Guest Blog:

Do you ever feel lost in a sea of excellent applicants out there in the global workplace?

In today’s article, I will introduce you to the most versatile and powerful skill that you can have on your CV: A foreign language.

About the Author

Kerstin Hammes edits and runs Fluent, the Language Learning Blog. She speaks 5 languages, and has created an online course for French learners. Kerstin is currently working on a new set of guides for language learners – sign up for updates on her website www.fluentlanguage.co.uk

Just think back to the last time you tried to sell yourself on paper. Maybe you were writing a cover letter, or completing a questionnaire? Where did you rank the language on your list of selling points? If you are followed convention and did what everyone else does, it probably ended up right at the bottom next to "I can drive" and "I like to keep fit in my spare time". Now think about how many years, how much time and concentration and effort you have put into learning your language. I am now going to share just a few ideas with you that you can use for truly making the most out of your language skill in the workplace. The trick is to consider the top careers skills employers look for, and learn how you can apply it to your own experience.

7 reasons why your foreign language is a secret career weapon.

• Every business values the employee’s ability to listen, communicate and influence other people. As a language learner, you have been training this skill for years and you have got many real life examples to prove it.

• Employers also cite flexibility as a desirable skill, and once again you will know that a language learner must prepare for the unexpected, and speaking your foreign language is all about how to make the most out of what you know and what you can get out of your conversation partner.

• Patience and commitment are the hottest soft skills out there, and  you need to look no further than to the many study and practice hours that you have spent with your language. Becoming fluent in another language demands a huge amount of dedication and self-motivation, and you will definitely find examples of keeping going “against the odds” when you look back at your studies.

• No employee will get very far without this core skill: Applying rules and instructions in new situations.

These skills, by another name, are often listed on job adverts as team work, communication, analytical skills, diligence and motivation. The HR managers will see language skill in you, but it's up to you to show them how much your language learning has taught you under the surface.

Here are some adverts right here on Job Coconut – why not try out the new approach to job hunting today?

• American Express are hiring a Global sales Manager of corporate payments http://ow.ly/ydlrH

• Hays are hiring a IT Systems Engineer in Germany  http://ow.ly/ydky1

• Transperfect Translations want an English Native Quality Manager/Proofreader http://ow.ly/ydkOE

• Hertz in Dublin are hiring a Contact service agent for German Market http://ow.ly/ydlew

• Motorola are hiring a Technical support agent fluent in Dutch or German http://ow.ly/ydlCx