“Wicked Smaht” – Accent Hurting Your Professional Credibility?

May 18, 2009 by sparktalk

By J.T. O’Donnell

I was talking to a fellow career journalist last week and the subject turned to accents. We were contemplating whether or not certain accents (ie. Boston, Deep South) can hurt a person in a phone interview. After some reflection on our own experiences, we both agreed that, yes, an accent can misrepresent you, and possibly even hurt your chances of getting hired.

Ironically, I work with someone right now who has a strong Boston accent. He is a recent college grad and is an exceptional worker. I don’t hear his accent any more, but I do recall the first time I heard his voicemail and thought, “Hmm. It’s clear he’s from Beantown.” So, I asked him if his accent had ever caused him challenges. To my surprise, he said, “yes.”

It turns out on a recent trip to California to visit a childhood friend; he spent a week hanging out with her friends and was told repeatedly, “WOW! Your accent is sooooo strong.” He said by the end of the week, he was so sick of their comments and teasing (i.e. asking him to say certain words and then busting out laughing); he couldn’t wait to get back home. So, I asked him, “Have you considered changing it?” He said no, that he didn’t really see why someone should change the way they speak. I pointed out that actors go to speech classes all the time to learn different accents for roles. And then, I outlined how not considering it could impact his future…

Since I grew up in New England, I am familiar with the Boston accent, so it doesn’t affect my perception of him as a worker. However, the fact remains: If he wants to get a job outside of this area, or even if he wants to work with people from outside this area, there’s a chance he’d be discriminated against, even though he’s “wicked smaht.”

Is it fair? Nope. Is it reality? Yes. Here’s why…

TV and film create stereotypes via the characters they produce. Those characters’ accents create perceptions. Sad but true, certain American accents further the stereotype of being ‘uneducated.’ And yet, we all remember the incredible scene above from Good Will Hunting. However, when it comes to hiring, I doubt highly that every manager sits back and says, “Well, the accent is bad, but maybe he’ll turn out to be like Will.” More likely, they are thinking, “Yikes. That accent is strong. Did he go to college? Could I listen to it every day?” Harsh, I know, but this site is called CAREEREALISM for a reason.

So, I ask you? Have you ever found your accent to be a disadvantage in your career/job search? If so, how did you deal with it? And managers reading this, what are your thoughts? Can you honestly say that an accent doesn’t matter when you are assessing a candidate to join, and subsequently, represent your company? Experts, feel free to weigh in on the subject too. What do you advise?

Technorati Tags: accent, Boston, goodwill hunting, matt damon, south, southern, uneducated, wicked

Filed Under: Career Advice (Articles), Job Search Tactics
Tagged: accent, Boston, goodwill hunting, matt damon, south, southern, uneducated, wicked

Comments

Paula

This is great! I was born and raised in Europe and still have a slight accent which makes me nervous, especially during phone interviews. You can't see that person so your voice becomes the center of attention. It's true that those who conduct phone interviews instantly downgrade those applicants with accents. Unfair...but that's life.
John

Amusing. A Boston and NYC accent(s) are based on London and East Anglia accents. Non-rhotic. They have far more in common with what some Americans on here have posted as charming and 'Proper' than a much more common rhotic so-called standardized American accent. Yet there are many Americans speaking with a rhotic accent who amusingly (and ignorantly) look down their nose at Boston, NYC, various southern dialects/accents as inappropriate. A person with a Boston, NYC accent doesn't have a speech impediment and aren't pronouncing English words incorrectly.

What has occurred in America is anything associated with 'Urban' or big city is considered bad, low-class, while small town middle America is glorified. How an accent that makes someone sound like they come from a small Midwest town (PLEASE, no offense to Midwesterners) is considered sophisticated while a big city, urban accent like a Boston or NYC accent is laughed at, I can't quite figure out. Most rhotic American accents, especially certain Midwest accents, are like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. Like a prim English teacher made them over pronounce. I call it text-book English. The 'UR!' people. I like the softer 'AH' opposed to 'UR' when hearing the letter 'R' spoken.

Non-Americas always comment on my accent. They say I don't sound American. I'm often believed to be Australian in the UK, even South African! But they don't giggle and mock it like most Americans.

Accents are cool. I don't want everyone to sound the same. That's boring.
Mary

I live in Toronto, which is one of the immigration capitals of the world. Something like 1 out of 6 people here were born in another country.

There are so many accents in this city that most of us here don't really notice any more. When you're immersed in so many different ones, you tend to learn the linguistic patterns. We don't really have problems understanding each other.

I was in Chicago a few weeks ago and saw this documentary about Africa. There were subtitles underneath them, even though they were speaking English. I guess it was to help with the thick accents. In Toronto though, we tend to only get subtitles for things in different languages.

Most Canadians tend to sound the same no matter what part of the country they come from, which also tends to eliminate any sort of accent discrimination.
LauraV

Hi JT,

Excellent article. There is an interesting conversation happening here.

