Bilingual jobs aren’t new, but you may be surprised by the types of jobs and the language gaps Austin employers need to fill. If you speak Korean and are in the construction or administration fields, in particular, your prospects when it comes to bilingual jobs have recently multiplied.
When considering bilingual jobs in Austin—or anywhere in Texas, really—the language most likely to come to mind is Spanish. Roughly 20% of Austin’s population speaks Spanish, after all. But Austin is a tech hub, so there are unique opportunities for those who speak Asian languages. And those opportunities are growing.
Austin’s Bilingual Jobs Boom
The sudden acceleration in globalization since the pandemic started caused a 30% spike in remote bilingual jobs.
“These kinds of jobs include everything from language specialists to translators to interpreters, quality rater, communication manager, interviewer and customer service agents,” Tech Republic reports. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that jobs for interpreters and translators specifically are expected to increase 24% by 2030. “As the economy has become more globalized, and the dawn of the streaming era has made communication even more seamless between people in far corners of the world, the need for employees with bilingual skill sets has increased as well.”
Back in the Austin area, Samsung is a perfect example of how the tech boom and globalization are creating in-person opportunities for community members with unique skillsets. Samsung’s $17 billion investment in Taylor (just North of Austin) is expected to add 2,000 direct jobs when it’s completed in 2024. It’s already adding thousands of construction jobs and construction contractor opportunities.
The construction phase is possible through a collaboration of local contractors and workers and Korean-based entities familiar with constructing Samsung facilities in other parts of the world, including the company’s latest production facility in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. You guessed it: That means bilingual jobs are available in construction and administrative work to help all parties communicate and collaborate effectively.
The HT Group is filling these types of jobs right now. Some involve speaking Korean as a preferred qualification. These include scheduler, systems administrator, and project control manager jobs. Other opportunities come with bilingual requirements—including this admin assistant job—because the roles center around oral and written communication between Korean- and English-speaking team members. These bilingual jobs provide an excellent opportunity for job seekers who speak Korean but perhaps never considered it a job-specific skill.
A Potential Cultural Shift
The Dallas area is home to the largest Korean-American population in Texas and the fourth-largest in the U.S., thanks to it being a robust technology hub for major Korean-based companies (including Samsung). The new build in Taylor could give bilingual workers a reason to move south but stay within the Lone Star state.
“We believe there will be new opportunities for people of all backgrounds. This project is poised to be a transformative moment for the community,” Samsung said on its website. With so many new jobs available thanks to the Samsung expansion, local officials expect a strong job market for existing community members and plenty of opportunities for newcomers.
As the Austin American-Statesman reports, Taylor Mayor Brandt Rydell predicts Samsung’s arrival could widen the town’s cultural perspective. “He said the Taylor City Council has spoken to Samsung about considering starting a sister city program with a city in South Korea, and the Taylor H-E-B store already has added some Korean cuisine options,” the Stateman writes.
“There’s going to be a Korean cultural influence that will be visited upon Taylor that we’ve never seen in our history,” Rydell continues. “I’m very excited about what that can mean in terms of bridging the two worlds.”
It could really set you apart if you’re qualified for and open to exploring bilingual jobs. Reach out to our HT Group recruiters, and be sure to let us know if you’re fluent in other languages.
