Interviewing Abroad: Tips and Tricks for Latin American Interviewees
If you’re here, it’s probably because you want to know what it’s like to interview with a company in the U.S.. You might be wondering what companies are expecting from you. Or maybe you have questions on what the international job interview process is like. You might even be thinking, “¿Como me visto?”
The good news is that if you’re interested in working at Praxent, you’re already doing great! If you’re curious enough to read this article that means you’re a candidate who likes to do their research. And that means you’re already way ahead of the game.
You’ll Be Remote, But You Won’t Be Alone
If you’re living in Latin America and you want to work for a company in the U.S., you already know you’ll be working remotely. The good thing about Praxent is that everyone else will be working remotely too. Our entire company – including those of us who live near the office in Austin, Texas – communicate through Zoom the majority of the week. A lot of us make home our office every day.
(FUN FACT: We have a designer who lives 2 minutes away from Praxent headquarters and I don’t think he’s ever been there.)
Here at Praxent, we believe that wherever you do your best work is where you should work. If you like getting things done from your own desk (or couch) and you like the idea of working abroad, we could be a great fit for you (just like that couch cushion). Point being, don’t worry about doing an overseas job interview via video conference. Everyone else is interviewing over video, too.
So, at this point you might be asking, “This remote international job interview process… How does that work exactly?”
Funny you should mention it. Helping answer your questions on the international job interview process is exactly what I’m here to do.
Your Step-by-Step Interview Guide
- A Phone Call with Our Recruiting Manager
Her name is Molly. She’s very friendly and she’ll be nice to you, we promise. Molly wants to get to know you a little bit. To learn what you’re good at, what kind of work you like, and to answer any questions you might have. We don’t want you worrying about trick questions or pop quizzes regarding your skills. Molly isn’t trying to trip you up with unexpected “gotchas”, she really just wants to see if the opportunity suits your abilities and interests. So be yourself. Dress how you dress, talk how you talk. We want to meet the real you.
- Meet the Team
When you work here, you won’t be working for us – you’ll be working with us. You are part of a collaborative team, not a way for us to augment our staff. This step is a chance for you to collaborate in real time and do what you do best. They will want to talk technical with you. To see how you solve problems. To learn how you approach your craft. For those who love their work and love working with others, this is often their favorite part of the interview experience. Here’s hoping you love it too.
- Tell Us Your Story
Who are you? How did you get here? These are fundamental questions and always worth asking, but some people don’t. One of the ways we get the top 1% is getting to know people as just that–people. We care less about where you went college and more about which major you chose and why. The name of your last company isn’t as important as the goals you achieved and what you could’ve done better while you were there. We are as interested in you as we are in your work.
- A Reference Check
First, we hire a private investigator. No, it’s nothing like that. It’s more like a way to see you with a fresh pair of eyes. Sometimes our co-workers see things in us we never did – they see strengths we didn’t know we have or skills we may have overlooked. More importantly, they see how we make others feel as teammates and co-worker. Because we value our culture as much as our expertise, we always want to hear those nice kinds of things about you.
- Your Offer
Let’s be honest, this is probably the most fun part. Getting your offer letter is always exciting, because after that, the rest is up to you. Take the time you need, talk to us about your concerns, and let us know what’s on your mind. We’re here to help you through the process
What It Will Be Like Working with Us (U.S.)
We know things are bound to be different here in the States. But hey, we also hope there’s a difference in working for just any company in the U.S. and working for us. Part of our job is to #caredeeply about the work experience for all of our employees, no matter where they might be. It’s why we’re constantly trying to improve our remote culture for our employees abroad. We want you to know that you are a part of the team not an addition to it. That we don’t just want to make a hire when we start an international job interview – we want to empower you and give you the freedom you need to make your own decisions.
So do you feel like applying? These are all the tips and tricks you’ll need.