Mariana Vignola, a multilingual language coach, shares her expertise on acing IT job interviews. She emphasizes that clarity is key—candidates should speak slowly and ask for clarification when needed. Mariana highlights the balance between technical and soft skills, advocating for real-life examples to illustrate each. She also discusses the importance of showcasing personality in CVs and using AI responsibly while maintaining authenticity. Plus, practical tips for navigating common interview questions and addressing cultural nuances make this a must-listen!
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Balance Technical and Soft Skills
Prepare to demonstrate both your technical skills and soft skills in IT interviews.
Balance technical assessments with examples of teamwork and problem-solving under pressure.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Master IT Vocabulary and Clarity
Learn and use relevant technical vocabulary like debugging and deployment.
Speak slowly and clearly, focusing on pronunciation especially during video interviews.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Use STAR Method in Answers
Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure responses.
Provide clear, real examples showing how you solve technical problems.
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Job interviews in the IT world can be tough, especially when English isn’t your first language. In this episode, Mariana Vignola, a language coach and job interview trainer, shares how to prepare for IT interviews, improve your CV, and explain your skills clearly in English. You'll also learn how to show both technical and soft skills with confidence.
Meet Our Guest:
Mariana Vignola is a multilingual language coach helping professionals succeed in IT job interviews and write strong, clear CVs in English. With experience in the UK and Europe, she helps non-native speakers communicate with confidence and land international roles.
Top Takeaways:
Clarity matters more than perfection. Speak slowly, pronounce clearly, and don’t be afraid to ask for repetition if you didn’t understand a question.
Practice interview questions out loud. Get used to saying your answers with confidence, not just in your head.
Balance your skills. IT interviews often combine technical questions and soft skills. Be ready to talk about both with examples.
Vocabulary Corner:
Soft skills: These are people skills, like being a good listener, showing empathy, or staying calm under pressure.
Example sentence: “In IT interviews, showing soft skills like handling stress or working well in a team is just as important as your technical knowledge.”
Debugging: This means finding and fixing mistakes in your code or system.
Example sentence: “In many IT jobs, you’ll spend time debugging code to solve problems that pop up.”
Deployment: This is when software gets installed, shared, or updated for users.
Example sentence: “Our team handles the deployment of new apps, making sure everything runs smoothly for users.”
STAR Method: This is a smart way to answer interview questions by explaining the Situation, the Task, the Action you took, and the Result.
Example sentence: “If they ask about a challenge you faced at work, use the STAR method to tell your story clearly.”
CV (Curriculum Vitae): Your CV is your job resume; it shows your experience, education, and skills.
Example sentence: “Make sure your CV is clear and shows your most relevant IT experience, especially if you're applying in the UK.”
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