How to Flaunt Multilingual Skills on a Resume

Looking to make your resume a top contender in the job market?

If you speak several languages, flaunt it. Multilingual skills are an asset that most applicants won’t possess. Here’s how to make the most of your language skills.

List the languages you speak at the top of your resume in a section titled “Highlights.” After each language, indicate your level of comprehension in speech, reading/writing, and listening, or, if applicable, indicate your complete fluency.

Include all language-related roles and experiences in the “Skills” section of your resume. If you have provided translation services at church or helped elders write letters to family members living in non-English speaking counties, these are experiences worth mentioning.

In the “Education” section, list the foreign language placement exams you’ve taken at both high school and college levels as well as your test results. A first-year university student who tests into a third-year language class, for example, is highly proficient. This should be noted on your resume.

Once you land an interview, rave about your multilingual skills but do so indirectly. Be sure to mention any time spent time overseas doing social work, visiting family, or studying. These activities demonstrate your confidence and completion of tasks in a foreign setting, which is what new employees will do during their early weeks on the job.

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