In job interviews, my competence does not come across
"I know what I can do, and I have the experience to prove it. But in the interview, it somehow does not come across."
You have years of experience, you have led teams or complex projects, and you know exactly what you are good at. But in the interview, something gets lost. The interviewer asks a few polite questions, and you leave with the feeling that they did not see what you can really do.
This is a common experience for experienced professionals and leaders who interview in a second language or in a new country. Your competence is real, but an interview does not show it automatically. It has to be communicated: in the right words, in a structure the other person can follow, and in a way that fits what is expected here.
Even worse: When your competence does not come across, a strong profile can look like an average one.
The reasons are different for everyone, so the right kind of help is too. Sometimes it is about how you present your experience, sometimes about language, sometimes about how you see yourself.
When competence does not come across, it rarely means that it is missing. It usually means that the interviewer cannot see it in the short time of the conversation. Sometimes the most important results are mentioned too briefly, or hidden among details. Sometimes experience from another country is hard to classify, because titles, company types and responsibilities are not familiar. And sometimes, you hold back because speaking about your own success feels uncomfortable.
These different situations can produce a similar result: your profile sounds more ordinary than it is.
This is a real cost in an interview. An interviewer can only judge what they hear and understand, and a strong profile that is not communicated clearly can look like an average one.
Start by choosing three to five key messages about what you want the interviewer to know about you, for example the scope of your responsibility, a result you are proud of and the way you lead. For each message, prepare one concrete example with numbers or visible outcomes where possible: team size, budget, time saved, growth achieved.
Then translate your experience into the context of the interviewer. Explain the size and type of your former employers, what your title meant in practice and what your area covered. Do not assume that the interviewer knows what a certain role involves in your country.
Finally, speak in 'I' statements about your own contribution, not only about what 'we' achieved. This is often easier said than done, especially if you come from a culture in which team success is emphasised, or if you worry that talking about yourself may seem arrogant.
For international professionals interviewing in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, it can therefore be useful to distinguish between three questions:
- Do I know which messages about my competence matter most, and how to structure them?
- Can I express them clearly and convincingly in German?
- Can I speak about my own achievements without feeling uncomfortable or exposed?
Each question points towards a different way of improving your interview performance.
This depends on the country, the industry and the company. In general, interviewers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland tend to value factual, well-founded statements more than big claims. A calm tone with concrete evidence is often more convincing than strong adjectives.
At the same time, interviewers expect you to be clear about what you personally achieved. Modesty is appreciated, but too much of it can be read as lack of experience or lack of ambition. It is therefore useful to find a style between understatement and exaggeration: say what you did, what it led to and why it mattered, and let the facts speak.
If you notice that this feels difficult in your own words, it may help to check whether the issue is the style you are used to, the language you use or a belief about what is appropriate.
For international professionals interviewing in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, it is useful to separate three questions:
- Do I know how to structure and present my experience for this audience?
- Do I have the German words and phrases to express my competence precisely?
- Can I trust myself to speak about my strengths, even when I feel under pressure?
Each question points to a different kind of help. Interview training offers methods and practice for presenting your profile. Language training builds the vocabulary and phrases you need to describe your expertise precisely. Coaching looks at what makes it hard to speak about your own competence, such as beliefs about modesty, fear of being judged or the experience of having to start again in a new context, and helps you to speak with more trust in yourself.
Often several of these play a role. The six questions on this page help you see which one to start with.
The following six questions show you where to look.
Let's find out what could help you in this situation
How would your problem change if you knew exactly which parts of your profile interviewers in this country look at first?
How would your problem change if you had three to five key messages about your competence ready, each with one concrete example?
How would your problem change if you could explain your experience in simple, clear sentences that anyone outside your field would understand?
How would your problem change if you believed that speaking clearly about your achievements is professional, not arrogant?
How would your problem change if you saw yourself as someone who brings real value to this company, and not as someone who asks for a chance?
How would your problem change if you felt that your international experience is seen as an asset here, and not as a gap?
What your responses tell you
Take a moment to look at what came up. Which of these ideas feels most familiar? Do you already see a first step you could try, perhaps something small, in your next preparation or conversation?
For some people, one or two of these ideas are enough to change how they prepare. For others, the same patterns return, especially when the pressure is high. If that sounds like you, it may help to look at the situation with someone alongside you. This is what the next section is about.
Finding a Solution That Holds Up Even Under Pressure
You may already have tried the usual remedies: working on your CV, learning the rules of the interview, improving your German. They help, and they are worth doing. Language training gives you the words to describe your expertise. Interview training gives you a structure to present it. But neither changes what happens inside you when you have to speak about your own competence, and that is often the moment it seems to disappear.
Systemic coaching starts one step earlier. We look at how you see your own competence: what you expect of yourself, what you think is appropriate to say about your achievements, and how you imagine the other person sees you. From there we work towards a way of presenting yourself that fits you and your professional reality, not a technique you have to remember in the moment.
Signs that it is working:
- You can describe your key achievements in a few clear sentences, without apologising or exaggerating.
- You know what the interviewer needs to hear to understand your level, and you say it.
- Speaking about your results feels like giving information, not like boasting.
- All of this still holds when a question surprises you or the atmosphere is cool.
About me
I am a solution-oriented, certified management coach, a business transformation consultant and manager, and a native German speaker. My background is in international management, leadership and organisational transformation.
Over many years, I have worked with professionals and leaders in complex international environments. There, expertise alone is rarely enough: people also need to communicate their experience, position themselves clearly and navigate different expectations and ways of working. My own international experience spans Europe, Africa, North and South America, and today I combine coaching with training in Business German.
If your competence does not come across, I will not simply tell you to 'sell yourself better'. Often the problem is not a lack of expertise or of effort. It lies in how experience is translated into a new context: what to say, how much to say, and how to speak about your own achievements without feeling that you are boasting. As a native German speaker and Business German trainer, I know how professional profiles are heard in German-speaking interviews, and what makes an answer convincing there. Together we look at what stands between your competence and the interviewer, and at what would let you show it with clarity and confidence.
I offer a free chemistry call to personally connect, share how I work with clients, and see if my coaching approach aligns with your goals.
It's the perfect opportunity to decide if we're a good match for your interview preparation.