As a job seeker, having bilingual skills – along with the talents you possess that match your dream job’s requirements – can put you ahead of the competition. There are different ways a candidate can feature their bilingual skills on their resume to grab the attention of hiring managers – here are a few tips to help you stand out and get hired.
1. Revisit your resume
A well-written resume should be tailored for each job application. The skills you include should match the job description, and each skill should be given prominence according to how important it is based on the job requirements. Presenting your bilingual language skills are no different.
Include a language section in your resume that indicates your fluency in the languages that you’re proficient in. If the job you’re applying for is looking for a bilingual candidate, make sure this section is located near the top of your resume. If the job posting doesn’t include bilingual skills in the qualifications, you can still include it in a lower section of your resume.
2. Add it to your skills, summary or experience sections
If the job posting doesn’t mention the need for bilingual skills, it’s still important to add these in your resume’s skills section. You can also mention your bilingual abilities at the top in the summary section.
If using your bilingual skills was an essential part of your responsibilities in your previous roles, detail them in your experience section. Be sure to mention how you used these skills regularly within your role and, if possible, any results it brought the company.
3. Describe your Fluency Level
In addition to mentioning the bilingual skills you hold, it’s important to add how well you communicate using this second language. Even if your prior position isn’t closely related to the new job opportunity, mentioning language fluency levels is a plus and considered a strong point. Common levels of fluency are:
- Basic: You understand basic words within a certain language but may find it challenging to hold conversations using complex terms. Writing in this language may pose some grammatical challenges as well.
- Intermediate: Sentences and conversations are fairly easy for you to speak and you can write sentences with few grammatical errors.
- Advanced: You can fluently speak the language and can hold conversations with people who fluently speak it as well. You’re also aware of the grammatical rules the language has and can write in this language with very few to no errors.
4. Don’t Forget your Cover Letter
A cover letter can provide you with an excellent opportunity to go into more detail on your language proficiency. Whether you’re applying for a position that requires bilingual skills or not, this is a good place to also provide an example of how your bilingual skills were helpful to an employer or employers.
Summing it Up
Successfully landing a job means presenting your skills and qualifications in a way that makes you stand out among other candidates. The ability to fluently communicate in more than one language – and effectively listing those skills on your resume – can help put you on top of today’s ever-evolving job market.
Lanmark Staffing provides over 40 years of combined human resources, recruiting, temporary placement, sales and management, and temp-to-hire services. Visit our website and learn how our team of experienced professionals can help you highlight your bilingual skills and experience to land that next great position.