Being bilingual has significant advantages on a professional level and even beyond. At Teleperformance, we recruit highly qualified talent in the languages in which we provide services. Speaking more than one language is a very welcome extra that could strongly benefit your career.
Being bilingual is a competitive edge. This ability is, for the brain, the equivalent of physical exercise for our body. A bilingual person has more agile reasoning, ease of concentration and greater ability to solve problems, in addition to being more qualified for multitasking performance. Additionally, it helps prevent some diseases such as Alzheimer or dementia, according to several scientific studies.
Professional advantages of being bilingual
If the benefits of knowing more than one language described above are not enough to motivate learning another language, we can add the advantages at the professional level.
Ease of communication
We are in an increasingly global world, with different channels of communication and where distances are just…a click away. Businesses develop across the “four corners of the world” and engage stakeholders of different profiles and geographies.
The ability to communicate in several languages is obviously indispensable in internationalization scenarios and an important asset, even if companies only work locally. There may be, for example, external suppliers with whom it is necessary to speak in another language.
Communication remains the main asset of people and companies themselves. Being bilingual extends the personal and corporate reach.
Cultural openness
Those who are bilingual also show greater openness of mind. It is a sign that they recognize the relevance of other cultures and this tends to improve relationships with others. It is also synonymous with tolerance, a mandatory requirement for Diversity.
And this same Diversity is increasingly seen as a competitive advantage for companies, since it lends new perspectives and visions on the issues. This creative dimensioning can be fantastic for finding new directions and “out of the box” solutions.
Teleperformance, for example, brings together 95 different nationalities in its teams. It is the company with the highest levels of diversity in Portugal. Follow the link if you want to know more about the advantages of working in a multicultural company.
Broader scope when looking for a job
Another important plus of being multilingual relates to the range of choices when looking for work. The vast majority of job offers, especially in higher qualification scenarios, require an additional language.
In other words, as a bilingual you have much more potential to be hired, and you have much more job offers available. Human resources departments know that this is an essential attribute when looking for talent.
And they are also aware of the personal advantages we mentioned at the beginning of the article, valuing this skill in the candidate profile when selecting for interviews.
Access to deeper knowledge
Speaking more than one language also provides access to a wider range of documentation, which can be decisive in a professional setting. That study or strategic analysis which, due to the relevance of the information, will drive the quality of our work; that groundbreaking document; a wider range of bibliography. In short… great advantages when it comes to enhancing the quality of the deliverables.
Career prospects from being bilingual
Being bilingual also opens new career perspectives. We have already mentioned that it increases the scope when looking for a job and naturally leads to positions of greater responsibility and requiring more qualifications.
But it can also be very positive when thinking about career progression within the company. One of the main characteristics for gaining access to positions of greater responsibility will most likely be the ability to speak other languages.
Of course, this varies from one sector and company to another, but it is a general rule applied in many situations.
And for positions of greater responsibility we have the consequent salary appreciation. Being bilingual, therefore, can open doors to greater responsibilities, but also to that wage increase that makes a difference in our lives.
In Teleperformance, the Jump! program embodies the opportunities for progression in the company. And being bilingual is an essential feature to rise up into higher positions.
The advantages of being bilingual seem obvious, both on an individual and professional level. Of course, there are rarer languages and they are therefore valued, but there are also very real opportunities for those who are bilingual in the most international languages, such as English and French. As an example, you can check this excellent employment opportunity at Teleperformance Portugal.
Also take a look at Teleperformance’s best of 2019
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And some testimonials from your future colleagues!
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