How To Write Language Skills In Resume

Resume Language Skills Bringing It All Together

Here are the four key takeaway points that weve covered in this article:

• Including language skills on a resume is a simple and effective way to make yourself stand out from the competition and to land a job offer.

• Language skills are not unidimensional they are composed of four basic subcategories: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

• To avoid misrepresenting your language skill levels, its essential to give yourself an honest self-assessment and supplement that with the results of multiple online language skill assessment exams.

• There are several circumstances in which it can be extremely beneficial to include language skill levels on a resume. But before you insert this information in your next job application, make sure that you clearly understand the needs of the particular organization, department, and role youre applying to. This will allow you to know exactly what information you should include, which will, in turn, make it much more likely that youll catch a hiring managers eye.

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What Are The Best Skills For 2021

The best skills for resumes in 2021 are skills that make you look qualified for the specific job youre applying for. However, it also helps to take into account recent changes to how companies operate.

Showcasing your knowledge of remote working software and emphasizing that youre self-sufficient is a great way to prove to employers that youre ready for the modern workplace.

Resume Language Skills: Ways To Make Your Skills Stand Out

Originally published;20-07-2018,;updated;13-08-2021

Language skills are vitally important to any resume and can often be the difference between getting hired and your paperwork falling to the bottom of the pile. Recruiters often consider language ability making a hire, especially when the potential hire isnt a native speaker of the companys language.

This article will tell you how to showcase your foreign language skills on a resume in the best possible light. It also will teach you the conventions of English-language resume writing how to describe your career achievements in a clear and professional way.;

Whether youre talking about language conventions of resume writing, or want to know how to present your proficiency in a second language, read on for some killer tips.;

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Is It Necessary To Put Languages On My Resume

The first thing to consider whether the language skill section inclusion relevant or not. The job you are applying for if the language is relevant for that position, then you should definitely include and highlight it. The first thing to consider whether the language skill section inclusion relevant or not. The job you are applying for if the language is relevant for that position, then you should definitely include and highlight it. If its not relevant, it should be included but should not give it much importance.;

Space is important when you are writing a resume. Every section of your resume is important because it will help you sell yourself to the company.;

English is the most important language that almost every company employer expects their employees to have a strong command over this language.;;

Job Specific Vs Transferable

Job-specific skills;are those abilities that allow a candidate for employment to excel in a particular job. Some skills are attained by attending school or training programs. Others can be acquired through experience learning on the job.

Job-specific skills vary based on the position. For example, an IT help desk worker needs computer skills, teachers need lesson planning skills, and carpenters need skills working with power tools.

Job-specific skills can be contrasted with;transferable skills;like communication, organization, presentation, teamwork, planning, and time management, which are required in a broad array of jobs.

Transferable skills are those that you use in almost every job. Both types of skills can be included in a resume.

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Tips For Listing Languages On A Resume

Now that you know how to mention your degrees of language proficiency on a resume, let’s go over some pointers to be sure you’ve correctly reflected your abilities.

Keep in mind the significance of being truthful about your talents. It’s generally better to leave off any items you’re about to write or add if you have any doubts regarding them. The following are the most crucial guidelines for mentioning languages on a resume:

Highlight Your Skills In A New Section

When applying for a job that demands knowledge of a foreign language, you’ll want to make sure that your multilingual abilities are prominently shown. Rather than including it in your abilities area, where it can be ignored, make a separate part that defines your degree of fluency. If you just know one foreign language, it’s preferable to put it in the skills area. However, for many people who wish to highlight their abilities, a separate section is the ideal option.

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The Language Skills Are Still Fresh

If you studied a language back in college but haven’t practiced for quite some time, there’s a chance you may not have those skills anymore. If, however, your language skills are still fresh, they may be worth including on your resume, as you never know how they may be able to help you in your work.

How To Showcase Your Second

July 15, 2021 by Cori Garcia

In SkillsetGroups home territory, the U.S. Southwest, bilingual Spanish speakers are ubiquitous. The greater LA area is also host to many who speak Vietnamese, Chinese and other Asian languages, as well as smaller enclaves that use a diverse array of tongues from Hmong Daw to Palestinian Arabic.

The following is from a report by the legal advocacy group Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Los Angeles:

• Nearly one in three LA residents , were born outside the United States
• A majority of Los Angeles County residents speak a language other than English at home:
• 38% or 3.3 million speak Spanish
• 11% or 925,000 speak an Asian or Pacific Islander language.

