She Had No German. She Got the Job.
How passion, skills, and radical honesty beat a language gap.
Published on by Gernot Sauerborn
There are moments in coaching when a client walks in with all the “wrong” numbers on paper — and all the right ones in their heart. This was one of those moments.
My client had made a decision. She had discovered a company in Switzerland — and she knew, with the kind of certainty that doesn't need explaining, that this was where she wanted to work. Not a similar company. Not the industry. This one, specifically.
She had started learning German the moment she found them. But passion moves faster than language acquisition, and life had other plans: through a series of fortunate circumstances, she was invited for a trial day to demonstrate her professional skills almost immediately. There was no time to wait until her German was “good enough.” The window was now.
The Honest Inventory
When we sat down together, we took stock of what she actually had. Four real, powerful assets — and one significant gap.
- Deep functional expertise — her skills were genuinely strong and relevant to the role.
- Real-world experience — a track record that spoke for itself.
- Authentic motivation — she wasn't job-hunting. She was company-hunting. One specific company.
- Passion — unmistakable, unteachable, and frankly rare.
- German — almost none. And we were going to be completely honest about that.
The Strategy: Own the Gap, Lead With the Fire
Most candidates in her position would have tried to hide the language weakness — rehearsing a few German phrases, hoping the conversation wouldn't go too deep, bracing for the moment they'd be found out. We took the opposite approach.
We built her strategy around three deliberate choices:
- Prepared answers in writing. For the questions most likely to come up, she prepared thoughtful responses in German — not memorised speeches, but written notes she could refer to openly. This was not a workaround. It was a signal: I take this seriously enough to prepare properly, even knowing my limits.
- A translation app, unapologetically. She decided in advance that she would use a translation tool if she needed it — openly, without embarrassment. Not as a crutch, but as a tool. The same way a professional uses any tool available to do their job well.
- Lead with passion, always. Her language gap was real. Her desire to work for this company was also real — and far more powerful. The strategy was to make sure the interviewers felt the second thing so strongly that the first became a detail about the present, not a verdict about the future.
What Happened in the Room
She walked into the interview with something most candidates don't bring: confidence that wasn't conditional on being perfect. She knew what she couldn't do yet. She also knew exactly what she could do — and why she wanted to do it there, specifically.
She referred to her notes. She used her translation app when needed. She spoke about her passion without apology and without performance. And she let her skills speak where words couldn't.
She received a job offer.
In Her Own Words
After the offer came in, I asked my client a few questions. Here are her answers — translated from Spanish, her native language.
How would you describe your current level of German?
My German is basic. I would place myself at around an A1 level. I am still learning and improving step by step.
How did you manage to convince the interviewers, even though your German was far from perfect?
Even though my German knowledge is very limited, I was often able to sense what they were trying to communicate. I was not always completely sure I had understood everything correctly — but because I already had background knowledge about chocolate production, it was easier to follow what they were explaining.
What gave you the confidence you needed?
My desire to grow and to build a better future gave me a lot of confidence. And the love I feel for chocolate — and the knowledge I already had about how it is made — helped me feel more grounded and sure of myself.
What role did your passion for high-quality chocolate play in the interview?
It was essential. Despite the nerves that naturally come with any interview, it became clear that my motivation and enthusiasm for high-quality chocolate were genuine and strong. I believe that passion communicated a real interest in the work — one that no amount of rehearsed language could have replaced.
And how exactly did Gernot's coaching help you through this process?
Gernot's support was indispensable throughout this whole journey. His coaching helped me prepare more thoroughly and understand the interview process with much greater clarity. Thanks to his guidance, I felt more secure and confident every step of the way.
The Learning: Language Is a Tool, Not a Verdict
We often treat language as a prerequisite — the thing that has to come first before everything else can begin. But language is a tool, not a measure of worth. And sometimes the conditions are right except for one variable, and the honest, courageous thing to do is to show up anyway.
Her German will improve. It almost certainly already has. But on that day, she didn't need it to be better. She needed to be herself, clearly and fully — and she was.
P.S. — One of those “fortunate circumstances” I mentioned deserves its own moment: my client didn't contact her dream employer through conventional paths: She sent a direct message to the company owner — on Instagram (and not on LinkedIn or the company's HR portal).
Which raises a question worth sitting with: What paths have you not yet taken — because they felt too unconventional, too bold, or simply not how it's done? Where could you show your passion in a way that most candidates wouldn't even consider?
The well-worn paths are well-worn for a reason: everyone uses them. Standing out sometimes means finding a different door entirely.
Moving on With Systemic Solution Oriented Coaching
Systemic solution-focused coaching helps migrants prepare for job interviews in a new language — not by pretending the challenge doesn't exist, but by building a strategy that makes your real strengths work for you. That shift happens through a clear, structured approach:
- We develop a purpose-driven goal — so you apply for the right employers, not just any employer. When you know what truly matters to you, your applications become intentional, not reactive.
- We take an honest inventory of your assets — skills, experience, motivation, and passion — and build your strategy around what you actually have, not what you wish you had.
- We reframe your language gap. Not as something to hide, but as something to address with confidence, preparation, and the right tools. Honesty, done well, builds trust.
- We prepare you for the real conversation — the questions likely to come, the moments that matter, and the tools (yes, including notes and translation apps) that help you show up fully.
- And overall, we expand your thinking and action space — so you stop asking “Is my German good enough?” and start asking “How do I make them feel how much I want to be here?”
This is not about performing better in the eyes of others. It is about knowing your own value clearly enough that a language gap becomes a temporary detail — not a disqualifying verdict. If you are ready to stop waiting until you're “ready enough” and start showing up as who you already are, let's work together.
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My insights are grounded in my daily work with international professionals and executives navigating the job market and workplace culture in German-speaking countries. As an experienced manager, management consultant, systemic coach, and business-oriented German language teacher, I combine a practical understanding of business expectations with a deep appreciation of the challenges of working across cultures. Having lived and worked internationally, I understand how to make professional experience, individual strengths, and personal identity visible in a new professional environment.
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.