Arabic-English bilingual jobs

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I am bilingual in English and Arabic. I can fluently speak, read, and write in both language. And I keep getting told that's an extremely valuable and highly demanded skill. And while that is true on paper, I never could find any actually employers interested in hiring me. I spent years looking, applying, and sending out resumes. But I never even heard back from anyone even once.

So what is the problem? What am I doing wrong?

Is it because because I don't look the part? I'm a white guy who was born in the US with an average White American sounding name. Do they just look at that name on a resume and think "this guy doesn't know anything about Arabic language or culture"?

Is it that I have no formal training, degrees, or certificates that confirm that I've mastered the language?

How do I find these jobs and get noticed?

Have you ever applied for a translator's job with  The Federal Government? 

I had a profile on usajobs.gov and applied to every Arabic related job they posted for years. I never got back as much as an email acknowledging that my application is being reviewed.

Its been a while so I don't remember all the details. I believe I answered yes when asked if I have a disability. But I do not recall being given an option to disclose ASD specifically.

Autism was on my employment form 3 years ago. I did not check the box because I am not diagnosed, and at level 1 not legally recognized as a disability. Honestly, I think I would have risked more by checking the box. They'd just use another excuse not to hire me.

Do you also have sales skills And/Or connections to any commercial operations in the Arabic speaking world?

If you knew people half a world away in the industry I'm currently working in and could broker business deals thanks to personal connections & language abilities, I'd pay you for those signed contracts that would allow us to expand our operations in more countries where we're otherwise at the mercy of some English speaking person contacting us for information - which does happen from time to time.

We'd still require our clients to be able to communicate with us online in English via text communications, but sometimes having a native language speaking person make the introduction helps seal the deal - especially if you know people and can secure sales deals via friends, relatives, business associates, or other acquaintances in your personal network.

So, who do you know? Anyone in any industry in the Arabic speaking world that's seeking to business with the English speaking world? Anyone in any particular niche industry ? Hell, could be a family farm looking to wholesale dates to the USA. Or a factory looking for a contract to fulfil. Or maybe you know someone over there seeking American made equipment or machinery of some kind.. or someone in the USA seeking to sell lumber or any other resource to contractors half a world away.

I know a bilingual Japanese speaking guy that's a lumber broker - he sells high grade lumber to Japan. I know of a white guy that speaks Japanese - he brokers deals for forklifts and other lightly used logistics equipment from Japan to Canadian buyers. What does the Arab speaking world have to sell to North America? What does the Arab speaking world want/need to buy from North America?

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No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.

And during this scramble, are there things they need from the USA that people can afford to pay for that you can arrange to be sold and shipped for a profit?

If they’re down to crops and textiles for exports, is there an opportunity to arrange sales and shipments of either or both ? Especially if there’s an abundance over there due to disrupted supply chains. I mean, yes, Covid disrupted global supply chains so it might prove difficult to move perishable crops in a timely manner (but could be worth investigating) and textiles are extremely controlled goods globally - a lot of extra paper work and maybe tariffs to pay as there are quota limits on imports to prevent the cheapest labour countries from decimating the textile industry globally. But it’s still not impossible to import textiles - just gotta be aware that there are additional rules and paperwork to do vs just order, pay, ship.. because without the matching quota approval documents it would be denied entry. (I am assuming the USA operates textile imports similarly to Canada for all the same reasons.)

Alternatively, back to the top, what goods/services are people over there able to utilize as they come out of this mess and get more organized again? Maybe consumer electronics to get online and conduct basic e-commerce are in high demand and low supply ? Maybe they’re in need of car maintenance parts ? Maybe there’s money to be made sending bulk shipments of medicine and medical supplies ? There’s bound to be something practical that people in the region could utilize as they come out of a revolution and try to get settled into life again.

Or maybe there are less practical cultural things that aren’t illegal but just difficult to obtain that people are willing to pay for - fashionable clothing from certain countries, music, movies/media - depends on what’s been restricted and now may be allowed just hard to get.

Maybe there are certain cars that are easily available in the USA or Canada, legal there, and desirable whether for practical or collector preference purposes ?

