How Languages Can Help Your Charity Career
With an increasing number of people looking for charity jobs, the sector can be competitive. But there are ways to stand out from the crowd—and speaking another language is one of them. It’s a diverse and multicultural sector. And being able to speak to your colleagues, donors and beneficiaries in a clear, engaging way makes a big difference. Let’s look at how languages can help your charity career.
Language creates opportunities
Nearly twenty years ago, Dame Suzi Leather identified communication as the biggest challenge faced by the third sector. Today, we’re still having the same conversations around how we communicate our mission and connect with our beneficiaries. Many charity roles involve direct communication with stakeholders.
Of course, you don’t have to be multilingual to work in the charity sector. But for some roles, where you’re in contact with stakeholders whose first language isn’t your own, it can really help. It can open up certain opportunities at international charities in, for example, animal welfare, human rights, environment and development. It can also be an advantage at domestic charities in areas like health, social care, education and comms.
According to a survey commissioned by the British Academy, ‘just 21% of UK adults can have a conversation in a modern language that isn’t their mother tongue.’ So being able to speak a second language can give you an advantage over other candidates.
Language helps you make connections
Building trust and relationships is vital in charity work. And language skills are enormously helpful in this. Connecting with local leaders, colleagues and service users is easier when you speak their first language. They’ll feel better understood, and it gives you a better insight into their needs and experiences and the support you can offer.
If you’re working with donors and governing bodies, you’ll be better able to share your ethos and emphasise your purpose. The more they understand what drives you, the more invested they’ll become. This builds trust and loyalty, and can draw more support—and funding—to your cause.
When you make meaningful connections with people, you’ll be able to carry out informed work that’ll make a real difference. And if learning a new language is the best way to help you achieve that, it’s an investment worth making.
Language makes you more adaptable
The charity sector is full of challenges, from funding and legislation to recruiting volunteers. One moment you may be speaking to team members overseas, the next you could be appealing to local government. It’s all about being adaptable and tailoring your communication to the people you’re in contact with.
In a competitive jobs market, having the language to deal with changeable situations and different personalities can set you apart from other candidates.
It also means you could work in a variety of roles. Your skills will be valuable to several different departments within an organisation. A willingness to travel and make contacts in other regions where the charity operates shows not only dedication but flexibility.
Language boosts your other skills
As well as strengthening your CV, learning a second language can help your career development in other ways too. Studies have shown that language learning has benefits for the brain, such as better concentration, memory and performance.
It can aid problem solving and decision making, soft skills that recruiters will welcome. It’s even been shown to contribute to empathy. That’s great for charity work, which calls for sensitivity, understanding and effective collaboration.
More generally, having a second language is a way to expand your horizons and boost your confidence. These are all ideal skills and experience for a career in the charity sector.
Thinking of using your language skills to change the world? Find out what charities are hiring today.
This post was originally published in 2019. We’ve updated it to ensure relevance and to reflect the current job seeker experience.