Perhaps its the routine exposure to multiple languages every day that makes some job candidates completely omit their second language skills from their resumes. Maybe using multiple languages is so common for them, they dont even consider it a special skill employers might like in a candidate.

But, in case you havent figured it out from the title of this piece, you should always list your foreign language skills on your resume.

Even if a particular position youre applying for doesnt list a second language in its requirements, youre leaving a potentially huge advantage out of your stated skillset. Especially in a geographic area that is home to a large multilingual population, your Farsi, Japanese or Hebrew skills might be the edge the hiring manager needs to hire you over another candidate.

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How To List Language Skill Levels On A Resume

Once you have a basic understanding of the specific language skills that will be valued within the role, department, and organization youre applying to, the next step is updating your resume.

When youre listing language skills on your resume, be sure to be as specific as possible. It wont do you or the hiring manager any good, for example, if you simply write proficient in a foreign language or skilled in understanding foreign languages. Instead, be clear and concise in your descriptions.

Here are some examples of how you might include foreign language skills on a resume:

• Fluent in Mandarin Chinese: Speaking, writing, and reading.

• Proficient in speaking Spanish and French.

• Conversant in German.

• Certificate in fluent French from Northwestern University.

What Are Language Skills

Language skills refer to additional languages you can communicate in apart from the one you used to write your resume. Employers assume that by writing a resume in a particular language, you are proficient in it. Your language skills are any additional languages in which you have a practical ability. While there are proficiency levels for beginners, employers only consider proficiency levels suitable for workplace communication.

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Customize Your Resume Skills Section

Customize;the skills section;of your resume to match, as much as you can, the requirements listed;in the job posting. The closer a match your skills are to;the job requirements, the better your chances are for being selected for an interview.

For example, if you are applying for an administrative position, include in your skills section;Microsoft Office skills,;QuickBooks skills;, and other software programs you can use. If you are a computer programmer,;list the programming languages, software, platforms, and other;Information Technology skills;you have.;

Having a skills section makes it easy for a hiring manager to pinpoint if you have a specific skill required for a position. It is also an easy way to get;resume keywords;onto your resume.

Many employers utilize automated applicant tracking systems to scan candidate resumes; these systems are programmed to search for specific keywords.

The more keywords your resume can match, the more likely it is that your resume will be selected for review by human eyes.;

Your Language Skills Won’t Help You Do Your Job

If your language skills aren’t going to help you do your specific job, it may not be worth wasting space on your resume talking about them. If you work in IT or accounting, for examples, your French language skills probably won’t matter. Unless your team is based in France or you have a lot of French colleagues, the chances that you’ll actually need to use your French are slim to none.

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Do You Need Spanish For Work Then Our Application For Spanish In The Business World Is Just For You

Learn about the MosaLingua Business Spanish app, available for your iPhone, iPad, iTouch and Android smartphone/tablet.;This app contains numerous categories with useful phrases and vocabulary for working in Spanish , and its very useful for those who need to quickly memorize specialized Spanish vocabulary for their field of work.

We hope you found this article on how to showcase your language skills on a CV useful! If you did, dont forget to share it with your friends and family!

Illustrate Your Remarks Prove Your Level

When describing your language skills on a CV, its best to use technical wording. Under the Professional Experiencescategory,;its important to detail;how this level was useful for your past experiences.

Beyond your language level, the recruiter will actually look for something that describes in which context/s this language level is useful to them. Have you already had the opportunity of working on a project folder in a foreign language? Have you already worked in a multicultural team? If this is the case, dont hesitate to include it on your CV. We cant repeat it enough:;Do not be afraid of those words.

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Travels: Are They Worth Anything

A trip is an asset, that much is certain. But how do you highlight it on your CV? Its always difficult bringing up trips on a CV. Even;if, above all, you focus on;the personal development;aspects or the mastering of a foreign language abroad, the job recruiter may be plagued with thoughts of you partying it up on a beach on the other side of the world. How then should you present;your experience abroad from a professional and solely professional point of view?

After your tip or experience overseas, you should write down;all the qualities you think youve developed over the past few months. Through;each of these;personal qualities, you can certainly exemplify;an advantage to;your professional outline. Examples: The ability to adapt to a new culture can translate into the;ability to adapt to a new business culture or a new team and a knack for open-mindedness and challenges. The recruiter can easily transpose these qualities into their;professional environment.

Any experience can be good to highlight on your CV whether it was a key;job in a multinational environment or a long-term trip on a totally foreign continent. In all, dont be afraid to teeter the odds towards your side. Describe every linguistic quality that you have in your corner.

