As technology becomes more and more advanced, it seems like the world is getting smaller and smaller. The phrase “global economy” is mentioned in the media quite a bit, and it does accurately describe the 21st Century marketplace. Conducting business across international borders is becoming commonplace in just about every industry there is.

As businesses engage in strategic planning to capitalize on the global marketplace, part of their plans revolve around hiring a workforce that has the skills needed to give them a competitive advantage now and in the future. Bilingual and multilingual employees are invaluable to employers in the modern workplace.

If you want to improve your employment prospects, one of the best things you can do is become fluent in a second language. English, Spanish, French, and Hindi are among the many languages that are in high demand. Businesses need employees who are able to communicate with native residents of every nation in which they desire to conduct business.

More and more job openings list being bilingual or multilingual as an essential function of the job. Even when this is not the case, it is not uncommon for candidates who speak more than one language to be given preferential treatment over other candidates. When employers make hiring decisions, they want to fill the jobs that are open today, but their preference is to hire candidates who have the skills needed to grow with the company into a mutually profitable future.