Oct 8, 2024
|
12 min read
Debating whether to include language skills on your resume? Here's why they make you stand out!
As a job candidate, you often face an endless dilemma–to include (or not) your language skills on your resume.
In today’s competitive job market, you need a significant edge to stand out. This is what your language proficiency can do for you.
By highlighting your language abilities, you’d ultimately be showcasing your unique talents and achievements, opening doors to new professional opportunities.
Turn your ability to speak, read, or write in multiple languages into a real-life superpower, and don’t miss out on the chance to make a lasting impression.
Key Takeaways
Your language skills can be a complete game-changer for your job application and in some roles, like translation or teaching—a clear necessity. In others, like retail or customer support, that may not have an explicit language requirement, they can still give you a significant advantage by helping you communicate.
Need further proof as to why your language proficiency matters?
An American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages survey revealed a growing demand for foreign language proficiency in the U.S. workplace, with 90% of employers relying on employees with language skills other than English.
Sectors like healthcare (64% increase), trade (59%), and education (57%) anticipate significant rises in the need for foreign languages over the next five years.
Hiring managers value candidates who can speak a couple of languages, as this helps the organization:
Without a doubt, featuring your language skills is a great idea, as it’ll increase your job opportunities by helping you:
There are three main resume sections where you can list your language skills. This will depend entirely upon the job requirements and the number of languages you speak.
If language proficiency is crucial to the role (or you’re fluent in multiple languages), creating a dedicated language skills section is ideal to ensure your proficiency doesn’t get lost among other qualifications.
The candidate has created a dedicated languages section, detailing the proficiency level, using a unified framework (but we’ll talk more about this in the next section of this guide).
If the job doesn’t require language proficiency but you still want to showcase it, feature your lingusitc abilities within your resume skills section. This strategy is perfect if you speak one or two additional languages and don’t want to dedicate too much space.
"Native Fluency in Spanish" can be added under a skills section alongside other hard skills (or technologies you’re apt at using) and soft skills, ensuring it’s visible but concise.
For those who have taken formal language courses, the education section can be a great place to highlight this. If you studied a language in school or abroad, be sure to provide details about your achievements.
In the education section, the candidate has included:
In addition to your language skills, skills, and experience sections, here are five other areas of your resume where you can highlight your language proficiency.
If speaking a foreign language is a key job requirement, mention a professional achievement, thanks to your proficiency, in your resume summary or objective statement. Not sure what we’re talking about?
Here’s a resume summary that showcases the candidate’s language skills:
The summary above focuses on real-world translation and interpretation ("translating articles for a local newspaper" and "interpreting for business executives") experience with concrete examples.
Highlight jobs (e.g. volunteer roles, internships, etc.) where you used a second language professionally or in daily tasks.
Here’s an example:
The experience section reflects the candidate's previous role at a junior level in Arabic customer support while highlighting achievements like customer satisfaction, process improvement, training, and complaint resolution.
We know just how hard you worked to obtain that language certificate. Make sure to add it to the certifications section, alongside the institute that issued it and the date you obtained it.
Check out how in this example:
The resume helps the hiring managers understand the candidate's skill set better because it features:
Include any language-related achievements, like in this example:
The candidate's resume sets them apart from others who may not have such tangible, real-world achievements. Within the awards section, the candidate has shown how they've used the skills, mentioning the levels (B2, C2) and the context (business competition, essay writing).
Detail any personal or professional projects involving the use of a second language.
Check out this example of language skills in the projects section:
The candidate's resume works as it
How do you define your proficiency level in different resume sections? Let’s have a look.
The best approach is to list your languages based on proficiency level, starting with the ones in which you’re most skilled. Widely recognized proficiency levels are "Beginner," "Intermediate," "Proficient," "Fluent," and "Native."
Check out the example below, to see how the candidate has effortlessly integrated their proficiency in the resume language section:
You can also assess all four comprehension areas by breaking down your language skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Your strengths might vary across these, so be ready to list them separately if needed.
While listing your skills, focus on languages in which you're proficient or fluent, skipping those at the beginner level unless they're highly relevant to the role.
