Q TIPS:
Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
Job-hunting tips from the September 11, 2000 issue of QuintZine.
Time for diction lessons? Heavy regional accents have a
negative impact on hiring decisions, according to a
recent study by the University of North Texas, reported
by Taeyma Sapp in Business Week. After
listening to recordings of 10 men with college degrees
from various regions of the country reading the same
passage, 56 executive recruiters ranked candidates from
California and Minnesota as the most employable because
of their neutral accents. A New Jersey candidate with a
doctoral degree and a doctoral candidate from North
Georgia were ranked as the least employable.
Don't write off an employer just because
you get rejected for a job. That's the advice
of Kate Wendleton, founder of The Five
O' Clock Club, a career organization.
Writing in the advice column she co-authors
with Dale Dauten, Wendleton tells the story
of a candidate she didn't hire for an
accounting job. The candidate who was rejected
wrote Wendleton a note telling her how much he
still wanted to work for her company. A few
months later, he wrote again, reiterating
his desire to work for her. About seven months
hence, Wendleton needed to hire another
person. The rejected candidate who kept in touch
was at the top of her list; she didn't even
interview any new candidates. Just shows the
power of keeping your name and desire to work
for a company in the forefront of the employer's
mind.
A valuable resource for black women is
National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc.,
a nonprofit, volunteer organization involved
with community service, leadership develop and
enhancing career opportunities through networking
and programming. For information on NCBW chapters
and programs in your area, contact the national
headquarters at 212-947-2196, 38 West 32nd Street,
Suite 1610, New York, New York 10001-3816.
E-mail: NC100BW@aol.com.
See also the
Professional Women of Color (PWC),
a non-profit organization that provides workshops,
seminars, group discussions as well as networking
sessions to help women of color manage their personal
and professional lives. Contact PWC at: PO Box 5196,
New York, NY 10185, 212-714-7190.
Time for diction lessons? Heavy regional accents have a
negative impact on hiring decisions, according to a
recent study by the University of North Texas, reported
by Taeyma Sapp in Business Week. After
listening to recordings of 10 men with college degrees
from various regions of the country reading the same
passage, 56 executive recruiters ranked candidates from
California and Minnesota as the most employable because
of their neutral accents. A New Jersey candidate with a
doctoral degree and a doctoral candidate from North
Georgia were ranked as the least employable.
