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FT positions that have language requirements: How well do you need to know the language?
Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 9:24 pm
by Anonymous User
Specifically, firms' foreign offices. E.g., French, Mandarin, Spanish, etc. Will the whole interview be conducted in that language? Or can you get by with enough to convince them that you were once a native speaker to buy a few weeks before doing half-day CBs with their US partners?
I knew one of those languages before I knew English but haven't used it for about a decade now. Is it possible to bring it up to speed in ~3weeks, enough to pass a screener? How should I do that? Rosetta Stone?
Re: FT positions that have language requirements: How well do you need to know the language?
Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 10:06 pm
by Anonymous User
I would assume the entire interview, or at least a large portion of the interview, will be conducted in that language, with the expectation once you are working the job that you not only can speak the language decently in an informal context but are capable of preparing and reviewing legal and business documents using technical jargon in that language. ("Slipping past" the interview isn't really a positive if you genuinely can't conduct legal business in that language--you'll get shown the door pretty quickly, which is definitely worse than just not getting a job offer at a time when you should have other options.) In other words, it does not sound like you are qualified.
Re: FT positions that have language requirements: How well do you need to know the language?
Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 12:01 am
by Anonymous User
Well the position is designed such that I'd spend 12-24mo in an US office before going overseas. Truth is, there was a time early on when I *only* spoke that foreign language. So I was asking (hoping) whether there's some intermediate qualification level that I can get to in the next month, then use the next year or 2 to get to the level where I can toss around legal jargon and whatnot.
Or no, I'd need to get back to native speed by the screener (in a few weeks)? It's not as if I'd be starting from scratch--but has anyone had a similar experience of re-learning their first language in a short period?
Re: FT positions that have language requirements: How well do you need to know the language?
Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 2:47 am
by ballouttacontrol
Idk what they'll want, but if u want to brush up on the language, go live somewhere it's spoken for a couple weeks. Speak only that language. if you already know it well, this should do the job in a week or two. Rosetta Stone or wtv isn't gonna do shit