How to Prepare for an Interview at a Foreign Company: A Complete Guide

Step 1. Researching the company and the position

— Research: try to learn as much as possible about the company in advance. Gather information about its culture, mission, values, as well as its products and services. This will help you better understand whether this organization is a good fit for you and prepare questions for the interview.

— Understanding position requirements: carefully read the job description to understand what skills and experience are required. Compare this with your own experience and prepare examples from your career that demonstrate your relevant qualities for this position.

— To thoroughly research the company, use the organization’s website, LinkedIn, CrunchBase, and Glassdoor. They all typically provide detailed information about where and how the company is heading, and what it particularly values in its employees.

Step 2. Preparing your resume and cover letter

— Tailoring your resume to the company: translate your resume into the official language used by the company and adapt it to the specific position. Use keywords from the job description. This will make you a more attractive candidate and show that you took the first stage of the selection process seriously.

— Cover letter: be sure to write to the company and explain why you want to work there in this specific role. Highlight your achievements and experience relevant to this vacancy.

Useful websites with ready-made resume templates:

novoresume.com

resume.io 

visualcv.com

zety.com 

Step 3. Preparing for interview questions

— Prepare for standard questions, such as “Tell me about yourself,” “Why do you want to work for our company?” “Tell me about your biggest achievement,” and so on. To practice and take a mock interview, you can use BigInterview and InterviewBuddy.

— Behavioral questions: use the STAR method — Situation, Task, Action, Result — to prepare your answers. Examples: “Tell me about a time when you handled a conflict at work” or “Describe a project you are proud of.”

— Technical questions: if the position requires deeper skills, prepare for specialized questions and tasks. Try practicing on various coding platforms, such as LeetCode and HackerRank.

Step 4. Language preparation

— Improving language skills: if the interview will be conducted in a foreign language, pay special attention to conversational skills. Practice answering questions to overcome the language barrier.

— Taking mock interviews: ask friends or colleagues to conduct an interview with you in a foreign language. This will help you get used to the format and prepare templates for your answers.

On our website, you can find a collection of business English language courses.

Step 5. Cultural differences

— Studying business culture: learn about the norms and specifics of the country where the company is located. This includes communication style, expectations from employees, corporate ethics, and other interesting topics.

Step 6. Questions for the interviewer

— Preparing questions: they can be about the team you will be working with, the company’s projects, opportunities for development, and career growth.

Step 7. Practical aspects

— Technical preparation: if the interview will be conducted online, make sure you have a stable internet connection, a working camera, and a microphone.

— Appearance: prepare appropriate clothing for the interview. This plays an important role in making a good first impression.

Step 8. Concluding the interview

— Feedback: after the interview, thank them for the opportunity to interview and confirm your interest in the position.

Preparing for an interview at a foreign company requires not only a deep understanding of the position and the company, but also knowledge of cultural nuances and language. In this guide, we will consider all the key steps, from adapting your resume to behavior during the interview, which will help you successfully pass the interview and get your dream job.

Step 1. Researching the company and the position

— Research: try to learn as much as possible about the company in advance. Gather information about its culture, mission, values, as well as its products and services. This will help you better understand whether this organization is a good fit for you and prepare questions for the interview.

— Understanding position requirements: carefully read the job description to understand what skills and experience are required. Compare this with your own experience and prepare examples from your career that demonstrate your relevant qualities for this position.

— To thoroughly research the company, use the organization’s website, LinkedIn, CrunchBase, and Glassdoor. They all typically provide detailed information about where and how the company is heading, and what it particularly values in its employees.

Step 2. Preparing your resume and cover letter

— Tailoring your resume to the company: translate your resume into the official language used by the company and adapt it to the specific position. Use keywords from the job description. This will make you a more attractive candidate and show that you took the first stage of the selection process seriously.

— Cover letter: be sure to write to the company and explain why you want to work there in this specific role. Highlight your achievements and experience relevant to this vacancy.

Useful websites with ready-made resume templates:
novoresume.com
resume.io
visualcv.com
zety.com

Step 3. Preparing for interview questions

— Prepare for standard questions, such as “Tell me about yourself,” “Why do you want to work for our company?” “Tell me about your biggest achievement,” and so on. To practice and take a mock interview, you can use BigInterview and InterviewBuddy.

— Behavioral questions: use the STAR method — Situation, Task, Action, Result — to prepare your answers. Examples: “Tell me about a time when you handled a conflict at work” or “Describe a project you are proud of.”

— Technical questions: if the position requires deeper skills, prepare for specialized questions and tasks. Try practicing on various coding platforms, such as LeetCode and HackerRank.

Step 4. Language preparation

— Improving language skills: if the interview will be conducted in a foreign language, pay special attention to conversational skills. Practice answering questions to overcome the language barrier.

— Taking mock interviews: ask friends or colleagues to conduct an interview with you in a foreign language. This will help you get used to the format and prepare templates for your answers.

On our website, you can find a collection of business English language courses.

Step 5. Cultural differences

— Studying business culture: learn about the norms and specifics of the country where the company is located. This includes communication style, expectations from employees, corporate ethics, and other interesting topics.

Step 6. Questions for the interviewer

— Preparing questions: they can be about the team you will be working with, the company’s projects, opportunities for development, and career growth.

Step 7. Practical aspects

— Technical preparation: if the interview will be conducted online, make sure you have a stable internet connection, a working camera, and a microphone.

— Appearance: prepare appropriate clothing for the interview. This plays an important role in making a good first impression.

Step 8. Concluding the interview

— Feedback: after the interview, thank them for the opportunity to interview and confirm your interest in the position.