The first and foremost hiring concern for any hiring manager considering a non-native English speaker is the level of communications skill they bring -- one can't very well instruct a subordinate who doesn't understand them, and it's difficult to give too much time to a direct report who is unable to ask questions in clearly understood language.
Conversely, Chinese languages (Mandarin particularly, but collectively including Wu, Min and Cantonese, etc.) rank among the most spoken in the world and are expected to grow in business influence and use over the next 30-40 years (as are Portuguese, Russian and certain of the more widely used Indian languages like Hindi) as the so-called “BRIC” countries (Brazil, Russia, India & China) grow in economic power. Fluency with financial or business terms in Mandarin particularly is considered a desirable trait.
There is a need for strong English fluency, and strong fluency in certain Chinese languages as well. A good resume, cover letter and even a blog can show both.
With respect to English, having resumes, cover letters and any public statements proofread by native speakers is a very helpful way to avoid tipping off less-than-perfect fluency. Any two different languages will almost always have differences in phrasing with respect to gender, verb placement/conjugation and modifiers (adverbs, adjectives) that natives might uncover more readily than non-natives. It’s a wise idea to build up a network of folks to draw proof-reading from, and it’s also a good idea to spend as much time immersed in the spoken and written words to further enhance fluency where appropriate. If one’s education was obtained internationally, it would be wise to highlight English-only coursework.
With respect to Chinese, fluency can be demonstrated using some of the same tools – for example, if a position asks for Mandarin fluency, why not have a two-part resume on a single document in Word – one version in English, one in Mandarin? Any Chinese language research papers, blogs, newsletter interviews should be highlighted as such.
Finally, any relevant specialized fluency in specific terminology (for example: medical, business, engineering) in one or the other language should be plainly stated.
Job Search Coach
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