The Gateway to Success in the Global Workplace
The world has become truly global. Whenever we do any of our daily activities such as watching TV, listening to music, going shopping, or surfing the web, we can see how different parts of the world are connected together. In this global world, we must acknowledge the importance of communication, not only as a way to express thoughts, ideas and feelings, but also as a source for sharing information. Since language is the most important element of the communication process, we need to realize that being proficient in another language is crucial to interact with people across the globe.
However, the importance of speaking a second language is not merely limited to the ability of communicating with people who speak a different language across the world. It can also be helpful to the overall achievement of professional career goals. In fact, globalization has had an enormous impact on the employment market by generating the flow and mobility of skilled labor from one place to another, from one country to another country, from one part of the world to another.
In times of economic change, competition increases and employers seek individuals with the best credentials and skills. International experience is highly valued by companies and firms that do business globally and speaking a second language can make the difference. It can make the difference between employment and unemployment, between moving forward or giving up, between success and failure. Jobs in sales or those that depend on commissions and are looking to introduce new products overseas could certainly benefit from speaking another language. Also for financial-services professionals there is a lot of deal making around the world and language skills can also be key for service industries like hotels or convention centers, among other jobs.
Most people from different geographic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds use English to communicate and do business with each other worldwide. In fact, there are almost two billion English-language speakers around the world and although English is not an official language in many countries, it is currently the language most often taught as a second language worldwide, it has become the world’s second language. As a result, the need for English language proficiency in the global workplace has significantly grown over the past decades and has become a gateway to success in the workplace.
“In a city like Dubai, where 80% of the population is expatriate, you definitely need English to get by” says Miguel Ramia, an arquitect based in Dubai who decided to go overseas some years ago due to a restless professional present and a bleak outlook in Europe. “After the credit crunch crisis and the reduction in the number of construction projects there were no new opportunities for me, and I knew that as soon as I decided to explore other employment opportunities overseas, I would have to deal in English with everyone, so I managed to update my English language skills and get a certification that could prove that I was proficient enough in English to work anywhere in the world” he says.
“An international language skill certification like the TOEIC® test has certainly changed my life”, says Samuel Aleman, a Cuban national who was recruited by a European industrial paint manufacturer to lead an international expansion. After one year of expanding the business to new global markets the company asked him to begin search for new partners in emerging markets. He was finally able to locate a Chinese industrial group interested in establishing a manufacturing licensing agreement which later evolved into broader partnership negotiations. “Being proficient in a second language like English has certainly opened many doors for me professionally as I have pursued the job market”, Samuel says, “None of this would have been possible without the right language certification as evidence of my command of English.”
In fact, for more than 30 years, the TOEIC test has set the standard for assessing English-language skills used in the workplace. Today nearly 14,000 companies, government agencies and English Language Learning programs in 150 countries trust the TOEIC test to determine which candidates have the English language skills to succeed in the global workplace. The TOEIC test questions simulate real-life situations that are relevant to the global workplace. Additionally, ETS®'s ongoing research helps ensure that the TOEIC tests are accurate and relevant to today's changing global workplace, which helps internationally competitive companies hire, place and promote the right candidates year after year.
Thus, having the right language certification to show you can use and understand another language at the professional level has become a valuable asset to access to the international labor market. It is the gateway to better employment opportunities worldwide and it enables people to bridge the gap between different cultural backgrounds.