First of all, I LOVE the Boston accent - to me, it has a few similarities to my very Australian accent! One of my favorite bands is from Boston - The Dropkick Murphys - and they sound amazing!

I've lived in Calgary, Alberta for close to two years now, and have been away from Australia for nearly three years. I can safely say that my Australianisms have not hindered my career in recruitment, with the occasional time where a candidate has asked me to slow down if I start to talk too fast.

I did find it a little tough to communicate to patrons of a bar I used to serve at.

I found myself having to really put the emphasis on my "r's" in certain situations (saying "suRe" with a resonating R as opposed to the Australian soft "r" - more like "ahhh" - same went for "beeR" as opposed to "beeaaah") but apart from that, I've had minimal issues with my accent.

Interestingly enough, I spent a few months in Argentina in 2007, where I first learnt how to speak Spanish. When living in LA shortly afterwards, I was working with some Mexican chefs who used to tease me for having an Argentine accent when I spoke Spanish with them! It was quite entertaining.

Cheers

Laura
MaureenSharib

People spend BIG MONEY to lose their accents and sound like they come from Mid-America. Think broadcasting.
dosankodebbie

Interesting discussion. This applies to Japan, as well. A big factor in Amazon Japan's choosing Sapporo as the location for their call center was the fact that (despite being so far from Tokyo) most Sapporo residents have little or no distinguishable regional accent. This prevents unnecessary mis-communication and potentially off-putting regional associations when customers speak to a service representative. That, and the cheaper economy of Sapporo, are cards that the city plays well in its efforts to attract businesses to this location so far from the center of Japan.
Gideon Shalwick

Hey there

My accent has definitely affected me. I'm from South Africa, and have an Afrikaans speaking accent - not very strong anymore (depending on where you are from of course, cos I now live in Australia).

But the best cure I've found is to start my own business, to create my own niche, and get people to identify me and my accent with my niche.

Works like a charm cos I get to call the shots. I dont need to impress anyone with a "correct" accent.

What's a "correct" accent in any case?

Gideon Shalwick
Scott Boren

Depending on how each of us was raised it can affect how we percieve others. I work with people from all over the world and don't feel I have a prejudiced bone in my body. Yet there are times I sometimes hear a certain accent and may think, even for a second, this person is (fill in the blank). I quickly remind myself to focus on the answer. But it is there. So I purposely ignore accents unless they are so heavy that it gets in the way of communication.
Fin

Have there any studies in regards to the correlation of accents and education? I am a NY/NJ transplant into the South. While it is not the most scientific of methods, you can easily spot out an educated southern vs uneducated and it all has to do with the accent of said person.

I have lived several places inside of the US including NY/NJ/TN/MS/NE. I have personally found the same conclusion but I would have to take more time out in being aware when I visit next time.
Doug Mayes

I love this post, J.T. I'm a Southerner (note the capital S) working in Tucson Arizona and I've always been alternately fascinated and befuddled by others' reaction to my North Carolina accent. I've relocated for work several times to other regions and this sanded the rough edges off of my accent. Work in radio and television helped me as well, but it's still there and I've embraced it, moving past any embarrasment I once had. As time goes by, I find that my accent is an excellent ice breaker, especially with people who've recently relocated to our area. I like to think that when one speaks with an appropriate level of sophistication, the potential negative effects of a strong accent is lessened. It took me many years to feel this way, and I can understand why someone would feel at a disadvantage if they have a strong accent. It also sets up a fun little "good cop, bad cop" scenario with my boss who's very crisp and direct. The hardest part for me is to not come off as slick or a "honey dripper" as my dad would say. For me, it comes down to having confidence in one's abilities, and seeking to create genuine empathy and rapport with the other party. It helps me to be something of a chameleon and be sensitive to speech patterns and body language. I'm not suggesting anyone become a method actor, but I may be more langorous with another Southerner and cripser with a New Yorker. Commonality makes everyone feel better.
hrdo

Hm.... harsh, allright... , but I really don't think this applies universally. Look to academia...., some of the best minds have strange accents, to say the least. Maybe because some of these people are from countries where English isn't the native language. It doesn't seem this is harming their careers in the U.S., does it?
Devorah Firestone

I guess growing up a little different than my peers made me aware of the advantages of those who are different. I can understand some of the concerns that others have here, but these differences are like music to me and make me want to listen to the meat of what someone is saying even more.
askamanager

I love accents. Accents of any kind, I think. I suspect there are lots of people like me, who are more likely to be charmed by an accent than put off by it.

I guess the one exception would be Valley Girl.
Facebook User

Yes, your accent matters outside of your region. No way around it, people will treat you differently once you demonstrate that you are not from the area.
To be honest, what gets me in more trouble is my facial expressions while saying something meaningful. People may not hear a word I am saying, but only focus on how my face appears to them as I am saying it.
Being a "Yankee" in Texas, it took me a while to realize that I needed to be aware of my expressions, as well as adjusting my speech. I don't walk into work with a smile on my face and I don't walk out with a smile on my face. It doesn't mean I am not in a good mood. I just don't smile when I concentrate, as many Texans seem to do.

