Americans are often told that in today’s globalized world, we are at a competitive disadvantage because of our lazy monolingualism. “For too long, Americans have relied on other countries to speak our language,” Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said at the Foreign Language Summit in 2010. “But we won’t be able to do that in […]
Continue readingPress 1 for English, Press 2 for Your Language
In its recent survey on global consumer preferences on the web, “Can’t Read, Won’t Buy,” Common Sense Advisory found that three-quarters of 3,002 respondents in 10 non-English-speaking countries are more likely to buy a product if the post-sales support is in their language. That customer care may be delivered through FAQs or chat at the […]
Continue readingBeing Bilingual Can Open More Doors for Job-Seekers
A recent report from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics expects the employment of US translators and interpreters to increase 22 percent between 2008 and 2018. As domestic jobs begin to outsource and branch internationally due to the affects of globalization, employers are seeking the means to break the language barrier. “When you turn on […]
Continue readingSpeak to Global Customers in Their Own Language
Do you struggle to reach customers beyond your own country’s borders? If targeting clients in other countries seems daunting, there is one simple step you can start with: Translate something. You have to speak the language of your customers. And that isn’t just an overused metaphor. It refers to actual languages — like Spanish, French, […]
Continue reading6 Jobs for Bilingual Job Seekers
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than half of the total U.S. population growth between 2000 and 2010 was due to the increase in the Hispanic population. From 1980-2007, the percentage of people whose first language is not English grew by 140 percent, while the nation’s overall population grew by 34 percent. As these […]
Continue readingThe Do’s & Dont’s of Evaluating Language Competency When Hiring
Many 21st century jobs require individuals who have specific skill sets or competencies which can be proven with certifications, ratings, or official measurements. Rarely would it be enough to trust a job candidate to evaluate his or her own abilities as a computer programmer who claims to be proficient in a specific programming language. Nor would […]
Continue readingIs Language Translation of Services a New Banking Trend?
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is ordering GE Capital Retail Bank (GE Capital), known as Synchrony Bank, to “cough up” $225 million to consumers who were victims of illegal and discriminatory credit card practices. GE Capital must refund $56 million to approximately 638,000 customers who were subject to these deceptive marketing practices. In light of […]
Continue readingUsing Language To Land The Job
As the economy continues to slowly improve and unemployment levels drop, more and more jobseekers are finding the task of getting hired less daunting. Unemployment rates in the United States decreased to 5.40 percent in April of 2015 from 5.50 percent a month earlier. This trend signals a slow yet steadily growing confidence in the economy […]
Continue readingA Second Language Can Be Your Hidden Asset
Outside of looking for a job, you’ll find that many current jobseekers won’t have the same educational backgrounds, industry experience or job descriptions. However, approximately two-thirds of them do have one thing in common. Over 31% of jobseekers speak two languages, according to a poll of over 12,000 visitors to the Korn/Ferry International website. An additional […]
Continue readingConnecting With The Hispanic Market Through Language & Culture
Corporate America has awakened to the monumental importance of the Hispanic consumer and their growing purchasing power, which by end of this year is estimated to reach between $1-$1.5 trillion dollars. Companies are realizing this is a market that can’t be ignored and that if they don’t act now the chance to capture it may […]
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