1.

Introduction

Soon we will be finishing our highly valued KUL economics degree and we can picture ourselves
already participating in a job interview for an exciting job opportunity somewhere else in the world.
Or you might be applying at one of our Belgian international companies, but find yourself
interviewing with the manager of the business line in another country.
In this presentation we will highlight some techniques that will help you to survive and to succeed
your job application interview. We already know that Belgians seem to adapt and flourish quite well
in international companies, so we want to build further on these strengths.

2. Why are cross cultural communication skills important?

We could list here hundreds of examples, that will make it evident that you really need to focus on
this issue.

 Attitude towards being on time is totally different between Switzerland (being a minute late
is considered an insult) and India (being late a minute is considered casual polite)

 Eye-contact is deemed essential to enthusiasm and motivation in western countries, while in

hispanic countries, it can be experienced as disrespectful.

We could have opted for listing hundred of these type of examples, but we thought that we would
only confuse you even more. Therefore, we have structured this presentation as practically as
possible, so that you will be able to use it effectively in any situation that you may encounter.

3.

Step 1: cultural awareness

In the most general sense, cross-cultural awareness refers to being aware of and sensitive to other
cultures when you are exchanging information.
More practically, it means that, if you accept that cultures may differ strongly on a the whole scale of
behaviours, values, beliefs, status, interactions, then you must not assume that your perspective is
the better perspective and try to suspend all judgment.
This is very difficult: what always has seemed logical and important to you, may be considered
irrelevant; your own feelings of scepticism may lead you to stress the differences in a negative way,
making you unable to focus and to understand the essentials of the conversation: your interviewer,
what (s)he is saying and the purpose of the interaction.

When you have become more aware of your own cultural identity, and have come to understand
how and why you yourself have certain beliefs and behaviours, then you are capable of becoming an
insightful observer of other cultures and you can move on to step 2.

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Step 2: Learning about another culture
Preparation is half the victory: it is important to be curious, trying to understand the beliefs and
behaviours of other cultures.
When you read about those cultural generalisms , it is important not to use such generalisms directly
but to use it as a means to better understand the other culture.
For example, the U.K. is one of the few professional cultures that is appreciative of intellectual
humour (sarcasm, word play); this means that your counterpart values that professional
conversation are kept smart, to the point and agreeable.
Another example is the approach to time: Asian cultures put a lot of emphasis on taking time, and
consider rushing into the subject as a sign of impatience and weakness.

When you are able to see how the expectations can be different and capable of being appreciative
and respectful for the cultural differences, and, then you are ready for step 3.

Step 3: Make the communication work

In your search for ways to make the communication work, we have summarized a short check list of
tactics that you might want to go over before entering into your meeting:

Status: stay on the side of formality and remain low-key in dress and manners

Observation: try to match the interaction, while staying at all times sincere and comfortable with
yourself; people like and trust people who remind them of themselves, so mirroring back the kind of
messages and signals you are getting about communication, appearance and so on.. generates trust.

Listening: be very attentive and show that you care about what is being said

Speaking: express yourself carefully (particularly if accents differ); don’t rush, use slang/ jargon or
humour

Empathy: try to put yourself in the shoes of your interviewer (do not assume that he individual in
front of you is a mere clone of his culture: it is much more complex, and you need to respect this
person as an individual)

Feeling: anticipate that it will take longer than estimated, be patient.

When you are able to deal with people from other cultures in a way that minimises
misunderstandings and maximises your potential to create strong cross cultural relationships, then
you will succeed your challenge!

5. Pitfalls

Legal environment

 anti-discrimination acts can impose or not allow certain information, it is prudent to check
such legislation (particularly USA, UK, France ..)
 privacy legislation can make it impossible for an employer to store your cv (Italy, ..)

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Extra documentation or information (diplomas, references)
Check before adding too much copies of diplomas, or the name of an important person, or a
particular hobby, as it could be misunderstood why you are (not) including this type of information.
E.g.: In some countries, including Italy, you must also include a specific clause authorising the data
on your CV to be used by potential employers in the selection process

Salary and other benefits

It can be a very tricky subject, either in addressing the matter or avoiding it. The best approach is to
gather information outside the company and to stay low key, inquiring only about the next steps.

On-line application
On-line application may not allow you to define with precision your type of diploma or degree. In
case of serious risk of misunderstanding, make a reference in a free field to this issue.

6. Conclusion

To conclude, we’d just like to hand you a final tip: learning by doing helps a lot!
So don’t hesitate to gain some experience in steps 1-2-3, by trying to connect with people from
different backgrounds!
And before that single very important interview .. go for other interview opportunities first.

We hope that we have been able to summarize some good advice and we wish you a lot of success
in your careers.