Student accents hinder new grads' job searches
Wed, October 22 2008
“Graduates tend to enter the workplace with all of the qualifications, education and ambition, but those with strong foreign accents often hit a huge road block during their very first phone interview,” says Kirk Hill, executive director of the Career Management Centre at SFU. “They may have great vocabulary, but many employers have a hard time seeing beyond the accent.”
Hill’s department teaches a comprehensive career management course and coaches students one-on-one on their career goals. The career management centre also markets the graduating class to large employers, so Hill has had his share of feedback.
“If people can reduce their accent, many employers will look beyond their lack of Canadian work experience.”
The centre doesn’t have the resources to help immigrant students reduce their accents. However, Hill said he was pleased to discover Jennifer Madigan, who runs L2 Accent Reduction Centre in Vancouver.
“It’s not widely known among immigrants that there is an easy solution to correcting an accent, some of whom have had their accent for 20-plus years,” he says.
“We look forward to exploring a working relationship with L2 Accent Reduction Centre.”
Madigan has helped hundreds of immigrants speak better English, but she says that many people are still hesitant. “Some people think that this has to do with being judged or rejected because of their race or cultural background,” Madigan says.
For more information visit www.L2accent.com
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