I recently spoke with someone who had an international job interview that made me cringe.
The hiring manager asked a very simple question: “Why do you want to work abroad?”
Her answer? “I believe international experience would be great for my career. I’ve been wanting to work and live abroad for as long as I can remember.”
Now, if your heart just skipped a beat because that sounds like an answer you would give, than listen up!
International interviewing is different than domestic interviewing for the following reasons:
First, the stakes are higher! You are up against competition that has less red tape to become employed
Second, you’ll need to prove beyond a doubt you are the candidate of choice in order to jump that tricky visa hurdle.
Third, you’re going to be asked tough questions to confirm that you have what it takes to work and succeed internationally.
So, this answer →
“I believe international experience would be great for my career. I’ve been wanting to work and live abroad for as long as I can remember.”
is not going to get your the job. PERIOD.
If this is the type of response you would give, you are not alone.I talk to a lot of smart professionals who will get an interview – and we all know that can be a real challenge – but not get past the first round.
When I ask them why they were not extended another interview, many times they do not know. They assume it’s because of the visa.
Yet, when I poke a layer deeper, I hear their answers to critical questions like “Why do you want to work abroad?” and know that’s the reason they aren’t advancing.
When I explain to them that they are answering this question through their own personal perspective instead of through the lens of the person who is interviewing them, a light bulb goes off.
They get it. Right after this realization usually comes the gut-wrenching feeling of knowing how many conversations they have sabotaged.
All of those opportunities wasted because they just didn’t know how to provide business-centric answers to international interview questions.
How frustrating!
The bottom line is, sometimes we have to get feedback on what we are doing, especially if we’ve never done it before.
Have you had interviews that went awry and you don’t know why? Or, let’s be honest, are you not even getting interviews yet for international opportunities?
Don’t stay in the dark guessing what might be wrong. Get feedback so that you can have your own a-ha moment, pivot, and start getting into those next rounds.
You don’t have to go at this alone! In fact, you shouldn’t, because on the other side of help is your life abroad.
Check out this workshop – 5 steps professionals use to secure work abroad – and start uncovering where you might be getting stuck!
All the adventures,
