legal secretary, working with a Spanish-speaking clientele and using my English writing skills to interpret and translate. A role that helped me find my way through future experiences in government and education. 

Speaking multiple languages opened doors for me in this country, and research shows that it can do the same for you, here and globally, not just by expanding early-career opportunities but also by supporting future professional growth. A 2019 survey from ACTFL revealed that 90% of U.S. employers rely on employees who speak more than one language. Whether you’re fluent or just starting, employers value the cultural competence and communication skills that come along with multilingualism. 

Language proficiency can set you apart in fields such as education, business, healthcare, law, and technology, as evident in the BLS Field of degree “top-employing occupations for workers with a foreign language degree”.  In a recent collaboration between the UMass Lowell Career & Co-op Center and the Department of World Languages & Cultures, we celebrated and explored both the professional and academic benefits of growing your foreign language skills.   

Here are key takeaways from this event and resources to help you in your global language journey: 

Understand the added value and benefits.  

  • Learning a new language has been correlated with improved academic performance, stemming from cognitive abilities that support the transition from one language to another (Cambridge University Press, 2022).   
  • As a language learner or a native speaker, you are constantly multitasking, memorizing, and actively listening, all of which strengthen and develop transferable skills that are highly desirable to employers, such as communication, critical Thinking, and professionalism. 
  • A new language opens your personal perspectives to other cultures, enabling you to develop empathy, tolerance, and overall the cultural competence needed to adapt to a professional workplace environment.  

Identify and strengthen your Language Skills: 

  • Take time to evaluate your current language proficiency and speaking ability. You can start by taking the Interagency Language Roundtable (IRL) Speaking Self-Assessment, which aligns with LinkedIn’s proficiency levels (Elementary, Limited working, Professional working, Full professional, Native or bilingual). While IRL is commonly used in government roles, you want to become familiar with other proficiency levels used in industries of interest, such as the CEFR and ACTFL.   
  • Are you interested in interpreting or translating roles? You can obtain certifications to help you land opportunities as a Legal Translator, Healthcare Interpreter, Educational Interpreter, or Court Interpreter, to name a few. Pay close attention to the job advertisement requirements, as different employers will list their preferred certifications, and sometimes even help you in obtaining these. 
  • Reflect on experiences using language skills in an academic setting or engaging with non-English speaking communities, whether by helping family, volunteering, or through internships. Consider your involvement in culturally diverse student organizations, experiential learning, and study abroad opportunities. 

Showcase your abilities: 

  • Now that you have identified your skills and tallied your experiences, take action to ensure they give you a competitive edge in your job applications. Your language skills add to your professional brand when you feature them in your resume, your LinkedIn profile, while networking, and in interviews.  
  • Always be honest about your language fluency. And remember, you are not only capitalizing on your language abilities but also on the transferable skills you gain by being a language learner. 

Language skills create pathways to meaningful careers along your professional journey. Set yourself apart! Use these resources to get started: 

  • Handshake – Search for opportunities using the foreign language as a keyword. 
  • GoinGlobal – Prepare for international careers and study abroad. 

Finally, don’t miss out on future events hosted by the Career & Co-op Center and World Languages & Cultures. For details of upcoming programs, visit Handshake and watch for emails coming from our Career & Co-op Center. 

By Jessy Abramson
Jessy Abramson Career Advisor, Career Services
Send Email