Ready to join a fast growing profession? Become a Bilingual Customer Service Representative. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in customer service to grow 12.6 percent between now and 2022 and for Bilingual Customer Service Representative the growth is double the amount.
Bilingual Language abilities including Spanish fluency plays, a key role in landing these types of positions and most importantly in advancing a career.The demand is high for a Bilingual Spanish-English fluent person in the US as there is a very strong consumer purchasing power from the Hispanic consumer. The Hispanic consumer in the US has a strong appetite for products and services and it is growing. Many companies are increasing their marketing efforts to the Hispanic community in the US and with these efforts there is an increase for the need to provide customer service in Spanish.
What does a Bilingual Customer Service Professional do?
A Bilingual Customer Service Professional can help with a computer problem, assist with a purchase decision or answer a customers’ call to provide support on a product or service. This position acts as the middle person between the customer and the company selling the product or service.
Larger size employers offer great benefits including health care, vacation, sick pay, 401K plans, paid training, Tuition Assistance, bilingual, flexible schedules, Paid Vacations, Holidays, Personal Days, Some employers pay more for Bilingual abilities
Salary
The median annual salary for this position was $30,580 in 2012*. Top earners may earn more than $49,930 depending on the industry and years of experience. For beginners it is common to get paid hourly and for experienced and managers it is common to get annual salaries.
Training and Education Required
High School Diploma and Bachelor Degrees are required in many fields. The need for Bilingual Spanish fluent career seekers is so high in some sectors that the Degree requirement may be waived.
Many employers will provide paid training for several weeks within and outside their companies to provide the employee with the knowledge of the products, services and how to effective provide customer service to customers.Training is an excellent added value to your resume for future career opportunities and advancing your career.
Advice and Tips
If you have an outgoing personality, and enjoy talking with people this position may be good for you. This is a great career choice for people that want to work with people. This position also offers great career advancement opportunities. If the position requires a Bachelor Degree and you do not have one, apply for the position and use your Bilingual abilities and professional experience to waive the degree requirement.
In our recent survey of over 4,000 Bilingual Customer Services Representatives we found that flexibility in schedule and work environment were the two top reasons for choosing this career.
Applying for smaller companies may offer you a shorter and informal hiring process. Once you obtain experience and training you may transition to larger companies with more advanced career opportunities. The key to advancing your career is to keep getting training. Attend as many training seminars and classes as you can to enhance your resume.