Why Good English Matters In Applying For A Job

No man is an island, so the old saying goes. And how can you be an island? With the Philippine population pegged at 88 million last 2007, you cannot deny that you are not alone. This requires us to learn how to interact with other people to be able to survive, and a major foundation of human interaction is communication. Without good and effective communication, where will we find our society today?

There are different ways to communicate, but the most valuable communication resource sought after in the market is fluency in the English language. As the universal language, the use of English enables us to cross the boundaries of different cultures. This is extremely helpful in this day and age, with different businesses going global, and more opportunities for work and business opening up beyond our country’s borders.

Because of these opportunities, more job vacancies are opening up that require fluency in English. Many of our budding industries right now have international clientele. These types of businesses require good English skills to be able to maintain their company operations. This makes English one of the skills that support the lifeline of their company – their international clients.

The need to learn English is not just restricted to businesses that have international relations. With the numerous dialects in the Philippines, English is becoming a second language with which we can conduct business deals with. It provides a cue that discussions conducted in this language mean serious business, and is separate from personal affairs. Many official documents are also written in English. It is important for those receiving and handling these documents that they are able to understand them. Wrong interpretations of the contents of important documents could mean life or death. This can happen in many different fields, in as simple as daily transactions at a store, making an investment with your hard earn money, or saving a life in the E.R.

Despite all the benefits of English to a company, not all positions in a company require good English skills. For some companies, only key personnel are required to be fluent in the English language. These key positions are usually positions of authority – positions that can make or break a deal. Majority of these positions have supervisory or managerial roles. Their need to master the English language is brought about by the need for accuracy, precision and clarity in their communications with their clients. It is from these communications that the rest of the company will get their daily tasks from, and ensure that the company is moving like clockwork. Correct judgment calls made from proper understanding of client needs are what run a company, and ensure that many of us continue to have a career and a source of living.

Since not everybody is applying for such a role, many job seekers can opt to not master the English language. However, this would limit the length of your growth in your career of choice. For many of us, we dream of eventually being able to hold high levels of responsibility, and receive the equivalent compensation for such work. Companies will consider how far your abilities can benefit them. Without mastery of the English language, both your dream, and your usefulness to the company, will be severely limited.

Given all these reasons, if not for the sake of your future company, the least you can do is to arm yourself with the tools you will need to make your life better. You don’t need to be a genius to master English. All it requires is your determination. English is simply a skill, and just like any other skill, it can be learned and it can be developed. All it takes is for you to make that decision.