Getting a job is increasingly difficult for many people, including Brazilians. At such a critical time like this during the Covid-19 pandemic it will become an extremely laborious task to search for a job.
It has become increasingly necessary to improve your skills, and most companies and employees recognise the huge importance of English in the job market and in your career.
According to a survey by the World Labor Organization in May 2020, Latin America has a total of 47 million unemployed. In Brazil, in October 2020, news came out that about 13.5 million Brazilians were unemployed.
These numbers are already having a direct impact on those who are regularly applying for jobs. Many are looking for solutions to make them stand out from the crowd here so that they can land a job interview.
A good command of your own language and good communication skills have always been extremely important in the business world, especially for those who work in teams.
Knowing how to communicate correctly with your colleagues will have a great impact on your day to day within the company, and may even prevent future problems.
However, just being good at communicating as a team member is not the only thing companies are looking for these days. Just knowing how to convey what you need in your native language, even in the best possible way, is no longer enough.
But Why Learn English for Work?
Today, knowing at least one new language is extremely beneficial. And, of course, English is one of the most important languages today.
According to the 22nd edition of the World Tips Ethnologue, more than one billion people speak the English language, this includes natives and non-natives. In non-native English speaking countries, English still features on our TVs, in many magazines and advertisements, on our mobile phones, in many other places.
However, one of English’s biggest impact is on the careers of non-natives. It is an inescapable a fact. Nowadays, knowledge of the English language has become a must for the most desirable and well-paying jobs.
Stand out from your competitors
Competition in the job market between candidates is immense and is increasing for those looking for a new job. Often times, you can add new things to your CV to stand out from the other candidates.
According to a survey by the British Council, only 5% of Brazilians actually speak English. That said, with English on your resume, your chances of getting that job interview that you have dreamed of may be closer to becoming a reality.
Your Life Inside a Company Almost Entirely In English
With increasing globalisation, the English language is taking over our daily lives more and more. Many software applications that you can use in your work environment will not be in English and, most of the time, they don't even have templates in Portuguese or in your native langauge!
In addition, there will be a lot of specialist Business English vocabulary that will be used daily. Words such as orientation, briefing, meeting, etc. You will need to understand of their meanings in order to use them in the right way, you don't want to make a small mistake which might embarrass you.
Have The Best Universities In The World On Your Resume
Being fluent in English, having a chance to get into one of the best colleges in the world is a possibility. Harvard, Stanford, Yale… your dream of living a college life could come true.
But, well, what does this have to do with your professional life? Everything! With an international college on your CV, your chances of being selected will increase.
If you really want to, you can also look into doing an exchange program.
The Need to Communicate in English at Work
You will need to communicate with your co-workers, manager and/or boss in your native language. But you may also have to communicate in English at some point.
Perhaps a supplier in an English speaking got the last order wrong and you might be the person to resolve it. For reasons like this, English will be of the utmost importance.
Be Able to Travel Internationally
If you work for a large company or an international company, it is possible that you may be sent abroad on a business trip.
Or perhaps, for example, you've been promoted or chosen to work at one of the company's US offices. The possibilities are endless, but all of them require a solid working knowledge of the English language.
Bringing New Achievements and Opportunities to the Company
With the understanding of English, you as an employee will have even more opportunities to grow within the company. You will be a valuable asset if you can successfully deal with a client abroad in English.
Some of the Best Jobs That Need English
English is increasingly becoming a necessity instead of an option for many job vacancies out there.
Each profession can have specific vocabulary, and you can learn more about technical English in here.
Some of them, for example, are:
Tourism and Hospitality
This profession requires knowledge of several different languages, and English is one of the most important among them.
The salary in Brazil is between R$1,000 and R$2,500 per month (€166 to €416 a month, in January 2021).
International relations
With this area, you will have many opportunities to choose what you want to pursue in your professional career. Salaries range from R$2,500 to R$38,000!(€416 to €6,333 a month).
IT professionals
Most of the tools, materials etc that will be used by professionals in this area is in English, so it is essential to have a good knowledge of the language if you want to pursue this career.
The salary in this profession varies between R$1,500 and R$16,000 or much more(€250 to €2666 a month). There is huge demand for IT professionals in Ireland, especially Dublin, but be warned that the cost of living is high too.
Flight attendant and pilot
The need for fluency in English for airline pilots starts from the requirements of the courses themselves, which follow American standards, and extends to training and practice in daily work, with air traffic using many English words.
According to Vagas.com, the salary of a flight attendant is between R$2,400 and R$5,000 (€600 and €833 per month).
