In today’s global workplace, your competition has grown far beyond your circle of freelance friends. You are now competing with millions of individuals worldwide who are competing for the same jobs, and probably charging less.

Now more than ever, freelancers are aggressively competing for a shrinking job market. How do you land a job? You could charge less to compete with freelancers overseas. Or you could sharpen your skill set and make it difficult for an employer to set aside your resume.

Check out this blog post I'm reading: Freelancing: How a 2nd language can improve your game Share on X

Language learning is one of the best ways to distinguish yourself as a freelancer in the global workplace. Here are five reasons why.

1. Tap into the Global Dialogue

As a successful freelancer, you’re already well aware of the benefits of networking. When you’re out on your own, you must keep your eyes and ears open wherever you go for people who might need your skills.

The same is true on Twitter or Facebook, as well as on popular industry job-hunting sites. Being fluent in a second language through a program like pimsleur French or pimsleur German will enable you to broaden your job search net and score jobs that are conducted in a different language.

2. Reach a Larger Audience

Why limit yourself to an English-speaking audience? Knowing a second language means being able to resell or re-post any materials you retain the license to in a different language so you can get paid twice for the same work. The more work you do in more languages, the more potential followers you can bring to your web or social media site, the faster you’ll become known as an expert in your subject area.

3. Impress Big Clients

While English is the standard language of business, clients who speak other languages will be impressed if you’ve taken the initiative to broaden your linguistic reach. It will show them you are a big thinker who understands and cares about a larger audience. Even if the dialogue reverts to English, showing this kind of respect will make you stick out.

4. Go Deeper, Do More

If your freelance job is writing, having more than a basic understanding of a second language will allow you to find better leads both online and in another country, and to speak in greater depth with the people you meet. You’ll find real stories told by real voices, and get a much better sense of the culture in which you’re operating.

Freelancers in other industries will find much the same benefits, adding important tools to their chest that will enable them to engage more deeply with subject materials stemming from all cultures.

5. Level the Playing Field

Though the poor economy has altered the job landscape considerably, many of the most competitive markets still remain in countries where English is either the native or the operational language. For novice freelance journalists in particular, situating yourself in a place like London or New York means having to claw your way past very talented peers who won’t look past the English market. Learning a second language will allow you to settle down in a country more off the beaten track, get the bigger leads and more impressive resume earlier in your career, and be the go-to person when a global story breaks.

The age of the monolingual workplace is over. Learning a second language can better help you find the rich and interesting work that motivated you to become a freelancer in the first place. So cozy up to a language guide and get going!

About the author
Adria Saracino is the Head of Outreach at a creative internet marketing agency and a travel and language enthusiast. She is also a freelance marketing strategist, stylist, and graphic designer. You can find her writing about style on her personal fashion blog or pursuing one of variety of freelancing opportunities.