Hmmm...JT, I sense another article!
J.T. O'Donnell

@Donalyn & Facebook User - I think you both hit a key point. Regionally, I've also experienced differences in the way we do business. What I love about NE is how direct, quick and honest they are. Years ago, I coached a woman who relocated from Boston to NC. She was in sales. The first month, she said she loved it because everyone was so nice and polite when she called and that she was sure selling would be easier there. Three months later, she was cursing them all. She felt betrayed by their kind attitudes but unwillingness to buy from her. She too, learned to adapt.

Yes, I do small another post brewing on this subject...
Donlyn Jones

Our company is national and we deal with clients that are regionally located.

I am a southerner with a southern drawl in my day to day speech, however, on the job, I transform my speech to my business-ese which still has a touch of a southern accent to it. Many of my clients are in the southeast and my accent is not that different from those clients. I remember years ago I did a sales training to a group of bankers in Maryland. They sat there staring at me, just mesmerized. I thought my message must be powerful to get that kind of attention. At the end of the presentation I asked for questions and commentary. One man in the back raised his hand and asked "Can you just talk some more? About anything, really?"

Recently I gained a new coworker, based in Atlanta, to work in the southeast as well. The first time I spoke with him on the phone I knew we were both in trouble - his fast talking NY accent was not going to work in our favor. And it hasn't.

I think the yankee is good at what he does, in spite of his accent, I enjoy working with him, however, our clients are not so impressed.

He and I have been together with clients and I percieve it is more than just the accent. The yankee has the accent, he talks very fast, he interupts constantly and he is extremely pushy. I realize I am stereotyping myself here also, but it seems in the south, we do business a bit differently. We want to talk about it, we are interested in relationships as well as features and benefits. We don't take kindly to being pushed into a decision, especially by someone who is not from around these here parts.

As a hiring manager, fitting in with the clients is important, just as competency and experience are. How a prospect/employee relates to his/her clients is critical in our company's success. So whether it is percieved as being a bit discrimatory or not, it is the real world in our business and it has been something I consider in the interview and hiring process.
Scott C Griffin

I know I sometimes have an accent - my Southern born and raised wife points it out to me. But the times she points it out is on certain words. I have a "mixed" accent than anything else. My parents are from the North-east and was born in MA. My father is Canadian and has a strong N.B. accent as my mother has a strong MA accent.

But here is the twist! My first language I heard as a child was Swedish. Then we moved to Texas and heard the Texas twang and border Spanish (my second language). By the time I was about 5 I had to learn English (my third language - some with a MA acent) before going into first grade. Then in my teens I moved to Colorado and picked up a little bit of a western accent.

To this day I would blurt something out in Swedish (sometimes Spanish) when my wife and I go grocery shopping. She has grown accustomed to this - not understanding what I said would sometimes ask me for a translation. I then sometimes have to stop and think to translate it into English for her.
kate

i grew up for the most part with an accent and it has changed over the years from moving around a bit in my childhood. as i got older my accent went away, although it creeps up on me from time to time. what i found happens more often than not is that my writing gets critiqued. i am a trilingual hispanic individual who learned to speak spanish and english simultaneously. this is both a good thing and a bad. although i live within the US i think in spanish and as most may know things in spanish are written in a different format than in english and has caused much confusion for me throughout college, graduate school, and in my career. i have learned to manage and i can say it has never cost me a job, but it did place me in the awkward position of having to have my manager review my memos, emails, and rfp's before officially sending them out. super embarrassing.
J.T. O'Donnell

Kate,

Such a great point on being multi-lingual. This also can be a struggle. How do you handle it now? Do you think it impacts the jobs you seek out?
Jon Boroshok

Having not grown up in New England, but having lived here for/since college (25 years), I can relate to this piece. When I attended Emerson College in the 1980s, we had to take a class called "Voice and Articulation," which trained us to loose ay regional sound in our voice.

A few years ago, my daughter came home from daycare singing Old MacDonald had a "FAHM." I cringed at the thought of her developing the Boston speech impediment (accent). Fortunately, she's since learned to say her Rs in the right place.

Can an accent work against you -- yes, especially a Boston, New York, or other obvious one. Of course some can work in your favor. Let's face it -- if someone with a proper accent told you that two plus two equals five, you'd check your own math first. It's still more credible than two plus two equals "faw."
J.T. O'Donnell

Hey Jon, I grew up in NE too, but for some reason, we don't get the accent in NH. Although, I did get made fun of a bit when I was younger for saying 'I-dear' instead of 'idea.'

I'm fascinated by the language course you took - I'd love to see how they actually teach people to lose accents.

And so true about the English accent, it always sounds so proper!

Thanks for posting and welcome to CAREEREALISM - glad to have you here!
Jon Boroshok

In the last paragraph of my post above, it should have read:

Let's face it -- if someone with a proper British accent told you that two plus two equals five, you'd check your own math first. It's still more credible than two plus two equals "faw."