They say that English is the language of business, and this is true to an extent. While it is important to know enough English to navigate important routine business situations, this alone is not enough to take your international career to the next level.
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Many of the most high-paid jobs around the world, with some of the most prestigious multinational companies, will have specific language requirements beyond English. This might be because the company needs talented employees that speak the local language of a particular market so that they can better understand that market and communicate more proficiently.
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Many of the best-paid jobs that require a second language are international governance organisations, such as the UN, World Bank, EU, or IMF. In the language of diplomacy, fluency matters. So, if you're looking to embark upon a high-flying, jet-setting career, which languages should you be trying to learn? Read on to find out.
German
Home to Volkswagen, Siemens, Bosch, and BMW, Germany is one of the world's foremost industrial powerhouses, with a strong economic presence in virtually every corner of the globe. As such, companies in many countries advertise positions that require German fluency, due to the importance of this fast producer and consumer market. In fact, an article by The Independent recently stated that the highest paying jobs in the United Kingdom tend to be those that list German as a mandatory requirement.
Spanish
Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages on Earth, with 559 million speakers in 20 countries. In fact, one of the largest Spanish-speaking countries is the USA, the world's only economic superpower and home to Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and the bulk of the global entertainment industry. That's why learning Spanish pays off. If you want to turbocharge your career by learning Spanish, spoken fluency is essential.
For this, the best approach is often to use a one-on-one, dedicated Spanish tutor. The interaction with a tutor online can be convenient alongside other life commitments, cost-efficient, and also inclusive in terms of accommodating your personal learning style. Through using online services, you can tailor your learning experience so that you can focus on specific aspects of the Spanish language, be it speaking, strengthening your grammar skills or taking the first step as a beginner.
Spanish skills open doors all over the world.
Mandarin
As China continues to emerge as an economic superpower, the desirability of Mandarin-speaking candidates is growing exponentially. Global Chinese brands such as Huawei, Honor, DiDi, and Alibaba require Mandarin speakers for the international operations, while other brands need Mandarin speakers to help them engage the increasingly important Chinese marketplace.
According to The Guardian, Mandarin skills are also hugely in demand in the worlds of governance and diplomacy, due to the increasing prominence of China in global affairs. Mandarin can be a difficult language to learn, but the career rewards are immense for those that can pull it off.
Arabic
Almost half a billion people speak Arabic, which is the official language of two dozen different countries. Although there are many variations to Arabic, mastering so-called Standard Arabic can greatly increase your employability, especially among the large multinationals with a strong presence in the Middle East, such as ExxonMobil, Chevron, McKinsey, and P&G. Strong Arabic skills are likely to take you to the parts of the Middle East which act as hubs for global commerce, such as the exciting cities of Dubai, Beirut, Tel Aviv, and Cairo.
French
There's no getting around the fact that French remains one of the most important languages in the world today for business, politics, and culture. Metropolitan France is home to many of the world's most prestigious companies, such as TotalEnergies, L'Oreal, and LMVH. Meanwhile, French is spoken by more than 200 million people in 29 countries, making this language ideal for eager learners who want their careers to truly take them places. French is also ideal for anyone who wishes to work in the fields of governance of diplomacy since important IGOs such as the OECD and UNESCO use French as their official working language.
Learning any second language will make you significantly more employable and improve your prospects in your next job interview. Depending on your ambitions and your career goals, one of these languages could be the right place for you to start.
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