Columnist

Why German should be the second language on your CV

In an increasingly competitive job market it’s important to stand out from the competition. Asecond language is an affordable and achievable way to improve your CV and impress prospective employers, whilst also demonstrating your ability, determination, and dedication to acquire new skills.

The 21st century is rapidly becoming more interconnected. By speaking a second language you will be able to communicate with and access a wider range of communities. From participating in a globalised economy, to connecting with the world via social media, bilingualism increases your job prospects tenfold and is a skill highly sought after in most job markets.

It is easier than ever to take classes, utilise language teaching apps, and hire experienced and professional translators such as London Translations, so there’s little excuse to not boost your CV with a second language and improve your job prospects and professional relationships.

However, some languages add more value than others, and German is a language set to become uber-important!

The language of an economic powerhouse

Germany is one of the most highly developed industrial nations and has the largest national economy in Europe, as well as the fourth largest national economy worldwide. Many consider Germany to be the largest and most important market in the European Union, and it falls just behind China as the second largest exporter of goods worldwide.

Germany’s high focus on exports, which make up around one third of its gross national income, mean that there are very little countries as intertwined with the world economy as Germany is, and its interest in open markets is almost unparalleled.

Germany is home to a staggering number of global economic players such as the globally recognised Adidas, Volkswagen, and Lufthansa. So, if you want to work for a business with its foot in the international market you should definitely brush up on your Deutsch.

Whilst the schooling system in Germany almost ensures that every German citizen will at least know some English,the ability to communicate with someone in their native tongue will showrespect and good faith, thus improving your business relationships greatly. Employers, especially those in business, know the value of a German speaking employee. This means that you’re bound to impress by adding German language skills to your CV.

The language of inventors and innovators

“Deutschland ist das Land der Dichter und Denker” translates to ‘Germany is the land of poets and thinkers!’ and it would seem that’s more true now than ever! Germany spends a higherpercentage of its gross domestic product on research and development than the rest of the EU.

It also hosts some of most well known and largest international trade fairs such as CeBit - a computer technology expo held in Hanover that is considered a barometer of state of the art information technology.

The German capital Berlin has also become a hub for innovative startups and is referred to by some as “the Silicon Valley of Europe”. Berlin is home to a wealth of bright and creative people, and has a vibrance that attracts many innovative new businesses.

SoundCloud was set up in Stockholm but didn’t take off until it moved to the German capital. David Noel, SoundCloud’s VP of Community, says that Berlin’s attitude to risk is what is helpingit become the new Silicon Valley, “We’re not talking about failure as a bad thing but we’re talking about failure in a way that lets us become better next time”. As a consequence, the ability to connect via a shared language with this quickly growing community of innovators and inventors can greatly enhance your career opportunities.

It is also important to note that Germany is home to 102 Nobel laureates, who accomplished much in fields such as physics, medicine, chemistry, and literature. Showing the extent to which Germany is at the forefront of innovation and progressive thinking.

The language that is everywhere

German is one of the official working languages of the European Union and is the most spoken language in Europe in terms of native speakers. It is an important second language across Europe that serves to connect and unify different peoples, and by learning German you can become a part of this connection.

The German language also has a huge online presence. German websites make up a disproportionate part of the world wide web, clearly demonstrated by the fact that the Germandomain ending .de is the most popular country specific top-level domain currently in use.

Germany’s presence doesn’t stop at it’s online domination; Germans are also some of the most well traveled people and are record holders when it comes to spending money on internationaltravel, only just losing the crown to tourists from China over the past few years.

Those hoping to get into travel and tourism could really benefit from tapping into this exploding market of German speaking travelers. Even if you’re pursuing a different line of work, it never hurts to be able to communicate with some of the most well traveled people across the globe.

Knowing how to read German gives you access to an additional 15 million websites and 100 million additional people to communicate with. Companies tend to be extremely concerned with online presence in an increasingly digital world, meaning that understanding one of the most common languages online could really improve your chances of landing your dream job.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Charlotte Heather .