By John Rossheim

In this age of metrics, it’s tempting for job hunters to seek solace in the sheer numbers of their effort: 200 job postings answered, 300 resumes mailed, 400 business cards collected for the purposes of professional networking. But if you think about how these brute-force employment campaigns affect the professional on the other side of the desk—the HR recruiter, the networking contact in a powerful position—it quickly becomes apparent that the rack-up-the-numbers networker is on the wrong track. That’s because these days employers are looking to select a very few outstanding professionals from a tidal wave of good people who just want a job.

Are you bilingual or multilingual? Whether English is your first or second language, your linguistic skills make you valuable in the workforce. In fact, companies that recognize and reward such abilities with extra pay tend to have better retention and satisfaction rates among workers than companies that remain neutral. If your employer falls into the latter group, don't be shy about demonstrating the benefits of your multicultural background.