A pilot, according to a survey carried out by Catho, can earn between R$2,500 (€416) and can reach up to R$12,000(€2,000). If you work as an executive aviation pilot, this amount can reach up to R$30,000 (€5,000)!
You can read more about English for Aviation here.
Foreign trade
Within foreign trade, as in international relations, there are many career opportunities. You can have the freedom to choose the one that suits you best or that pays the most money.
The salary varies between R$1,600 and R$18,600 ( €266 - €3,100).
Translator of texts, videos, audio, etc
You can use your new knowledge of the English language to help and work for those who are in need of correct and reliable translations of important documents, audio and/or video.
One of the biggest trends these days, for example, is creating captions/subtitles for videos by influencers/youtubers.
The value for this career varies between R$1,100 and R$4,300 (€183 - €716), according to Catho. A self-employed professional can earn even more, charging by the number of words.
English interpreter
Little researched (and perhaps also little desired), this profession promises to bring you great benefits. The salary of an English interpreter varies between R$2,500 and up to R$15,000 (€416-€2,500).
Software development
Almost all (if not all!) programming languages use English. When writing lines and lines of code, this will be language that you will use. The salaries for a developer range from R$1,800 to R$7,600 (€300-€1266) but of course you can earn much, much more in an English speaking country.
English teacher
With this language you can earn money by teaching others. The most spoken language in the world is also the most sought after. The need for English teachers is huge because of the people who, like you who are reading this article, want to improve their CV. This number grows every day.
And, of course, having fluency in the language, English will no longer limit you. You can teach what you want and what you know to anyone around the world.
Salaries range from R$1,300 to R$2,800,(€216 - €466) according to Catho. Working as a freelancer, you can earn even more.
Engineering
Another area with many career options and high pay is engineering. The most basic in this area earns around R$1,220 (€203), the highest can exceed the mark of R$16,600 (€2,766).
Engineering is another industry where you can earn a lot of money abroad. You can read our English for Engineering review here.
Administration
A profession that is very well known and that requires a good knowledge of the English language is the area of administration. With English, you will be able to do international negotiations for your company without fear of making mistakes.
The salary for this career, for the most part, varies from city to city. They are usually between R$2,400 (€400) and R$5,900 (€983).
Accounting
As in the administration area, the accounting area is growing more and more with each passing day. Salaries in this career range between R$3,300 and R$5,300 (€550 - €883).
New Language, New Career Opportunities
Many more doors can open for you when you have fluency in the English language. Advantages such as the possibility of an exchange, business or even personal trips, living abroad etc.
They alone are desirable and awesome enough in their own right, but with proper knowledge of this language, new job opportunities may come your way.
One of the new trends, for example, is being able to work for people abroad (even while staying at home!). Whether as a full-time, part-time or freelancer, a whole new world of opportunities will open up to you!
Your Career Advantages Will Be Endless
Once you have acquired a good knowledge of the English language, your range of professional opportunities will expand.
You can work for anyone around the world (even from your own home!), all you need is an understanding of the English language and a little creativity.
Currently, there are new professions and roles appearing all the time, each one different from the other. You can also dedicate yourself to what you already know how to do and work/sell this product or service to someone who needs it.
If you are looking to learn English for a Masters, click here to learn more in an article coming soon.
Conclusion
English is already part of our day-to-day lives, and we cannot escape it. It is present in our favourite music, in our favourite series and movies, on our menus, in our academic lives, but most of all, in our professional lives.
You can read about the influence of the English language in Brazil here or learn how to make a study routine to learn English in here.
With high levels of unemployment and high competitiveness, those who are looking for a new job need to seek to improve their resumes more and more.
English, for example, has gone from a simple and unnecessary requirement to an obligation. With fluency in English on your resume, your chances of getting the dream job are immense.
You will have even more importance to your company, becoming a more valued employee.
If you are interested in working for yourself, no problem! With the knowledge of the English language and a dash of creativity, you can find many opportunities in your professional life.
Discover the best curiosities about the English language in here.
You may also be interested in our online video course for sale on Udemy for €29.99/69.99R$: "Eliminate the Mistakes Portuguese Speaking People Make in English". 4 hours of video exclusively for people who speak Portuguese. You can read more about it and watch free videos here.
Our original eBook from 2016 "Eliminate the 63 Most Important Mistakes that Portuguese Speakers Make in English" is on sale here for €6.99, you can read more about the book and its method here and read a free sample here.
Can you feel the weight of English when looking for a job? Or did you get a new job just because of the language? Leave your experiences in the comments!