Maybe there’s a style of local art produced for pennies on the dollar in a certain region that’s desirable in the USA that could be imported and wholesaled - I recall meeting a woman and her daughter at a home and garden show here in Canada selling carvings from a small village in Africa. They commission all the artists in the village to produce pieces, pay them decently in their local currency, load a shipping container and bring it over and then sell them to Canadians for several times the price they pay - a good business model!

If I were in your shoes I would be asking any/all contacts over there what it is people are after and what they have they’d like to sell, see if you can make some matches and swing a deal or two.

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No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.

Those are all great ideas. I do not know of any particular generalizable skill specific to the region, but there are people who are skilled in all the areas you mentioned. I suspect there are people with some unrealized potential hampered by the limitations of education available. They have universities, but not like some of the ones we have in the West.

I can certainly enquire more about this.

I do not possess the means to start my own business. And I not have connections in the business world.

Maybe the agricultural industry could use some things from the West? Tractors/used equipment, irrigation control systems, various things required for modernization/scaling up production etc.

That’s the beauty of being a salesman or broker - you don’t need to have the investment capital to buy & sell things. You just need to be able to connect the buyer and seller via relationships & language, negotiate on behalf of one or the other side and arrange for the deal to be made, agreed upon signed & dated and then executed. The buyers’ funds pay for goods/services, shipping & import/export taxes - you just collect your % based commission or flat rate finders fee or whatever arrangement is agreed upon for you to earn your take as a middle man.

Hell, find out what brand of tractors and agricultural equipment the farmers are using in those regions. If it’s North American or Japanese I may have an idea. If it’s all Indian made Mahindra equipment then there isn’t likely an opportunity I could help you exploit.

Besides tractors, if Volkswagen TDI’s are a popular vehicle there then I could perhaps be of even more assistance.


Beyond that, a coworker is suggesting that tutoring students is good money - especially tutoring Arabic speaking students in North American universities. And another revenue possibility is YouTube translations/dubbing - voice over English YouTuber’s shows in order for them to air in the Arabic speaking world.

All of these things require time and effort, not much of any cash to start up or try out.

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No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.

Or even better: If you have any connections to European car performance tuning shops and/or “Saudi drifters,” ripping their ridiculously built cars around open desert roads and filming videos for the internet just for fun, those are 100% definitely people I’d want to communicate with & offer our business’ services to.. VW, Audi, Lamborghini, BMW, Mercedes etc.

Those types can easily afford what we have to sell AND would make for some super cool internet videos. (We sell custom software for race car computers, and Also software tune some diesel tractors for more power & often lower fuel consumption.)

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No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.

As far as I know, agricultural equipment is subject to availability more than brand popularity. American and Japanese made products are generally perceived as being of a high quality. I'll see who I can ask, but I'd imagine they would be happy with American or Japanese products.

I don't know any European sports car manufacturers of Saudi drifters. But I can always help you talk to anyone who speaks Arabic.

Networking is skill I need to work on.

We don't work with manufacturers. We work with independent mechanic & performance shops that build and tune cars. We supply the custom software for car computers to optimize them for the performance hardware that's been installed. It'd be ideal to connect with performance tuning companies in the region that work on European and high performance cars - if you happen to know anyone who knows anyone who owns/works at a tuning shop. The stereotypical "Saudi drifters," come to mind because internetz that's why.

Tractor/agricultural tuning is a tiny part of our business, but there is definitely big room for growth there And it's a more practical thing to sell. Adding more power for a lot less money than companies like John Deere charges is a really good value for farmers.

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No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.

Sports cars and drifting are probably popular in wealthy countries like Saudi, UAE, and Kuwait. Not so much in North Africa or Iraq.

Wow! Bilingual and multi-lingual is an excellent talent.

Not sure where you live, but there's lots of federal and state jobs that need bilingual workers. Many agencies that help immigrants require bilingual skills. Courts need translators. Global companies need bilingual workers, especially import-export.

If you want to work remote, there's many translator/transcription services, and online "teachers" (private tutors) who help foreigners learn English, plus CSRs.

Translator/Interpreter
Copywriter
Customer Service
Hospitality: hotels, resorts, tourist attractions
Airports, Travel Agents, Flight Attendants
Social workers
Arabic not-for-profits
Immigration services, paralegals
Banking industry in Arabic neighborhoods, global investment firms

Hope that sparks some ideas

I Google "jobs for bilingual Arabic speakers" and hundreds of jobs came up, in both private sector and public (govt) sector.