The English interview for a remote job at a US company

The stages

The order depends on the kind of company, but it almost always includes:

• Recruiter: experience, salary expectations and often an informal test of your English.
• Technical: live coding, a take-home exercise or a conversation about one of your projects.
• Behavioural: real work situations, told with what you did.
• Manager: how you work, how you communicate, what you expect from the role.
• At remote-first companies, sometimes a paid trial project and a lot of written communication.

Questions you only get as a remote candidate from LATAM

• How many hours you can overlap with the team. Mexico and Colombia overlap well with US Eastern time; overlapping with the West Coast is harder from Argentina or Brazil.
• Internet speed, your own workspace and what you do if the power goes out.
• How you get paid: usually in dollars, as a contractor through a hiring platform.
• Your notice period: 30 days is common in Mexico, while US companies expect 2 weeks. Say it early.

Cultural mistakes that cost the offer

• Asking 0 or 1 question at the end. In the US you are expected to ask several; few questions read as lack of interest.
• Saying "we" for everything. In the behavioural round they want to know what you did.
• Never disagreeing with the interviewer. In a technical discussion, defending your idea with reasons is expected, even with someone senior.
• Memorised English. It breaks at the first follow-up question; simple, flexible English works better.
• Asking for too little because you do not know US salary bands. Research the range for your role first.

Tips

Practise answers in English out loud, not only by reading them: what fails is fluency under pressure.

Prepare 3 to 5 questions for each interviewer.

Know your available hours in US time and your expected salary in dollars.

Practise this interview: with Entrevia you can rehearse the whole interview in English out loud, answer in Spanish when you get stuck, and then practise that same answer in English.

Frequently asked questions

What English level do I need for an interview with a US company?

Enough to explain your work and your technical decisions without a script and to handle follow-up questions. Fluency matters more than vocabulary.

Will they ask about my working hours?

Almost always. Time-zone overlap with the team is the most important non-technical filter for remote roles from Latin America.

When do I talk about salary?

The recruiter usually asks in the first call. Bring a range in dollars that you researched for your role and level.

How many questions should I ask at the end?

Several, 3 to 5 per interviewer. Asking too few is one of the most common mistakes candidates from the region make.

Do I need a visa to work remotely for a US company?

No, if you work as a contractor from your own country. A visa only matters if the role includes moving.