The meaning of language skills for career mobility in the new career landscape

摘要

The present paper establishes a relationship between language skills and career mobility. Due to increased internationalization, reduced job security, and a shift in career ownership to the individual, language skills represent a key career competence today. Using qualitative and quantitative data collected with a survey in Finland, we uncovered multiple career-related meanings for language skills. Language skills permeated the basic components of career competence - "knowing how," "knowing why," and "knowing whom" - and enabled respondents to cross boundaries. The respondents who possessed the best language skills also demonstrated the highest levels of both psychological and physical career mobility. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.