In my cross-cultural career workshops for expatriates or immigrants to the USA, we have an exercise where we brainstorm and discuss assumptions, biases and fears. The purpose of the exercise is to identify our own fears and biases as well as those of the employer. The goal is to be better prepared for the US job interview by better understanding and managing everybody’s fears.

Common fears and assumptions among those new to the US job market are: I am not as skilled as the “local” job seekers, I do not know the “unwritten rules”, my background is unknown or not valued and English is not my native language.

After identifying our fears, we analyze them for accuracy and relevance. Often, but not always, they are based on emotions, not facts. By dissecting them they become less capable of holding us back.

Then we look at assumptions and fears of the employer. The purpose is to better understand the employer and use the job interview to disprove assumptions and increase our hiring prospects.  Examples of concerns an employer may have regarding hiring a “foreigner” are: Does (s)he know our culture, especially our work culture? Will (s)he expect a lot of vacation (like in most European countries)?  Will (s)he work hard enough (assumptions about work ethic)? Will (s)he fit into the local and corporate culture? Can (s)he work with colleagues and supervisors of different gender (assumptions about gender roles)?

 We complete the exercise by discussing ways to address these fears and assumptions during the job interview.

We end the workshop by discussing US history, culture and core societal values. A core story of the American history is that of the Pilgrims and the country’s immigrant past. The new country was built by risk-taking, adaptable and hard working individuals who came here to look for a better future for themselves and their families. They left the well known and predictable behind to face an unknown future.

The first pilgrims and later immigrants resemble today’s expatriates and immigrants. They have left the familiar and known behind to seek a future in a new country. They are brave, adaptable and hard working, similar to the earlier immigrants to the US.

The gap between you and the employer sitting on the other side of the table is not that wide after all. Keep this in mind as you prepare for your next job interview and you will feel more at ease and confident.