Unlocking your ideal career

Mastering English for Interview Excellence

March 22, 2023

Bienvenido a otra edición de LevelUp! Bem-vindo a mais uma edição da LevelUp! Thanks to all our 29,565 subscribers and the new 1,749 folks who joined us this past month. Thanks for being a part of the TECLA community! Gracias! Obrigado!

Clear communication, better career: Mastering pronunciation and word usage in English.

Employers worldwide consider English proficiency the most desirable language skill, as evidenced by a recent survey conducted by LinkedIn.

Fluency in English is a highly desirable skill and a prerequisite for employment in the technology industry. This is because even a tiny communication mistake can significantly impact the fast-paced and complex world of technology. As a result, international companies are extremely cautious and meticulous when evaluating candidates' English language skills.

A survey by a leading IT company found that nearly 90% of IT projects fail due to communication breakdowns. Thus, mastering English pronunciation and usage is crucial for a successful tech career, not just job interviews.

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🤔 Why pronunciation matters for developers.

When speaking a non-native language, we've all faced difficulties pronouncing certain words. Pronunciation is a crucial element of language learning.

The first step you must master professionally is mastering tricky software development names for interviews.

"QA" (keew-ay) → A quality assurance tester verifies product or service quality and functionality to meet set standards.

"Devops Engineers" (DAYV-ahps EN-juh-neers)→ bridge dev and ops in tech agencies, automating infrastructure, deployment pipelines, and monitoring systems for reliable and scalable software.

"End-users" (end yoo-zers) → whether individuals or organizations, use technology products and services such as software, hardware, and applications to accomplish tasks or solve problems, regardless of technical proficiency.

📝 Tips for perfectly answering the most common questions.

During a job interview, you can expect specific questions to pop up time and again, like clockwork. One such question revolves around your past experiences or international work history. This particular question can be tricky for candidates, often causing them to stumble and fumble over their words.

Poor communication hurts job seekers' chances, per a Glassdoor study. Incomplete or lackluster answers can lead to inaccurate responses and hinder their chances of landing a job.

If your interviewer asks: "Have you worked in technology in the past?".

Correct answer is: "Yes, I have" or "No, I haven't".

Have is often used as an auxiliary to the verb.

It's essential to remember that the word order in questions changes, and it's necessary to use the auxiliary verb instead of the main verb in short "Yes or No" responses.

🤓 Don't let grammar mistakes derail your interview.

Effective communication and grammar fluency from the outset is crucial, with 49% of employers reporting that they determine a candidate's suitability within the first five minutes of an interview, according to a survey by CareerBuilder. ⚠️

Prepositions are a big deal in English, and two of the most frequently used - 'for' and 'since' - can be quite tricky.

As it turns out, even Cambridge University Press has found that mixing them up is one of the most common mistakes English learners make. And when it comes to expressing time duration, it’s often tough to tell them apart.

Mixing up "for" and "since" is a real language faux pas, but it's essential to grasp their meanings and when to use them correctly.

⏱️ You use “for” when indicating a specific amount of time during which someone or something performed an action.

"Cecilia has been travelling for the past month."

⏳ Use "since" for actions that started in the past and continue to the present, indicating a specific starting point.

"Santiago has been working as a developer since 2018."

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✍️ QUOTE OF THE WEEK

🇺🇸 "Language is not a genetic gift, it is a social gift. Learning a new language is becoming a member of the club – the community of speakers of that language." - Frank Smith, American football coach.

🇧🇷 “A linguagem não é um dom genético, é um dom social. Aprender um novo idioma é se tornar um membro do clube – a comunidade de falantes daquele idioma.”

🌎 “El lenguaje no es un regalo genético, es un regalo social. Aprender un nuevo idioma es convertirse en miembro del club: la comunidad de hablantes de ese idioma.”

Frank Smith's quote emphasizes the crucial role of social interaction in language learning. He argues that language is not innate but a learned skill we acquire through social interactions with those who speak the language.

This means that when we learn a new language, we also become part of a community of speakers. It's not just about acquiring a new skill; it's also about gaining access to new opportunities.

By joining a new community of speakers, individuals can open doors for personal and professional growth while connecting with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

❗Join 1000+ tech professionals to practice English through socials, voice channels, and chat. Connect with peers and improve your fluency!

I hope you enjoyed this week's edition! Have questions or topic suggestions? Let's chat! Remember to check out our Discord channel, where you can join a thriving community of 1.060 LATAM professionals who discuss career tips and networking opportunities. We're here to help you soar to the top.

Stephanie Cerf - Head of Community at TECLA.