Express to Impress Podcast

Hello!
It’s Kristine here with the Express to Impress, and today I’ll be talking about interviewing in a second language. Speaking in a second language is tough; interviewing is tough. Doing both of them at the same time? Well, it can feel like walking into the lion’s den. It’s not for the faint of heart. And yet, there’s a lot of brave souls out there who are willing to do what it takes to land a job in their second language.

So, today, I want to tell you a story about when I interviewed in Spanish, which is my second language, and share my top five tips for how you can succeed in an interview in your second language. Then we’ll look at the idioms I use in this episode.

During my final year of college, I did what many students do. I attended classes while working part-time at an internship. As graduation neared, the company offered me a full-time position, but I did not want to start my career there. So I graduated and kept working as an intern while searching for jobs. I had an income and leverage as I set out to land a job I really wanted. I applied for some jobs in Spanish and some in English. I’m not a native Spanish speaker, but I studied it in high school and college, earned a minor in Spanish, and studied it abroad in Costa Rica and Mexico for about 15 weeks total. My Spanish was the best it had ever been, but I was not fluent by any stretch of the imagination. My biggest challenge was figuring out what verb tense to use. I did love the idea of being fluent in Spanish one day, and I figured that landing a job in Spanish could help me get there. Plus, I’d worked so hard to learn Spanish! I didn’t want to be like so many people who study another language for years and then forget everything. So, I applied for a job that required Spanish--and landed an interview!

To prepare, I checked out audiobooks by Isabel Allende in Spanish. I listened to them every day and every chance I could. I also volunteered at a nonprofit organization where I helped Spanish-speaking children with their homework. I felt more comfortable speaking in Spanish with children than adults because kids are just so accepting, and they were excited that I was spending time with them, and they didn’t mind that my Spanish wasn’t perfect.

If I got the job, I would be meeting with pregnant teenage girls and their families regularly to explain, in Spanish, the resources available to them so that the girls could have healthy pregnancies and births. The employer wanted to make sure I knew exactly what I was getting myself into and test my Spanish language skills, so they had me shadow a potential coworker. I tagged along and entered families’ homes, sat on their couches, listened, and exchanged pleasantries. I also observed a prenatal class led in Spanish, which would be part of my job responsibilities. It was an incredibly intimate work setting. While I was excited to envision a new path for my life, I was out of my comfort zone and felt intimidated. I knew I didn’t need to be fluent to land the job, but I only understood about 50% of what they were saying in Spanish. This was prenatal vocabulary after all! Not exactly textbook Spanish!

I knew I needed to improve my Spanish a lot to do well at the job. But even though I felt in over my head, I showed enthusiasm and confidence to the woman I was shadowing. I passed the initial screening, and the employer called me in for an interview. When I arrived, I saw a long rectangular table filled with my interviewers! I sat down and told them I wanted the job. I told them I loved the idea of...

Full transcript at http://www.express-to-impress.com/podcast/.

Infographics at https://www.pinterest.com/ExpresstoImpress/.

If you’ve found the perfect company to work for, you don’t need to land the perfect job...yet. After all, even if you’re in a less-than-perfect position, you can apply for a more suitable job internally as soon as it opens. By then, you will have had the chance to show your quality of work, work ethic, and commitment to the company, making you an ideal candidate.

While interviewing for an internal position is a wonderful opportunity, it includes unique challenges. One of the biggest mistakes people make when interviewing internally is failing to prepare adequately. They may believe the interview is simply a formality, and they have the job in the bag. Their interviewer may be familiar with their work, so they may not arrive prepared to talk about the specifics of their contributions. And finally, they may have a friendly relationship with the interviewer and treat the interview too casually.

Tune into the latest Express to Impress Podcast episode to get my tips to prepare for an internal job interview and get the job you want!

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Original theme music by Lucas Knutter

Read the transcript here.

Join the Express to Impress community on LinkedIn.

Please take a minute to rate and review the podcast.

To access my 5-Step Job Interview Preparation Checklist at express-to-impress.com.

Get more interview tips in my 90-minute online video course, How to Succeed in a Job Interview, and get 15% off the coupon code podcast15.

In this episode, we’ll explore an increasingly important topic in the workplace and during the interview process: emotional intelligence. Specifically, we’ll be looking at how to demonstrate strong emotional intelligence in an interview.

Why do employers want employees that can manage their emotions? People with strong emotional intelligence can:

• Coach and motivate others
• Resolve conflicts
• Build collaborative teams built on trust
• Be resilient when others criticize their work or ideas

Tune into the latest Express to Impress Podcast episode to learn how you can demonstrate your emotional intelligence in every interaction in an interview--from how you greet your interviewer at the start of an interview to the stories you tell.
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Original theme music by Lucas Knutter

Read the transcript here.

Join the Express to Impress community on LinkedIn.

Are you listening from Japan, Saudi Arabia, or the Netherlands? If so, I need your help! Please take a minute to rate and review the podcast.

Links Included in Episode:

To sign up for my free five-step job interview preparation checklist, visit express-to-impress.com.

Listen to the Express to Impress Podcast Episodes mentioned in this episode:

• 8 Takeaways About US Business Culture: Erin Meyer's The Culture Map
• How to Uncover the Culture of a Company
• How to Give Effective Presentations That Don’t Bore Your Audience
• How to be confident in an interview

Check out Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman.

Let’s work together! Schedule a free consultation or book a mock interview with me.

Transcript at https://www.express-to-impress.com/english-learning/.

Language lovers, tune in!

I hear this question, “How can I sound more like a native English speaker?” all the time, and I always give the same response. Use the shadowing technique!

Shadowing involves repeating someone's speech immediately after they say it. It's like you're following them as your shadow follows you. The beauty of this technique is that anyone can do it alone. Since most people learning a second language don't have the opportunity to speak with native speakers often, speaking it on your own is the next best thing. This method isn't only for English learning; it will work for all languages!

Tune in to the latest Express to Impress podcast episode to learn how to implement the shadowing technique. Learn about its origins and get tips to implement it effectively. You’ll be inspired by the stories I share of people who have attained near-native English fluency and pronunciation by using this technique. By the end, you’ll be convinced the shadowing technique is an incredibly powerful English learning tool!

Guessing what your interviewer will ask you can be difficult, but you can always count on the question, “Can you tell me about yourself?” That means that you can be well-prepared for at least one question! When you deliver a great answer at the start of your interview, it will give you confidence and impress your interviewer.
In this episode, you will learn the three goals you need to achieve in an interview to be successful. Then, you’ll learn about what the interviewer is looking for when they ask, “Can you tell me about yourself?” You’ll also hear three well-crafted answers to the question and tips for how you can answer the question.
If you want to increase your English vocabulary, continue listening to the end, where you’ll hear definitions of five idioms and phrases that came up during the episode.
Transcript at https://www.express-to-impress.com/tell-me-about-yourself/.
Infographics for this episode at https://www.pinterest.com/ExpresstoImpress/.
Youtube Version at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UIjqxty2HE&list=PL7LQdcBl7p6714Rb58JfdgDWPhbuLzMYJ&index=6&t=10s.