University of New Mexico jobs - El Paso, TX

Spanish jobs in the United States are much more common than employment opportunities based on skills in other languages. Many of the jobs require specialized skills and education.

Spanish Speaking Population Statistics As of July 2009, it is estimated that the Hispanic population constituted 16%, or 48 million, of the nation's total population 48 million. This does not count the 4 million residents in US territories of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. The majority of Hispanic individuals living in the US speak fluent English; however, Spanish speakers are sought to fill positions in numerous industries all over the country due to the now sizable market formed by the Spanish-speaking population. The US regions with the largest percentage of Spanish language speakers include the following:

Source: Hispanic Americans: Census Facts — InfoPlease.com
• Los Angeles County, California (4.7 million)
• Starr County, Texas (97%)
• Of 3,143 counties in the United States, 50 of them have a Hispanic majority.
• In 21 states, Hispanics are the largest minority group. These states include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wyoming.

Job-Related Language Skills As with other languages, while having fluency in Spanish can give candidates an edge, it is no substitute for job experience, training, and education. The greatest advantage to knowing Spanish is that it gives candidates an edge in so many fields. Medical and healthcare positions like a nurse job, for example, are very competitive--knowing Spanish fluently helps candidates, particularly in areas like Los Angeles County where regardless of where you work, a large number of patients speak Spanish (and some of them are unable to communicate in English at all). Even work in areas specifying other languages, such as Portuguese jobs or technical areas like 3D jobs will tend to regard Spanish skills as a plus and one that makes a candidate look well-rounded, even if the language isn't required for the job.

Industries Employing Spanish Speakers Due to the growing number of native Spanish speakers in the United States, companies in most industries are experiencing a growing client base of customers who use Spanish to communicate. Jobs that require high numbers of bilingual speakers, include healthcare, hotel and restaurant careers, public and private teaching, writing and editing, intelligence jobs, call centers, customer service, and government work. Some highly desirable work--though not always high paying--such as positions shown on this telecommuting job board, can be extremely competitive with positions receiving hundreds of applications. In this scenario, pluses like bilingual reading, writing, and speaking skills can make the difference in securing employment. This applies to entry-level as well as management-level positions; language skills may not guarantee a position, but they often set candidates apart.

Use this board to find or post a Spanish job, and check for updates each day.