Are Bilingual Skills “Real” Skills?
The world has quickly turned into a global village. In more than one instance, it pays to know multiple languages for personal and official purposes. If you know more than one language and are fluent in them, you can add them to your resume as a skill.
Many experts contest the position of native language or vernacular as a “real” skill. There is no doubt that native language skills come easier for people who are considered to be outsiders in society. They had one language for home and another for school and society, right from the beginning. This allowed them to master the language and in the professional phase, it can help them stand out from the rest of the candidates, especially when it is relevant to the position and its geography.
Mentioning Bilingual Skills In A Resume
Many professionals get stunned when they need to compose their resumes from scratch. The most confusing question they have to ask themselves is whether they should add bilingual skills to their resumes or not.
According to professional recruiters and hiring managers, it is best to highlight this key trait in selecting a few candidates. This pays a lot, especially in a setting where the role requires moving and traveling through a country where English is not the primary language.
Even when that is not the case, it does not hurt to add this crucial information to the resume. Sometimes, subjective reasons and preferences make a candidate stick in the minds of recruiters.
Making The Best Of Bilingual Skills In A Resume
So, you know a language that can be strategically helpful for companies in a position that is advertised. But how can you add it to your bilingual in Spanish and English resume? This is the important question that we will try to answer in this section.
First of all, there is no major difference between writing a regular resume and one with bilingual capabilities. Only a candidate does not need to limit himself to the expected skills and certifications.
Before moving forward, there are two important points to keep in mind:
- You do not have to write the contents of the resume in two separate languages, from start to finish.
- Even if the job requires bilingual candidates, the recruiter might not know the language. So, it is always best to write the resume in English and highlight the skills further.
With these things in mind, let us take a look at some ways to make the best of bilingual skills in a professional resume.
Adding Linguistic Proficiency In Skills Section
Since linguistic proficiency is indeed a skill, it is best to start camping it up in the skills section. But there is no need to litter the whole resume with the meager terms of native or bilingual, you can use foreign and mother tongue terms to add value and attractiveness to your resume.
Another red flag that many students fail to avoid is listing English as one of the languages they believe they are fluent in and must be added to the section. This is unprofessional since it is obvious that you are fluent in that language.
Highlighting The Fact In The Resume Profile
A resume profile can be a resume objective or resume summary that highlights the skills and aspirations of the professional concerning the job description of the vacancy. In simple terms, this can be the resume introduction for the recruiters that they can use to scan the worthy candidates.
Once this is out of the way, it is only a matter of time before a recruiter spots the skill and put it to better use for the job. Make sure that the mention is subtle and not focused because this might be an additional skill and not the core one.
Adjusting Bilingual Experience In Formal Education
Say you are applying for an accountant position in a company that has its office in a predominantly Spanish-speaking neighborhood. As fate would have it, you are fluent in reading, speaking, and writing Spanish. But the job says accounting, so how can you slip this skill into the formal education section of the resume?
Among the best ways, professionals can do this is by connecting it with some sort of campus activities. For instance, if you happened to manage the college magazine version of your native language or have written for it extensively, you can share it in the formal education section.
Incorporating Dual Language Skills In Work Experience
Work experience is another excellent place where you can put your bilingual skills to a grand display. Since recruiters and head hunters are most interested in how you add value to your work because of the possession of this unique factor, it is best to show them how.
To do that, carry on with the standard format of adding experience in the relevant section. Everything should go as per norms, including the job title, the date of work, and the main responsibilities and achievements. All you need to modify is the title and the details of the role accordingly. For instance, instead of writing Senior Customer Representative, write Senior Bilingual Customer Representative.
Taking Advantage of Additional Sections
Apart from core sections in the resume, there are “additional” or “complimentary sections” in the resume that allow professionals to further add their achievements and peripheral skills to stand out from the rest of the candidates. In case of having bilingual skills, you can add them in the additional skills section.
The best way to do that is to go through all the instances of learning and applying those linguistic skills, in both personal and professional capacities. So, if you have managed or written for a publication, done voluntary work, and so on, you can cover it in this section.
Practical Tips For Bilingual Skills Resume
In many instances, it is necessary to understand what is important and what is not. For the sake of adding bilingual skills and their benefits for the prospective position, professionals should keep the following things in mind.
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Determining The Right Instance
Even though being bilingual can be a core or peripheral skill in your resume, it is necessary to determine the right stance and capitalize on that. Many professionals unknowingly associate everything about the job with this skill which can hurt the prospects of getting noticed in the initial phase of the screening.
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Making Direct Links With Job Description
When a company sends out an advertisement, they are looking for a certain candidate with relevant skills. So, the first thing that a bilingual candidate needs to do is to make sure that he possesses those covered in the job description. Then, he should make direct links between that additional skill and the job description.
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Adding Value To Every Skill Point
If you are fluent in a second language that can make a real difference in your resume, there is no point in simply mentioning it in one place. You need to be creative but it is best to use it as leverage to add value to every skill point. This way, the recruiters will be able to find value in it.
Summing It Up
There is not much to it when you are adding your bilingual skills to your resume, especially when they are added. If you are applying for a position where they need those skills for the dispensation of duties, things should be different and bold in the resume. You need to incorporate the skills in every major section, from resume objectives or summary to work experience, education, and more. This blog has covered this angle of resume writing in detail. We have also shared some expert tips on how to make the best of this faculty and stand out from the rest of the prospective candidates. So, when you are sitting down to write or fine-tune a bilingual resume, this resource will help you make the best of your skills and experience!
FAQ
Does being bilingual look good on a resume?
Of course. Even when the advertisement for the job does not ask for bilingual skills, it is best to highlight these skills to improve the odds. Still, it is different how you put the skills to display.
When can you put bilingual on your resume?
There is no single best way to put bilingual skills in a resume. Depending on the job description, you can showcase these skills in multiple sections, including professional experience, academic qualifications, additional skills, and so on.
How do you list bilingual in a job description?
The best way to list bilingual skills in a job description is by highlighting the application and value of the skills in the current scenario. Some people believe that writing the whole resume twice is a good idea, but in reality, it is far from it.
How do you say you speak two languages on a resume?
You can employ different sections and areas of the resume to showcase these skills. For instance, you can use professional experience, special skills, additional skills, and complimentary sections to highlight the candidacy of the professional.
Where do you list bilingualism on a resume?
There is no specific place in a resume to highlight bilingual skills. You can achieve this end by taking benefit of different sections in the resume. These include showcasing the linguistic capabilities and adeptness of the candidate.