What Are Levels Of Fluency

The phrase “fluency levels” refers to preset degrees of language abilities that are related to a person’s ability to speak, write, and read a foreign language. On a résumé, your degree of fluency aids potential employers in determining whether or not you’re qualified for a given job. Online tests and guides that help you understand your degree of fluency in a foreign language can be used to measure your level of fluency.

There are two frequently utilized proficiency frameworks in the United States. The Interagency Language Roundtable scale and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages scale are two examples .

There are six levels of language proficiency on the ILR scale:

Take language tests to determine which foreign languages are your most proficient language.

Here’s a graphic representation of how these two scales’ levels compare:

• Advanced High 3/3+
• Superior 4+

CEFR refers to the European format for language proficiencies. This includes A1, A2, B2, C1, and C2. Only use these levels when applying to positions in another country.

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Should I Include Communication Skills On My Resume

Yes! However, you can’t just list “communication skills” in your skills section and call it a day. You should be including communication skills on your resume with more context.

Simply using phrases like “excellent written and verbal communication skills” serves little to no value on a resume. Anyone can make these claims, and it’s difficult to prove.

Here is a list of common communication skills phrases used on resumes that WON’T help you stand out:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Excellent communication skills

• Confident, articulate, and professional speaking abilities

• Empathic listener and persuasive speaker

• Public Speaking

• Speaking in public, to groups, or via electronic media

• Excellent presentation and negotiation skills

While these statements may be true, none of them add a whole lot of value to your resume. Use them sparingly, knowing that most other people are using the exact same phrases on their own resumes.

Instead, your skills section should consist of mostly hard skills.

What’s the difference between soft skills like communication and hard skills?

The big difference is that âhardâ skills are objective and âsoftâ skills are subjective. This chart offers some more comparisons:

So how do you include communication skills on a resume correctly?

Reread The Job Description

Look and see if the job description mentions a preference for candidates with bi-lingual or multi-lingual capabilities. This will help you determine where you should include your language skills in your resume. For example, if the employer prefers bi-lingual candidates, it’s best to try to include a specific section detailing your level of proficiency with the language. If the employer doesn’t specify, you’ll still want to include it, but perhaps only as a highlight within the skills or qualifications section.

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Using Infographic And Visual Representations

It can be very helpful to use an Infographic representation for your language abilities, especially when the overall design of the resume following the same act.

How Many Points to Represent Language Proficiency?

When using Infographic, that can be represented by points like the picture shows, the number of points are decided upon the classification that you chose before. If it was 4 levels; then you can use 4 points or its multiples for infographic representation.

If The Open Position Is Competitive

Imagine the following scenario:

Both Tom and Emma are applying for the position of a Senior Marketing Manager at Etsy.

Theyve got the same amount of experience, and their skill set is fairly similar, too.

However, Emma mentioned that shes fluent in French & German on her resume, while Tom didnt.

Emmas value proposition for the company increases exponentially, as there will be a lot of practical uses for her language skills.

Even though Toms language proficiency might be on par with Emma, he never bothered to show that thus, his chances to get a callback get slimmer.

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Special Knowledge And Skills

Include your language skills in this section. It is not enough to list simply English or Spanish as the potential employer cannot assess how well you speak these languages. Do not leave out information regarding whether you are a native speaker or whether your skills are at a beginner or advanced level. If your skills in a given language differ in speech and writing, mention this separately.

If you are applying for a job abroad, a language certificate could prove helpful. The best-recognized language certificates for English in companies and universities are:

IELTS – International English Language Testing System

In the US, more than 1,700 companies recognize this language certificate as evidence of your language skills. The IELTS certificate proves your listening and reading comprehension as well as your written and oral communication skills.

TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language

TOEFL is also recognized worldwide by universities and companies. It demonstrates the level of your skills in reading, listening, speaking and writing.

If you have passed a language certificate with good scores, specify this in your CV:

English: reading and writing , oral ; TOEFL score: 100/120

Spanish: BeginnerGerman: Mother Tongue

You can also add the phrase: in written and spoken.

Short and sweet

• Language skills: language skills

The Company Calls For Candidates With Your Specific Language Skills

If the company for which you’re applying specifically calls for candidates with your specific language skills, you absolutely want to include those skills on your resume. In this case, not including those skills will almost certainly hurt your chances or getting the job. Share your level of proficiency and be prepared to be questioned about it during the interview process.

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