Speaking in spanish during an interview...yay or nay?

[ratjo077]

I had an interview at UAMS about a week ago, and during the course of the interview one of the doctors told me that she was from Colombia. Upon hearing this, I broke into spanish and conversed with her about a trip I took to Bolivia, and told her I had many south American friends where I go to school. We went back and forth for a little while, and then went back to english. Has anyone else used their language skills during an interview? Was it a good idea?

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[MDDOWhatever]

I had an interview at UAMS about a week ago, and during the course of the interview one of the doctors told me that she was from Colombia. Upon hearing this, I broke into spanish and conversed with her about a trip I took to Bolivia, and told her I had many south American friends where I go to school. Has anyone else used their language skills during an interview? Was it a good idea?

Nothing wrong with that at all, imo. It's your chance to show what you know. I would have done the same thing.

 

[riceman04]

I had an interview at UAMS about a week ago, and during the course of the interview one of the doctors told me that she was from Colombia. Upon hearing this, I broke into spanish and conversed with her about a trip I took to Bolivia, and told her I had many south American friends where I go to school. Has anyone else used their language skills during an interview? Was it a good idea?

Knowing how to speak Spanish is a definite plus. I personally would interpret what you did as trying too hard to impress. However, your abrupt break into another language could definitely be interpreted as seeing an opportunity to demonstrate ones ability to communicate with a growing population in the US (which is definitely a huge plus).

Sorry...kind of drowsy right now from the NyQuil...but do you get my point?


buena suerte!

 

[ratjo077]

Yeah, there is a huge mexican migration to Arkansas. Oh well... the conversation was light at that point of the interview, so i hope they don't think i was brown nosing. I have lots of S. American friends, and generally the native spanish speakers don't mind me speaking to them in spanish in trying to practicea little bit. I guess they see it as cultural respect or whatever bc most americans don't care to learn it.

 

[Mortal_Lessons]

I spoke a little Hebrew with mine.

 

[Quix]

My interviewer for my most recent job descended from Germans, so he and I went back and forth in German during the interview (for a philosophy adjunct job). He decided on the spot to hire me.

I don't think it will hurt, and it will certainly make you memorable (versus all of her other interviewees who don't speak the language).

 

[blackrsx]

one of my interviewers at UTSW initiated conversation in spanish with me, i took it as a good sign

 

[gotmeds?]

Creo que si hablas espanol, debes de usarlo en la entrevista porque demaciadas personas dicen que hablan espanol cuando en realidad hablan muy poco. En mis entrevistas si me preguntan si hablo espanol, les voy a contestar en espanol.

 

[123165]

Point well made, I have lots of friends that say they speak spanish, and really know very little

 

[BucsFan813]

one of my interviewers at UTSW initiated conversation in spanish with me, i took it as a good sign

Same thing happened to me. Except the person speaking Spanish had a pretty bad Southern accent...

 

[Darkshooter326]

Not me. People have asked me about my language skills, I put on AMCAS I spoke Spanish. My experience in Spanish communities has allowed me to simply say I do speak Spanish, but I have not been pressed to speak.

 

[riceman04]

Creo que si hablas espanol, debes de usarlo en la entrevista porque demaciadas personas dicen que hablan espanol cuando en realidad hablan muy poco. En mis entrevistas si me preguntan si hablo espanol, les voy a contestar en espanol.

Yeah...but your simply answering in Spanish will not distinguish you from those others you speak of who you say claim to be able to speak in Spanish but really can't.

They too can answer "!Si!"

 

[riceman04]

Same thing happened to me. Except the person speaking Spanish had a pretty bad Southern accent...

Yeah that's always funny to hear people who seem to not be able to get rid of their accent when speaking in Span.

 

[gotmeds?]

Yeah...but your simply answering in Spanish will not distinguish you from those others you speak of who you say claim to be able to speak in Spanish but really can't.

They too can answer "!Si!"

Yes, anyone can answer "si," but it only takes a few sentences in Spanish to be able to gauge someone's level of proficiency. I think the assumption during interviews is that your Spanish skills are exaggerated until proven otherwise, so if speak Spanish well, you can prove it quickly and easily. I've met a lot of supposedly fluent speakers who spoke pretty crappy Spanish and it didn't take more than a couple of sentences for me to figure it out.

 

[Towelie]

Nay.

 

[R-35]

I personally haven't used it unless the other person has talked to me in Spanish. No need to show off my language skills, I was born and raised in a spanish speaking country and family 🙂.

 

[szhao]

spanish = ultra useful, i had to use it on a forum to teach this guy some thing about live alert a while back, i love spanish, compared to chinese

 

[Pkboi24]

I spoke Chinese during my interview. As it turned out, not only do we have our ethnicities in common, I also played chess against his son in middle school. i just got accepted to UTMB today. =D

 

[ratjo077]

Congrats! UTMB is a great school. My best friend is a MSII in galveston, and I spent some time down there this summer.

 

[nursetodoc]

Creo que si hablas espanol, debes de usarlo en la entrevista porque demaciadas personas dicen que hablan espanol cuando en realidad hablan muy poco. En mis entrevistas si me preguntan si hablo espanol, les voy a contestar en espanol.

Estoy de aquerdo. Ya hablo espanol y lo voy a estudiar con mis clases pre-med porque es un subjetivo que me encanta y es facil para mi.

 

[nursetodoc]

I spoke Chinese during my interview. As it turned out, not only do we have our ethnicities in common, I also played chess against his son in middle school. i just got accepted to UTMB today. =D

wow, now that's pretty cool!

 

[riceman04]

Yes, anyone can answer "si," but it only takes a few sentences in Spanish to be able to gauge someone's level of proficiency. I think the assumption during interviews is that your Spanish skills are exaggerated until proven otherwise, so if speak Spanish well, you can prove it quickly and easily. I've met a lot of supposedly fluent speakers who spoke pretty crappy Spanish and it didn't take more than a couple of sentences for me to figure it out.

No, you are absolutely right (and I knew what you were trying to convey). But I was just pointing out the discrepancy in your argument. I interpreted what you said as: As long as you answer in spanish you feel you will convey to them that you CAN actually speak spanish. While that was probably not what you meant, that is what you basically said.

 

[Darkshooter326]

I don't think you need to speak Spanish in the interview. If a person asks if you can speak Spanish, and you ramble off a few sentences to show proficiency, who is to say the interviewer knew what you meant. It could just be an honest question, not a test of your ability. Oh well, in any case I doubt it would be a make/break. 😕