Have you ever wondered what it would be like to use your English in a professional setting? The CISL Career English Program consists of CISL English classes and then time at an American host company, where the student improves his or her English in the workplace. CISL student Dominic, from Switzerland, recently completed CISL’s Career English Program. Dominic shared his experience with us.
Dominic spent his time at Martinez + Cutri, which Dominic describes as “a well known multidisciplinary firm, which plans educational, hospitality, residential and commercial buildings. Currently they are planning two high-rise buildings in which I was partially involved.” (To learn more about Martinez + Cutri, read our interview with Anthony, one of the firm’s owners.)
While taking classes at CISL, Dominic worked with the Career English Coordinator to prepare for his interview. Dominic feels he was well prepared for the interview and says, “Fortunately, my Career English coordinator (Grace Turner) from CISL prepared me perfectly for this task. She prepared me well for possible questions the companies may ask, and gave advi[c]e for the dress code and manner.” Interviews are always stressful, but especially so when they are not in your native language! Dominic agrees: “I also already had various interviews in Switzerland which gave me confidence. Nevertheless, this was my first one in English language. It went very good, just like the two others I had with different companies.” If you need to prepare for an interview, check out our article, Five Common Interview Questions to Practice Preparing for an Interview.
During his time at Martinez + Cutri, Dominic had many responsibilities. “I worked close together with one of the Bosses, Joe Martinez, on new projects and was responsible for the 1st drafts for four different projects. I also got the chance to plan some car parking spots for these residential projects. Of course, I had to look into all the new regulations, which are sometimes much different compared to those in Switzerland. Although, some things were just about the same as in my country and therefore easy to me to understand and implement. The most attractive duty was to plan and draft their new office in which they (the company) will move in 2018.” How exciting!
Overall, Dominic agrees that the CISL Career English Program was a valuable experience. “In my opinion, CISL is doing a good job with their career program. I didn’t miss anything and Grace was always reachable in case of any problems . . . I definitely would recommend CISL’s career English program to other students or colleagues.”
We are so happy that you enjoyed your experience, Dominic! We wish you success in your career!
CISL’s Career English Program places students in American host companies, where students practice English in a real work environment. For information about CISL’s Career English Program, contact CISL.