Customer service jobs: top foreign languages needed

Customer service jobs involve interacting with a range of people, including foreign customers. Here we spotlight the foreign languages in demand.

Customer service
Customer service jobs require language skills in two main areas. Firstly, Australia is a cosmopolitan country, with a demography reflecting centuries of immigration. According to the 2006 Census, around 21% speak languages other than English in the home. Secondly, Australia is a trading nation with links to international business partners.

While most of the first and second generation settlers will use English when contacting customer services, some of the older generation are more likely to speak their own language at home. Customers will appreciate if you can display knowledge of their native language to assist with their enquiries.

Italian and Greek
After traditional English speakers (descended from the UK and Ireland), Italian is the next largest community. The next most widely-spoken language is Greek.

Asian
There are large Asian populations in Australia (17% of Sydney, 16% of Melbourne). They speak a variety of languages, principally Chinese and Vietnamese.

International customers
Foreign clients who may contact you will tend to use English (USA and Canada are leading trading partners). But China and Japan are by far Australia’s largest customer base (and are also growing hugely), with Korea and Indonesia also providing significant numbers.

Of European Union customers, Dutch, French and German are the most widely used languages.