You have 7 words - Apparently.

The number 7 seems to be in and around business, life and pretty much everywhere. 

7 words, 7 seconds – 7 harmonies, 7 heavens, Magnificent 7, 7 days of the week.

7.

"7 Seconds" by Youssou N'Dour & Neneh Cherry.

You’ve just read 7 seconds of this blog. According to James Reed – “the 7 Second CV” – your CV has to impress upon people within 7 seconds of someone reading it. Can you see how much information people process in that time? (blog for another time).

The song by the Pixies – 6 is the devil, but god is 7.

7 is also the 4th prime number – nothing weird about that, but did you know it’s the first Double Mersenne prime number? This means nothing to you, as you’re probably not a Mathematician – but in case you are – I’ve dropped that factoid in.

7 Seconds is also the name of a punk band from Nevada US.

According to Forbes Magazine your business has 7 seconds to make the first impression.

Then I read this yesterday -

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/job-interviewers-judge-your-class-and-perceived-ability-within-the-first-seven-words-you-speak_uk_5daeba97e4b0f34e3a7b9f01

You have 7 words before someone makes a snap judgement about you in an interview. Based purely on how you sound.

7 words.

Only 7.

Normally an interview starts with “Thank you for coming in, how did you find your journey” or something like that. And you say “Ye, great thanks” – you’ve burned through 3 of the words, and now you have 4 words left.

“Would you like a drink?”

“Yes please” or “No thank you” – you’re left with 2 or 1 words left, before you’ve even started.

This article is trying to highlight that your accent = your class in society – which can be unravelled by 7 words in a conversation – before you are judged on your skills and ability. 

Quick story for you.

You know what? Being welsh and having a welsh accent. This is has happened to me.

My family back home in west wales – tell me I have lost my accent. People that know me, know I have welsh twang, but seem to not be as welsh sounding anymore. (Unless I go home).

What they don’t realise is, I have spend years taking out the harshness of the welsh accent, and tried to make it sound more less Alex Jones from the one show – and more Anthony Hopkins the actor (No relation, but it was fun growing up telling people he was a second uncle).

WHY! I hear you ask? Why would I do that?

Before and When I started in recruitment 14 years ago, I found myself being singled out by my Welsh accent, I found it was the centre point of my conversation, especially living in Bristol, and working in and out of London. Everywhere I went, everything I did, from Job interviews to having a beer down the pub. “Oh your welsh…” or depending on where you were “Alright Taff” “taffy” (but again that is another blog for another time).

I was in a bar in Bristol once, and got chatting to a half-cut Psychology student, who tried to tell me that “welsh people sound stupid”.

I got convinced. It was a drip feed of little comments, and conversations – It got to me. I felt very worried about my accent, and the perception it gave people of who and what I am. I wanted to make it sound less Welsh.

I felt that where I was born and grew up, was an issue. And because it’s acceptable to judge people by their accent in the United Kingdom – even to this day – I didn’t want to be “judged”

Then one day, I got a grip. But it was helped by this…

Being proud to be welsh, got really trendy around 2006-7, When movies/TV series filmed in Wales, Welsh bands were/are big, welsh radio DJs you hear more, Wales Rugby winning Six Nations more, and doing really well. Welsh football a few years back, got good (its still ok, but could be better). Gavin And Stacey, Steve Jones, Welsh comedian (from my home town) Rhod Gilbert on the TV more… And Alex Jones off of the One show, who is more welsh than Owain Glyndwr.

This all made me realise I needed to embrace my accent, and where I was born and not let it slow me down. Its all a blur now, I just don’t give a crap if someone has a problem with how I sound. I still get the comments. What’s resulted of that, I never judge how people sound. Ever. Because that is your birthright, your accent, you can't help being born and growing up in an area of the world – it doesn’t take away from the fact we have good people with an accent, or bad people.

Look at Jacob Rhys Moog, he can lie and cheat – but in a posh English accent. And people believe it. I call him the best Doctor Who bad guy of all time. Soon he will be the new villain in Sherlock – but all because his accent. He is probably a brilliant Dad, and maybe a brilliant Business owner. But we judge him because of how he sounds.

7 Words is bullshit to me. 7 Words does not reflect who you are, what you know – and what you can do for people.

Changing your accent, to a posher one, to prove you are the right candidate is the least important thing you need to do. You need to be the right candidate regardless of where you grew up. (obviously with the correct right to work, I can’t change that). 

If you interview with someone – and they have rejected you either knowingly or not – over your accent, your level in society – then this isn’t your fault. And had you got the job, you probably not get the opportunity because you didn’t sound like your spent your childhood running Narnia.

Diversity in a business, is that, different cultures, accents, sexualities, beliefs – you name it. If people don’t sound like you, look like you, like the same things as you – it doesn’t mean to say they won’t be able to do the job. In fact – we are enriched by different people around us.

So lets stop this 7 words/seconds bullshit.

And start listening to what people can really do.