The Language Skill That Boosts Careers

As the US Latino population booms – and with it, its economic impact – Spanish is becoming an essential tool for workers and businesses alike to get ahead. Plus, why digital nomads spell big business.

How Spanish fluency became a competitive business advantage

During her first couple years in the advertising industry, Dani Herrera says colleagues asked her questions like, "Should we schedule this meeting for later in the afternoon? I know you people like to take a little siesta after lunch" and "How come you speak English so well?"

When Herrera moved from Argentina to New York City for work in her early 30s, she knew it would be a big adjustment – but she didn't expect to be on the receiving end of micro- and macro aggressions at work for her cultural and linguistic background.

She quickly learned many of her colleagues and bosses had a set, biased and stereotypical idea of how a Latina woman should look, act and sound. "Most of the interactions made me feel under-appreciated," says Herrera, now 39. She became reticent to speak Spanish in public, let alone at work.

This kind of stigmatisation is common and often begins early in life, says Fabiana Meléndez Ruiz, founder and CEO of Refuerzo Collaborative, a Latina-owned communications agency. "The memory that really sticks out to me is being told by my middle school teachers that I wasn't allowed to speak in Spanish with my peers out of fear that those who weren't bilingual would feel 'left out'."

Instead, she was the one who felt excluded. "English is my second language – something you wouldn't know now," says Meléndez Ruiz. "But when I was learning English, and could only depend on Spanish, I was left out of a lot of conversations, sometimes on purpose, because I didn't understand." Language was one of the few ties she had left to her native Venezuela, so she also felt her connection to her culture was diminished – even dismissed entirely.

While Latino communities and native Spanish speakers have long experienced discrimination, both personally and professionally, experts say that is changing, due in part to a recent mindset shift, particularly in the business world. As Latinos represent nearly three-quarters of the growth of the US labour force since 2010 – and their spending power rockets into the trillions – employers are beginning to see Spanish fluency, especially native fluency, as an increasingly desirable, even essential, quality.

"The ability to connect in a natural way to such a large portion of the world's population is incredibly valuable," says David Rice, an HR expert at People Managing People, a publication and community space for HR and people leaders. "It significantly expands what is possible for a person to work on as businesses increasingly think more global."

→ Read more from Cindy Lamothe

Digital nomads have billions to spend – entrepreneurs are cashing in

When Johannes Voelkner founded Nomad Cruise in 2015, his primary aim was to tackle loneliness. It was a problem he was well familiar with as a digital nomad; after five years on the road, he'd struggled always starting from scratch to meet people in new places.

Nomad Cruise is the first mobile conference for digital nomads. It combines skill-sharing, networking and celebration while travelling through breathtaking corners of the globe. And German-born Voelkner, 40, says it's achieving his aim.

"Once we arrive at the new destination, many people end up travelling together, and we organize reunions in beautiful destinations to build and foster this community," he says. Tickets for the company's upcoming 12th sailing – a 10-day transatlantic crossing from Spain to Brazil in December – start at around €1,000 ($1,073; ￡860). To date, upwards of 2,500 remote professionals from more than 80 countries have joined Nomad Cruise for work and wanderlust.

Beyond solving a problem, Voelkner is making money. His revenue comes from negotiating deals with cruise companies and adding travel experiences and onboard programming for new and established remote workers. A record 600 participants are expected on the upcoming transatlantic cruise, and his revenue to date nears €2m ($2.13m; ￡1.72m).

There's more to being a digital nomad than the images of coconut-toting workers sprawled on beaches with laptops. A quiet network of businesses is tapping into the need for resources and logistics that make the lifestyle possible. They're setting up nomads with virtual coworking spaces, events, mindset coaching and practical assistance to help them tackle the issues many nomads struggle with. And business is booming.

→ Read more from Rosie Bell

Thanks for reading this week. See you next week.

– Meredith Turits, Editor, BBC Worklife