In the IT sphere everything is built on international connections and clients, and English is naturally the language of international communication. Of course, you won’t be able to get a job in a foreign company only being fluent in this language and having no other skills. Nevertheless, learning English is extremely important for a budding IT specialist.
English has become the most widely used language for communication in all areas of business and the official language of 67 different countries and 27 non-sovereign entities around the world. In the field of information technologies a major part of orders for software development come to domestic IT specialists from foreigners who prefer to communicate in English. But the language may also be used in cooperation with foreign colleagues, career opportunities, for understanding of specific terminology, for free study of technical documentation, communication in the international community, self-development, improvement of brain function etc.
Since the moment our company was founded we can hardly remember a project where knowledge of English was not obligatory. Even the easiest positions demand at least B1 level of English to say nothing of the development positions where B1 is considered to be low. There were a few occasions when a really decent specialist was refused because of lack of this important skill.
Perhaps for some people, especially for would-be IT specialists, these stories will be motivating and influence their thoughts or views. Once, we conducted an interview for a very gifted guy. He had no commercial work experience, but he possessed a large baggage of knowledge and a burning desire for development. The candidate successfully passed the technical part, test tasks and that position could have been his first successful offer with a salary of about $1,000, which is usually promised after the completion of any courses. But there was a small nuance – when checking his knowledge of the English language, it turned out that he had not pay due attention to it and hadn’t been able to speak it at all. This changed the situation, and we had to offer him a less attractive position. Years have passed, now he is a successful developer who speaks English at a high level and has a prestigious position that is in demand on most IT projects.
It is no secret that the vast majority of customers are foreigners. We are all used to the fact that in today’s crazy circle of professions and responsibilities, the common language for cooperation is English. It is impossible not to be proud of our employees, who proved that they are not only successful IT people who know all the technical aspects of the project, but also excellent connoisseurs of foreign languages. Due to this skill they were able to get a job in Europe, and all the onboarding processes were carried out with joy and ease, so that they could start fulfilling their goals in a world-famous company. Only one step could separate them from their dream – absence of English, but they made this maneuver to meet their peaks.
Working in an IT company, you have the opportunity to make friends and colleagues from absolutely different parts of the planet. You begin to understand their accent, sense of humor, manner of communication, you stop perceiving them as foreigners, moreover, it seems that you studied together, because you grow together in the same collective. And let’s imagine another situation, when you do not speak English. Do you realize how difficult it is to feel easy and comfortable? And when you meet in an informal setting, you don’t know what to talk about. It’s sad, isn’t it? Therefore, we suggest to everyone that there are no strange feelings during corporate parties and every day to observe success at work, learn foreign languages and be on the same wavelength with everyone.
After all, this statement is true – as many languages you know, as many times you are a human.
