Not the norm
I don’t think an accent has any role to play in getting a job. A good company that wants good employees will look for smart and intelligent people who can generate ideas and money. They won’t use this as a criterion.
I strongly believe that a person should have a smart way of speaking, as it reflects their personality. A person’s speech should be fluent, understandable and reflect confidence.
If you are a true leader and a successful person, in whichever accent or language you speak in, people will respect you.
From Mr Shlok Misra
UAE
Accent is not enough
I do not think accents influence job opportunities unless one is applying for a job catering to a particular accent of English.
One may have the most British or most American accent while speaking, but if your words do not fulfil the job requirement then no hiring manager is going to hire you simply because you sound British or American.
From Mr Amitabh Saxena
UAE
A Middle Eastern reality
I totally agree that a person’s education and his interpersonal skills to fulfil a job should be evaluated first.
I have seen people earning triple the salaries compared to their peers just because of a better accent. In fact, I find they are acting more like a showpiece rather than getting any business or profits for the company. This is unfair.
Getting shortlisted for jobs, interviews and better salaries in the Middle East is well known for its favour to Western passport holders and accents, disregarding the fact that the candidate might not be the best suited for the job.
From Mr Hasnain Emtiaz
UAE
Learning to speak
I was born with a thick English accent that was like a mountain shepherd counting his sheep; we do that up in Old Norse.
My mother also had a broad accent and she was sure that it held her back in the civil service, so she sent me to a preparatory school and to a public school. I had to lose the accent and take elocution lessons to learn how to say words like ‘look’ properly, instead of ‘luke’, for instance.
I amuse many of my colleagues by copying the Irish accent’s attractive lilt and fine wordsmiths and the rough growls of Glasgow.
We had a colleague from Dudley, West Midlands who had a strong accent, and I was the only one who could understand him. To my Asian and Arab colleagues, he may have come from Mars for all they knew.
When I went to preparatory school, pre-Ghana independence, and all that followed suit in 1956, the whole idea was that I would go out to the British colonies and speak properly!
From Mr Keith Lupton
Dubai
Accents are telling
I doubt it helps in their career growth. It is not the accent that matters, but how efficient one expresses his or her ideas across a group. Besides how fluently they are able to use the language, lucidity, clarity and, above all, making sense grammatically.
I think an accent that is natural to them is a source of interest to others and can draw in attention, especially in a group where there is a presence of diverse nationalities.
However, I do feel that if you don’t have a Western accent, you are generally perceived as someone with a low level of sophistication. But a fake accent is easy to detect.
From Mr Mohammad Sageer
UAE
Depends on environment
Two years ago, I struggled really hard at a job because I have a British accent and no one could understand me in person or over the phone. Eventually, I had to leave that place.
I think it depends where you are actually working in the UAE. There are all kinds of people and different environments involved in work places around the country.
I can understand the frustration, though. I would hate it if I merited a job, and I was turned down just because I didn’t have Western accent.
From Mr A. Ahmad
Sharjah
An excuse
I believe it is an excuse to cover up inabilities. However, in fairness, those who have unknowingly adopted an accent cannot be placed in the same category as those who visibly try hard to fake their accent and end up making a mockery of themselves.
From Mr Zaki Khalid
UAE
Comes across as clever
The only benefit of accent and language is the ability to sell yourself better. I was in awe of my manager at first because I thought everything he said was so clever. That was, however, until I started listening to the words. He wasn’t clever at all, but his accent and the way he spoke really made people believe in him.
From Ms Ameerah Jolene-Ann van Heerden
UAE
Accents enhance impressions
Any language understood and spoken in its original format definitely gives an edge and good impression of a person. A change in accents can sometimes mar the meaning and may lead to confusion and misunderstanding.
The essence of Arabic can be felt and understood perfectly only if it is spoken in its exact accents and tone. Slight mistakes in the accents can change the meaning of conversation. I think the case is similar with many other languages, too.
For generations, English has been a dominating language used almost all over the world and is also a window to a lot of information and technologies. During my 21-year career in Dubai, I have found that speaking English in the right accents - American or British, can certainly enhance a person’s career and job opportunities.
Mr Aslam Doi
Dubai
Not a problem
I think as long as the way a person speaks is clear, there should not be any problems. However, there are some industries, where customers of a certain product or service prefer to avoid some specific nationalities. For that, human resource departments may care about the accent the candidate speaks.
From Mr Sardorbek Djanpulatov
Dubai
Good for networking
In an ideal world, accents should not matter, as accents, at times reflect the socio-cultural background of the person. But in some parts of the worlds, and that may include our region, accents do matter.
I do agree, that to some extent, the Western accents have certain advantage and for a reason. I am not sure, and would be sad if it is true, that accents can actually lead someone to attain a job/position. But, it can open the window to discussions or give them a longer rope.
Though accents should not influence the recruitment process, it does. People with Western accents get some special treatment. But I would totally reject the notion, that people with Western accents are in any way better than people without it.
From Mr Ghanshyam Vasudeo Vyas
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