Bilingual Job Blog

So that's why my peformance reviews sound like they were written by a robot

2005-12-14T15:50:00.000-08:00

"That's where technology comes in. As Kimberly-Clark's global team developed the new process, it also shopped for software that could support it. A suite of HCM applications from SuccessFactors Inc. now helps speed the review process, in part by supplying a "robot" that provides thousands of sample phrases and assessments to help managers write reviews. Buthman says a review that once took him six or seven hours to prepare can now be done in a third of that time."

for complete article, go here:http://systematichr.com/?p=220

general information about the bilingual job market and hr tactics

2005-12-14T11:16:00.002-08:00

Basic article about who's hiring, what languages are most in demand etc. This is written from the point of view of HR so it gives you some idea of their mindset, what they are looking for, and the jargon you need to navigate an interview...
SHRM ARTICLE

general information about the bilingual job market and hr tactics

2005-12-14T11:16:00.001-08:00

general information about the bilingual job market and hr tactics

2005-12-14T11:16:00.000-08:00

featured bilingual job of the day

2005-12-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

Bilingual Social Worker, Atlanta GA
http://www.bilingualcareer.com/jobdetails.php?job_id=459

Have at It

2005-12-07T11:29:00.000-08:00

The purpose of this blog is to provide a networking device for bilingual jobseekers, share stories, advice, etc. I (the infamous larosa23) manage http://www.bilingualcareer.com so I feel like I have some insight into the bilingual market, what employers are looking for, what companies to avoid, etc. I grew up half in Mexico and half in the states, but I have some pretty strong ties to the Chinese community through my work as an accelerated learning tutor. If you are multilingual but still have some problems with English, feel free to post any questions you might have about wording for resumes, cover letters, copy, etc.

The Hottest Bilingual Jobs of 2006

2005-12-07T11:17:00.000-08:00

Hot Bilingual Jobs of 2006 and How to Get Them

As corporations struggle to meet the needs of the country’s booming population Asian and Latino American consumers, bilingual jobseekers have a real advantage.
“My mother got payed less than co-workers from English speaking backgrounds; I find that the opposite is true for me.” Says Orquidea Long, who works as a medical records technician in Eugene, Oregon.
Top bilingual job sites, like Bilingualcareer.com and LatPro, report that the medical field, specifically the pharmaceutical industry, currently has the fastest growing need for bilingual employees. Not a pharmacist or a doctor? Don’t worry, the most common openings in these industries are in:

l sales
l customer service
l accounts
l auditing
l marketing
l consultancy

As a matter of fact, in any given industry these sectors tend to offer the most bilingual job openings, which gives bilingual jobseekers a diverse range of options to choose from.

Although Orquidea’s job did not require official certification of her bilingual status, she says that she made sure to familiarize herself with industry terms in both languages before she applied.
“I grew up speaking Spanish around the house, but that doesn’t mean that I instantly knew how to say ‘donor’ or ‘cardiovascular’; I didn’t even know some of these terms in English. But it’s just like getting ready for any other job interview, it just takes a little research.”
Before applying, Orquidea practiced her professional phone voice, positive demeanor, and other attributes that are considered assets in almost any job, bilingual or not. Although these skills are not connected to her bilingual status, Orquidea says that she still drew upon her cultural resources.
“I feel that my Latino heritage helps me at my job. Mexican culture is very friendly, outgoing, and family oriented. I feel that my upbringing made me more outgoing, which helps me make our customers more comfortable. Obviously the same would be true of someone from any background who was raised in a large outgoing family; however in this case the majority of our clients are Hispanic, and I do have an innate understanding of specific cultural etiquette and other customs. Its really just a matter of taking what you have and turning it into an advantage.”

