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Do you see a lot of business travel in your future? If you’re a business traveler, then it’s time to think about learning a foreign language. For example, if your company intends to explore business opportunities in Russia, you can learn Russian.
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No doubt, learning a foreign language will consume some of your time and energy. But the business benefits of doing so cannot be underestimated. In this post we list some of those benefits.
1. Learning a New Language Improves Communication
When you choose to do business outside your own country, you should prepare to encounter language barriers. To overcome these barriers, you will need to hire interpreters and translators to help you out.
However, you can never be sure whether your business message is being passed along correctly. Each language has its nuances, and sometimes things get lost in translation. This factor may cause you to commit a faux pas unknowingly.
When you make these mistakes as a business traveler, your international acquaintances and business partners may feel offended. Moreover, you may cause your company to lose business deals when those you try to impress feel disrespected and offended.
You also need to think about the cost of hiring multilingual professionals to help you interpret and translate things. Your business will have to pay for the associated expenses. Importantly, the costs can add up quickly if you continue to travel and do business internationally.
By learning the foreign language that you will be using often during your business travels, you bypass all these challenges. You will be best positioned to express yourself well and thus improve communication with the business people you will meet. There is a lower chance of creating confusion.
2. It Expands Your Professional Network
It’s easy to keep to yourself when you have no idea of how to communicate when you’re a business traveler in a different country. However, by doing so, you will lose the chance to connect with others in your industry.
On the other hand, if you learn a foreign language, you will be able to communicate more with others in your industry. And that will enable you to expand your professional network.
In business, it’s always about whom you know, rather than just what you know. So, when you can communicate with others in their languages, you will build relationships at an international level. When you need help to solve an international business issue, you are more likely to get help.
Your professional network is an asset. And learning a foreign language will help you expand it beyond your national boundaries.
3. It Increases Business Travelers’ Job Prospects
Due to the communication challenges that exist when companies do business internationally, many consider multi-lingual professionals as assets.
If you learn a foreign language like Russian, you will become your company’s go-to person for all Russian-related business matters. That means you will be given more professional responsibilities that may come with higher positions. Your income is likely to increase as a result.
Also, if your employer lets you go, you don’t have to worry so much about getting another job. Listing a foreign language as one of your skills in your resume makes you stand out. Corporations looking for employees with your kind of skillset are more likely to hire you. And you will be in a much better position to perform company tasks internationally on behalf of your company.
Therefore, learning a foreign language makes you more marketable as an employee. You are more likely to get hired by multinational companies.
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Business Travelers Should Learn a Foreign Language to Enhance Their Careers
As more companies establish roots in European countries like Russia, the demand for employees who speak foreign languages will rise. One thing you need to do is to get a Russian visa to facilitate your business travels. In the meantime, if you’re a business traveler, start learning a foreign language. It will enhance your career and boost your business opportunities.