Bureau of Labor and Statistics
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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 the television, theyre talking about how the market is crashing in Slovakia, how bailing out Greece is going to help us,” said Spanish lecturer Alejandro Jacky. “It gives you an idea of just how interconnected every culture and every community is these days. We live in such a globalized market, and if you want to stay competitive, you have to access all these different global nodes.”
According to a 2010 survey from CareerBuilder and USA Today, employers are looking to hire a diverse workforce in the interest to appeal to an assorted consumer base. Job candidates who are bilingual in both English and another language prove to be appealing to broadening companies, and many of these jobs have bilingual pay differentials, which, according to Salary.com, range between 5 and 20 percent more pay per hour.
“I would hesitate to even pick a job (that being bilingual is the most valuable) because I think there are (jobs) in every business,” said associate German professor Kathryn A. Corl. “I certainly know in business, (being bilingual is) a door opener. Weve had students in communications get jobs because they have that international experience, weve had students from engineering get jobs, and I think even internships and further research opportunities because of that language experience.”
As of April 1, 2010, the U.S. Hispanic population reached 50.5 million according to the U.S. census, making Hispanics the fastest-growing minority in the country. In Closing Americas Job Gap by Mary Walshok, Tapan Munroe and Henry DeVries, it is predicted that candidates bilingual in English and Spanish will be have many doors opened to them because of their marketable knowledge of the language.
“We got Mexico right below us,” Jacky said. “Regardless of what your political stance is, its hard to argue that 13 to 14 percent of the United States are of Latin decent, I mean including me. Thats 13 percent of your consumer base. Thats 13 percent of people that speak Spanish. You are amplifying your ability to connect. If we are talking in a pure capitalist sense, think about it: thats how many more customers you have in your market.”
Although bilingualism gives many job candidates an extra edge in the job market, Margie Bogenschutz, senior director of the Undergraduate Career Management and Recruitment at the Fisher College of Business, suggests that a knowledge and even an immersion in the culture is just – if not more – important. Students who take advantage of study abroad programs and international