A recent report from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics expects the employment of US translators and interpreters to increase 22 percent between 2008 and 2018. As domestic jobs begin to outsource and branch internationally due to the affects of globalization, employers are seeking the means to break the language barrier.
“When you turn on the television, they’re talking about how the market is crashing in Slovakia, how bailing out Greece is going to help us,” said Spanish lecturer Alejandro Jacky. “It gives you an idea of just how interconnected every culture and every community is these days. We live in such a globalized market, and if you want to stay competitive, you have to access all these different global nodes.”
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Do you struggle to reach customers beyond your own country’s borders? If targeting clients in other countries seems daunting, there is one simple step you can start with: Translate something.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than half of the total U.S. population growth between 2000 and 2010 was due to the increase in the Hispanic population. From 1980-2007, the percentage of people whose first language is not English grew by 140 percent, while the nation’s overall population grew by 34 percent.
Many 21st century jobs require individuals who have specific skill sets or competencies which can be proven with certifications, ratings, or official measurements. Rarely would it be enough to trust a job candidate to evaluate his or her own abilities as a computer programmer who claims to be proficient in a specific programming language. Nor would it be acceptable to have a current employee ask a few questions to find out if a candidate can handle a complicated, technical, and demanding job.