Mia Nguyen

University of Colorado Boulder | Undergraduate Computer Science (B.S.) | Oracle Intern Summer 2023

I'm currently majoring in computer science and had the privilege of interning in California for the past two summers. Securing this internship involved navigating through four interview stages, with a particularly memorable experience in the final interview. Initially, my interviewer appeared gruff and unapproachable, showing little interest in our interaction. It was obvious he wanted to just get the interview over with. However, as I went through the interview, I noticed he had a distinct Chinese accent (his name was also Chinese and his Zoom name had his name in Chinese characters as well). I asked him where he was from and he shared that he originated from Beijing, and that the California office where I was interviewing for had a significant number of Chinese speakers. When I mentioned my ability to speak Mandarin, it was like a switch flipped. His demeanor transformed instantly; he became friendly and enthusiastic, engaging me in Mandarin for the remainder of the interview and making small talk. Our conversation flowed smoothly, and by the end, he extended a verbal job offer. 

Additionally, during my internship, I frequently spoke Mandarin with my mentors. I have found (especially in the professional world) that even though people speak English fluently, if you can speak someone's foreign language, it immediately earns you brownie points. I definitely think that speaking Mandarin with my mentors made them like me more, which played a factor in me getting a return offer.