One Language Trick I Use to Ace Interviews in a Second Language

23 Dec 2024 #interview

Interviews are intimidating.

You don’t know what you’re going to be asked. You don’t know if the interviewer will like you. You have to remember what you wrote on your CV.

That makes interviews intimidating for sure. But the ones in a second language are worse.

Are my speaking skills good enough? What if I don’t understand my interviewer’s accent? What if I forget how to say something? Arrggg! I know that feeling.

When I decided to apply to my last full-time job as a software engineer, I really wanted to land the job. I was about to work remotely for American companies for the first time. I had to impress my interviewers not only with my coding skills, but with my language skills too.

Right before the interviews, to calm my nerves and practice my speaking skills, I phoned my language partner and friend. She was kind enough to answer my calls and help me out. We talked about anything.

Those calls helped me switch to thinking in a second language, like pushing a button in my brain.

Eventually, I stopped calling my friend before every interview. But I adapted the method.

Instead of interrupting my friend’s busy schedule, now I watch a short YouTube video of a movie or TV show or any content by native speakers right before an interview in a second language. It gets me into the flow of the language and makes my brain switch the second language on.

And that’s one of the tricks I used for interviews.

As a bonus, here are others:

• Keep a copy of your CV next to you.
• Learn conversation fillers to keep the conversation going.
• Practice answering out loud the most common interview questions. At least be prepared for: “tell me about yourself” and “could you describe one of your past projects?”
• Speak slowly. It will give you time to think.
• If you don’t understand a question, restate what you understood and ask if that’s what the interviewer meant.

Interviewing and hiring are broken. I know. But don’t go unprepared. Prime your brain by listening to or watching native content before showing up.