When listing your language skills on your resume, provide a more standardized understanding of your proficiency by using a well-recognized framework, like the ones listed below:
CEFR Levels are widely used in Europe, categorizing users into three broad levels: "Basic User" "Independent User," and "Proficient User," with sublevels indicating more precise skill:
In the example below, the candidate has integrated their language skills in the skills section, alongside their proficiency level:
The ILR framework, developed by the US government, assesses proficiency across six levels (0-5), with the possibility of a "+" for in-between stages:
The ACTFL proficiency guidelines divide language skills into more detailed sublevels:
LinkedIn’s framework is based on the ILR and is commonly used in professional networks:
Using these frameworks and formats will ensure that your language skills are clearly communicated and easy for employers to evaluate. Remember, consistency is key when listing multiple languages, so stick to one framework and format.
Notice how in this resume, the candidate's language skills are directly linked with the bigger picture and business goals.
Name: Rebecca Jones
Customer Service ExpertEmail: rjones@enhancv.com
Phone: (123) 456-7890
Location: New York, NY
Professional Summary
Multilingual customer service expert with 7+ years of experience resolving client inquiries and ensuring customer satisfaction across multiple industries. Fluent in English, Spanish, and French, with extensive knowledge of customer relationship management (CRM) tools. Proven track record in improving customer retention rates and driving team performance in fast-paced environments.
Skills
Experience
Customer Service Team Lead
ABC Solutions, New York, NY
2018 - Present
Customer Support Representative
GlobalConnect, New York, NY
2015 - 2018
The candidate’s focus on her language skills works because it demonstrates:
Check out how this candidate has created his resume for an industry that highly values niche expertise in different languages.
Jason Smart
Professional Translator
Email: jsmart@enhancv.com
Phone: (123) 456-7890
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Experience
Freelance Translator
Legal and Business Translations | Remote | Jan 2020 – Present
Junior Translator
XYZ Translations | New York, NY | Mar 2017 – Dec 2019
Language Skills
Certifications
Software Skills
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics
University of California, Berkeley | Graduated 2016
The candidate's resume works because:
The next resume offers a glimpse at how languages can be integrated through various resume sections (e.g. experience and skills).
Emma Williams
Bilingual Educator
Email: emma.williams@enhancv.com
Phone: (987) 654-3210
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Experience
Bilingual Teacher (English/Spanish)
ABC Middle School | Los Angeles, CA | Aug 2018 – Present
English Teacher
XYZ Language Institute | Mexico City, Mexico | Jan 2015 – May 2018
Volunteering
Volunteer English Teacher
NGO “Learning Without Borders” | Guatemala | June 2019 – Aug 2019
Skills
Education
Master’s in Education
University of Southern California | Graduated 2018
Bachelor of Arts in English
University of Texas at Austin | Graduated 2014
The volunteer section adds depth by showing how Emma applies her language skills outside the classroom. This demonstrates her passion for education and language instruction in diverse, real-world settings, reinforcing her bilingual teaching credentials.
The following resume is successful because it integrates language skills throughout, tying them to specific results in various professional contexts.
Mark Davis
Certified Interpreter: Arabic and French
Email: mark.davis@enhancv.com
Phone: (555) 123-4567
Washington, D.C.
Professional Summary
Skilled interpreter with 12+ years of experience facilitating communication between English, Arabic, and French speakers in high-stakes business, legal, and government settings. Proven expertise in simultaneous and consecutive interpretation, with a focus on diplomacy, international business negotiations, and legal proceedings.
Key Skills
Experience
Senior Interpreter
Global Negotiations Group | Washington, D.C. | 2015 – Present
Freelance Interpreter
United Nations | Geneva, Switzerland | Mar 2020 – Present
Court Interpreter
Global Language Solutions | Washington, D.C. | Jan 2018 – Feb 2020
Projects
Conference Interpreter – G20 Summit
Tokyo, Japan | June 2019
Humanitarian Interpreter – International Red Cross
Syria and Lebanon | Aug 2020 – Oct 2020
Certifications
Education
Master’s in Conference Interpretation
Middlebury Institute of International Studies | Graduated 2017
Bachelor of Arts in French
Georgetown University | Graduated 2015
Mark's resume shows he excels with his language skills at work and that he can leverage them in time-sensitive, high-stakes environments.
Now that you’ve chosen your framework, it’s time to accurately determine your language proficiency (and you can even do this at home).
Here are the common mistakes people make when listing their language skills, along with tips on how to avoid them:
Your language skills can significantly enhance your job prospects by demonstrating your ability to communicate across cultures and meet multilingual role requirements.
Be sure to accurately assess your proficiency through certifications or self-assessment, and strategically list it across different resume sections.
Remember, honesty is crucial—especially in reflecting your true language skills.
Take the time to refine your language section, and watch how it opens doors for your career!
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