You’ve studied and sweated in English classes – and at the end of it all, where will your English language skills actually take you?

Standards of English language are rising around the world, and at the same time, so is the demand for higher levels of English in the range of professional careers and in the workplace in general.

This new environment means greater awareness and scrutiny of the kinds of qualifications being used to prove ability, and the importance of certificates which can act as a ‘gold standard’ for employers and help the best universities and colleges to identify the right candidates.

Few people think about either the recognition or reputation of their qualifications, but like a university degree, your English language certificate is with you for life.

What is recognition? There are different ways in which English language qualifications might be officially recognised. Universities and colleges in the English-speaking world – the USA, UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand – all look to particular English language exams as proof of ability for taking academic or vocational courses in a second language.

Employers which require people to work in international situations – and that might range from tourism and secretarial work to careers in management, research, law and finance – often look to specific qualifications which provide a guarantee of standards to deal with the demands of different jobs and tasks. That includes multinational recruiters like Siemens, Sony, GlaxoSmithKline, Nestle, Microsoft, Adidas and Coca-Cola.

Professional institutes representing engineers, healthcare workers, vets etc, look for particular English language qualifications. Ministries of Education and other education authorities in many countries formally recognise English language qualifications either as part of a national curriculum system, as an alternative to qualifications awarded within the state system, or for other purposes.

Having a recognised qualification means incontestable evidence of achievement and a benchmark by which you can judge yourself against national and international standards. For example, all Cambridge ESOL exams are linked to the Common European Framework of Reference which allows European language qualifications to be compared to levels around the world.

What will the name of the qualification on your CV do for your prospects? A respected awarding body with a global presence and associations will inevitably add weight to your list of qualifications and instant reassurance which organisations are looking for when dealing with large volumes of applications from candidates with similar backgrounds.

Rather than treating an English language certificate as something ‘good enough’ to get onto a training course or apply for work at junior levels, it’s important to think of the long-term and your qualification as that ‘passport’, and how far it’s going to take you.