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

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.