My Abuela Always Won in the End

2005-12-07T11:15:00.000-08:00

Bilingual Careers-Then and Now

“Appurate!” My grandmother yelled from the car. “Hurry up!” My mother, yelled, as though attempting to drown her out. My mother and grandmother were at war with one another when it came to language. My mother, who emigrated from Mexico when she was sixteen and worked hard to overcome the language barrier, was convinced that Spanish would be nothing but a hindrance to us; a stigma. She still spoke Spanish to her sisters, but she always made a point to address us children in English. My grandmother ignored this mandate, and spoke (or more frequently yelled) strictly in Spanish. When we spoke English she stubbornly pretended she couldn’t understand us, though my mother pointed out that never seemed to have any problem following the plots or plays on words when watching her favorite TV shows. Though this battle between my mother and grandmother raged for years, in the end my grandmother won out. As it happens, so did I.
At first I didn’t see Spanish as an advantage. Spanish was a way to safely gossip while waiting in line at the grocery store; Spanish was a way for me and my cousin to trade secrets at school. Cursing was more satisfying in Spanish, love songs more mournful. But until the internet boomed, Spanish was a private comfort, not a marketable asset. All that has changed.
With the US census bureau projecting a 188% increase in our Hispanic population over the course of the next 50 years, corporations are scrabbling to catch up and meet the needs of an increasingly bilingual populace. Today, sites like LatPRo and bilingualcareer.com rival Monster.com as job search and hiring resources. These sites offer corporations a way to meet their growing need for industry specific bilingual professionals; they offer me a way to pursue a professional career from home.
Despite these innovations I noticed that many childhood friends weren’t utilizing their bilingual advantage. Some worked at minimum wage customer service jobs when they could have been making considerably more money in a similar bilingual position. Others were professionals who were still making less money than they would have had they been utilizing their bilingual skills. Because they, like myself, were raised to think of their native language as a liability, they had never realized that it was now a marketable asset. I introduced one friend to my favorite web-based job finders (bilingualcareer.com, LatPro, etc.), and she now works half time and makes the same amount she was making at her previous (non-bilingual) job. Another friend leapt from non-bilingual telemarketing to working as a marketing liaison to the Latino community. As a translator, I am able to work from home and spend plenty of time with my kids. Which ensures that, yes, they do speak Spanish.

Monster?

2005-12-07T10:53:00.000-08:00

I grumpily survey my Monster.com resume stats. Despite my diligent efforts (like updating resume every day to ensure high circulation), only 12 people have looked at my resume since I posted it six weeks ago. For a moment I’m afraid that I’m just not qualified, that my resume sucks, that I’ll never find another decent job again. As usual, my friends come to my rescue. It turns out I’m not alone. Several friends who are also using major job search engines have the same complaints, and my friend Celeste, who recently found a high paying job working in marketing, has a solution.
“Potential employers get lost sifting through resumes on the bigger sites. It’s a better idea to find a job board that plays up to your individual skills. The employers who go to that site obviously value your skill above all, and are probably willing to pay for it.”
Apparently more and more people have the same idea as Celeste. Specialized, or ‘boutique’, job boards are a growing trend.
“Providing employers with a specific resume pool is not a new idea. Headhunters have been around since the 50’s or before, but they only accept resumes from top executives. The internet has opened up the doors to the rest of the workforce, who are beginning to understand that their own skills are often just as specific and merit the same kind of specialized services.” says Joyce Svitak, who started http://www.bilingualcareer.com in 2003. Joyce’s site operates the same way Monster does: jobseekers get free services, but corporations pay money to have access to a pool of applicants who are more closely matched to their profile.
Not bilingual? About.com and other directories offer forums for almost every thing under the sun. Most professions have affiliated professional associations, which range from the broad (Professional Association of Teachers) to the obscure (The Northern California Book Publishing and Marketing Association). Association websites generally have links to specialized job boards, discussion groups, and other skill appropriate job forums.
I tell my unemployed friend Candy about this.
“That’s all very well for you, but what about a job board for my special skills...um...blogging? eating too much pasta? reading comics?”