Last Updated on April 28, 2025 by Muhammad Ramzan
I was born into a Spanish-speaking family, and I learned my mother tongue while growing up. Back in 2011, my family moved to the US. I was in fifth grade when I got bullied for not speaking English the right way.
Well, that one bad experience motivated me to become proficient in English and has helped me experience great things.
I made friends from different cultures and had the best time exploring different foods, clothing, language nuances, and more. While it helped me discover new things in life, it has certainly helped me with my career too. I get to work on Latin as well as the American markets, and I definitely have an edge over others because I understand the second biggest market in the US.
Giving you a little more detail, only 20% of Americans are fluent in another language apart from English. Having a second language where you are proficient pretty much gives you an unfair advantage. That said, there’s a lot that I want to talk about this unfair edge of my bilingualism.
So, without further ado, let’s dive right into it.
It Helped Me Communicate Better
Humans are social animals and we can’t live without communities. One aspect of living in a community is communication.
Having two languages under my belt, I was all ready to be more social and I made friends from across the borders. It helped me better understand their emotions better and be present for them emphatically. Having empathy and understanding someone’s problem is the easiest, yet the rarest skill that people can possess.
Apart from me taking an interest in what others have to say, being bilingual means your cognitive abilities are better than others. While you learn a second language, you develop strong cognitive abilities and as you practice the second language, your cognitive abilities get even stronger.
Another positive point I observed in multilingual communication is the tendency to understand and respect different opinions. That’s why I found dual-language customer support professional and helpful.
For example, Xfinity Servicio al Cliente en español is a great initiative by the internet provider for Spanish speakers like myself. It is easy for me to communicate with them in my native language and they are always patient enough to understand my problem and quickly guide me to the solution.
I Had Better Job Opportunities
As of 2025, the World’s economy is more global than ever. Everything is connected in these times of technology and the internet. And when it comes to jobs, companies need skillful people from around the globe. That is when having a command over a second language can give you a huge advantage.
Where I currently work, we constantly target the Spanish market as well as the English. This has allowed me to work on exciting projects that helped me grow professionally and personally.
Apart from being multilingual, a deep understanding of American and Latin American markets has helped us grow as a company.
Even if I want to switch, I will likely have great opportunities outside of the current job market I am in or in my native job market. Another really cool aspect of hiring multilingual people is that if a company wants to start a project in a different market, already having the right set of people to get the job done will prove to be efficient and successful in the long run.
So, being bilingual gives you a huge edge in the job market.
I Earned More Money
Do you want to earn more? Mastering a second language is literally a currency in itself.
How do I back my statement? Facts. As I mentioned earlier, only 20% of the American population is bilingual, and when you count only professionals, the numbers decrease further.
So, what I am trying to say is that the demand is there but the supply is short. You can learn to add another skill and language to your resume. When coupled with hard and soft communication skills, you will have the upper hand when negotiating your salary and perks.
Since you as a professional will have higher demand, another pro of being bilingual is that you’d have the choice to opt for the best from multiple opportunities.
Now that you know being bilingual or multilingual is a skill that you should have, where do you start your journey? There are multiple apps available to learn a new language like Duolingo, and platforms like Busuu and more.
When you start learning a new language, make sure to practice it, otherwise you will not be able to master it.
