On October 19, I spent my Saturday morning at an iEmpower event that started with a panel discussion and ended with Harriet Dominique speaking about her experiences, what she learned along the way, and how she values experiences over titles especially in the context of career development and professional growth.  Her conversation  was thought provoking and I reflected on an experience where I failed, but I learned from it.

I was privileged to work in ecommerce operations during the rise of the dotcoms of the late 90s.  The company I worked for had the stereotype benefits that the news broadcasted at the time—ping pong tables, huge bonuses, beach days, etc.  I gained experience implementing, training, and using SAP, Oracle, and other Internet based systems.

Fast forward to the early 2000s, I interviewed with a multinational (MNC) headquartered in Mexico.  The MNC was undertaking a big project of migrating from their homegrown ERP to SAP.  I completed my first and second rounds of interviews.  I made the final shortlist—it was going to be between me and another individual.

I tried my best to speak only in Spanish, but I failed. 

When I showed up for the final interview, I was greeted and then told the interview will be in Spanish.  I went into the interview where I was asked many questions for which I knew the answers.  I tried my best to speak only in Spanish, but I failed. 

I walked out of the interview and I was informed that although they liked me and could use my experience I was not selected.  In retelling this story, I have been asked why it was important to speak Spanish if the site was in the U.S.  My response is that many of the management was brought in from Mexico, so it was vital that the individual speak Spanish.  I get it—I currently work for a Danish MNC and we have many Danes filling roles here in the U.S. albeit they speak English.

I moved to Texas in 2006 and I began to practice my Spanish more albeit not in a professional setting. I was using conversational Spanish with people I encountered in retail stores, while buying groceries, and filling up my vehicle’s gas tank.

In 2017, I was lucky to introduce a colleague into my team whose first language is Spanish.  I informed him that I wanted to have all our meetings in Spanish.  Additionally, I asked him to correct me if I used the wrong word, phrase, or grammar.  He agreed, and so we did.  He thought me business terms, corrected my Spanish often, so I kept learning.

In December of 2107, I interviewed for a role in Argentina.  The interview was in Spanish with the CFO from Argentina and eventually the America’s CEO.  I discovered that I was the only one interviewing who was neither born nor raised in the Latin America.  What chance did I have?  I got the role.  Of course, it was not just my ability to speak Spanish that got me role, but it helped.

I had a couple of hiccups, but I was forgiven because I speak very good Spanish for a Yankee

I was fortunate to have a leadership role that allowed me to live and work in Latin America—leading operations in Argentina and Uruguay for my organization based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  I had a couple of hiccups, but I was forgiven because I speak very good Spanish for a Yankee.  When I held my first leadership meeting, I voiced how hot it was by stating how hot it was but what I said translated to how horny I was.  Some of the ladies in the leadership team, called me over and corrected me while their faces turned red.

Since moving back to the U.S., I have worked on, and continue to work on projects that involve Latin America.  Today, I am coordinating activities between the United States, Chile, and Argentina so I still get to practice my Spanish.  This morning I was on the phone with our colleagues in Santiago, Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina.