{"id":4566,"date":"2026-06-03T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naturallyenglish.nl\/?p=4566"},"modified":"2026-06-03T11:26:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T09:26:35","slug":"interviewing-in-english-confidence-when-cultures-and-expectations-differ","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturallyenglish.nl\/nl\/business\/interviewing-in-english-confidence-when-cultures-and-expectations-differ\/","title":{"rendered":"Interviewing in English: Confidence When Cultures (and Expectations) Differ"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\n This article is written in English<\/strong> to support your learning.\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Part 2 \u2013 the candidate\u2019s perspective<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve ever walked out of an interview in English thinking,
\u201cI know I could have said that better,\u201d<\/em>
you\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many experienced professionals feel confident in their work, their expertise, and their decisions. But put them in a job interview conducted in English, and something shifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not that the knowledge disappears.
It\u2019s that expressing it suddenly feels harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

When interviews amplify everything<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Interviews are intense by nature. You\u2019re expected to think clearly, structure your answers, and make your experience visible, all under time pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When English is not your first language, there\u2019s an extra layer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • you\u2019re monitoring your language<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • choosing words carefully<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • checking how something sounds<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • adjusting your tone<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    This can make you feel slower, less articulate, or less confident than you actually are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That doesn\u2019t mean your English isn\u2019t good enough.
    It means you\u2019re doing more work in your head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    Confidence doesn\u2019t mean speaking faster<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    A common misconception is that confidence in interviews equals speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Quick answers. Immediate responses. No pauses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In reality, many confident professionals need time to think, especially when working in a second language. Pausing is often a sign of careful formulation, not uncertainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The challenge is that pauses are sometimes interpreted<\/em> as a lower level of confidence, especially in English interviews where expectations may differ culturally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Knowing this helps you manage it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    Structure creates confidence<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    One reason answers feel weaker in English is that people lose their structure halfway through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    They know what they want to say, but the language effort takes over and the story becomes less clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is where simple frameworks can help. Many interviewers are familiar with the STAR principle, even if candidates don\u2019t actively think in those terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You don\u2019t need to memorise a model. But having a clear order in mind helps enormously:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • what was the situation<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • what you were responsible for<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • what you actually did<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • and what came out of it<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      When your answer has a beginning, middle and end, interviewers can follow your thinking more easily. And when they can follow your thinking, your level of confidence comes across much more clearly, even if your English feels simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      Make your thinking visible<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      In English interviews, interviewers cannot always \u201cread between the lines\u201d in the same way they might in their own language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      That means you sometimes need to say things that would feel obvious in Dutch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • \u201cThe reason I chose this approach was\u2026\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • \u201cWhat was important for me in this situation was\u2026\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • \u201cThe outcome of this decision was\u2026\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        These phrases help interviewers follow your reasoning, not just your result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n\n\n\n

        Handling pauses without apologising<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Many professionals apologise for pausing or searching for words:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • \u201cSorry, my English\u2026\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • \u201cI\u2019m not sure how to say this\u2026\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          That apology often undermines the level of confidence interviewers perceive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Instead, you can simply signal thinking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • \u201cLet me think about that for a moment.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • \u201cThat\u2019s a good question.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            This reframes the pause as reflection, not doubt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n\n\n\n

            You don\u2019t need to change who you are<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

            One of the biggest fears candidates have is that they need to become someone else in English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            More assertive. More extroverted. More \u201cinternational\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            In reality, confidence in English interviews doesn\u2019t come from changing your personality. It comes from making your experience and thinking visible across languages and cultures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Your English doesn\u2019t need to be perfect.
            It needs to support your message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n\n\n\n

            Linking back to the bigger picture<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

            In Part 1<\/strong> of this series, I looked at interviews from the interviewer\u2019s perspective, and how language and culture influence how confidence is interpreted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Seen together, both sides tell the same story:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            • interviews in English are intercultural events<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • confidence is not only expressed, it is interpreted<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • awareness on both sides leads to better outcomes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
              \n\n\n\n

              Final thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

              It\u2019s easy to forget that in many English interviews, you and the interviewer are both working in a second or even third language. You are both trying to understand, explain, clarify and make good decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              In that sense, interviews are never one sided. Even if it feels like all the pressure is on you, you are not alone in the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n\n\n\n

              Thanks for reading.<\/strong>
              Confidence in English interviews isn\u2019t about sounding flawless. It\u2019s about being understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Until next time, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Stuart<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              This article is written in English to support your learning. Part 2 \u2013 the candidate\u2019s perspective If you\u2019ve ever walked out of an interview in English thinking,\u201cI know I could have said that better,\u201dyou\u2019re not alone. Many experienced professionals feel confident in their work, their expertise, and their decisions. But put them in a job […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4567,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[22,20,24,25],"class_list":["post-4566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-businessenglish","tag-englishlanguage","tag-internationalbusiness","tag-interviewskills"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t