Your Job Search and The "Jargon" of Industry Language

Look up the definition of "Jargon" and you will likely find something that reads... The language used for a particular activity or by a particular group of people, i.e. legal jargon, sports jargon or medical jargon - the kind which is only understood by medical professionals. Every profession, every trade and every industry has it own unique "Jargon". It's the language that is spoken daily at any place of work when two or more people are gathered discussing the job, the clients, the business and its results. This language can also vary from department to department depending on what the function and role of the department is within the organization.

When it comes to job searching, jargon and its effective use by the candidate can be a make or break point to landing the job. For Hispanic professionals that have been educated in countries outside of the U.S. learning and embracing industry jargon can be one of the most challenging obstacles to finding great jobs. As people transition to the U.S. English as a second language focuses on conversational English. Hello, good-bye and how do I get to the train station? Although necessary and essential, when it comes to finding a job, a true mark of a professional or qualified job seeker is greatly connected to how well they are able to speak the industry language in terms that are common to that environment or career field.

As a foreign or relatively new job seekers in the U.S. concentrate on learning and understanding your trade language. Drill down into Google and do searches on any industry jargon. I can assure you that hundreds will pop up. For Spanish/English speakers make learning industry language a priority. One of my favorite sites is BusinessSpanish.com. This website is primarily for English speakers who want to learn business Spanish; but I find its versatility very appropriate even for Spanish speakers wanting to learn business English. The site has great audio features that allow you to hear words in their proper pronunciation. Its best feature is its vocabulary listing that groups words by industry or career field. Proper use of industry jargon makes a resume powerful and provides a great impression during an interview. Learn the power of words. Use internet resource as a source of learning. And remember that a kindergarten vocabulary will not help you land the college level job you want.