The more unique skills you include in your CV the better, and speaking a language with fluency is certainly one thing that shouldn’t be missing from your curriculum vitae. If you are considering expanding the geographic scope for job prospects, learning another language is key. So, why don’t you start learning Portuguese? Portuguese is one of the most spoken languages in the world, some statistics even show that it’s the fourth language most spoken in the world, but those numbers mostly refer to native speakers. This is why learning to speak Portuguese at a fluent level is seen as a highly valuable skill that will put you ahead of other candidates for a job. If you’re already learning Portuguese, this article will just motivate you to keep improving this skill. Keep reading to learn more about the advantages of speaking one of the richest Latin languages.
It’s another foreign language to add to your resume language skills
If the work market was a competitive place, nowadays it’s even more. People are getting more specializations at a younger age so having a skill in your CV that differentiates you from the others is paramount. Having a degree and speaking two languages might not be enough for the job you’re seeking, so a good way to change this is by learning another language. You’ve certainly heard about learning Chinese, Spanish and German, for example, but why not learn Portuguese? Few people choose to learn Portuguese and this is exactly why you should do it. Once you add to your curriculum that you can speak Portuguese fluently (it doesn’t matter if it’s Brazilian Portuguese or European Portuguese), recruiters will immediately see you as a true asset to their company. You will be able to have opportunities such as traveling to a Portuguese-speaking country for work or make a bridge with foreign clients. If you get an opportunity like this, you’ll be in contact with other cultures which will broaden your horizons as well.
You can write your CV in Portuguese to apply for jobs in Portugal or any other Portuguese speaking country
Many people dream of working abroad but not many think about the fact that speaking the language of the country they want to go to is crucial. Sometimes they are employed by an international company so it’s possible to just speak English in the workplace, but what about life outside of work? If you don’t know the language of the country, or if your knowledge is very limited, going to the market to buy simple groceries suddenly seems like an impossible task. We do not mean to discourage you. In fact, if you’re thinking about moving to Portugal for work, you can count on a very welcoming people who will try to help you most of the time. However, you should still learn Portuguese like a native as the majority of Portuguese people have limited knowledge of the English language. Besides, once you master this language, you’ll be able to speak Portuguese with your colleagues at work as well. They may indeed have an excellent English speaking level, but there’s nothing like talking with someone in their native language to really get to know them and form stronger bonds.
You can apply for jobs where you have to talk to the public
If you’re specialized in the industries of tourism, restoration or hotel then you know that’s practically impossible to work without speaking with clients. This is not a problem in your home country since you know the language, but if you’re looking for better prospects in your line of work, then you should look into job positions in Portugal regarding those industries. Portugal is one of the countries with the most developed tourism industry and employs millions of Portuguese and foreign people every year for jobs in this industry alone. If you got a job in tourism in Portugal, it would definitely enrich your CV, but in order to do that, you need to learn to speak Portuguese like a native. You might be wondering since you’ll be working with tourists, there’s no need to learn Portuguese since they are foreigners too. You’re not wrong, but not entirely right either. The Portuguese like to travel around their country and many times they choose a place in Portugal to go on vacation instead of going abroad. It’s cheaper but another reason for this choice is that Portugal has a big diversity of places to visit despite its small size. Besides, when it comes to bars and restaurants, the Portuguese like to go to the more touristic areas just as much as foreigners. So, don’t be surprised to see many Portuguese people in your workplace and have in mind that they would prefer to speak their language in their own country.
A chance to live in a Portuguese speaking country
Learning a new language will most likely open new horizons for you work-wise as well as culture-wise. If you are learning Portuguese and, when preparing your CV you add this language skill, you’ll have job prospects in a Portuguese-speaking country. Besides Portugal, you can find a job in Brazil, Angola, or Mozambique, which are all countries with emerging economies with plenty of jobs offers and culturally rich as well. By learning Portuguese you’ll be able to blend right in Portuguese speaking country. And, if at first, you’re not very confident about your level of Portuguese, you can trust that most Portuguese-speaking countries have very welcoming and patient people who will be happy to help you in difficult times.
As you can see, there’s nothing to lose about enriching your CV by adding another language. If your language of choice was Portuguese you will have endless job prospects as Portuguese Speaking countries are scattered around the globe. You will have a chance to fulfill your dream of working and living abroad as well as meeting new people with completely different cultural backgrounds. You’ll quickly find out that Portuguese is a rich and very unique language that will give you the chance to meet equally unique people.
