***Is your Voice Holding You Back from Landing That Coveted Job?

With the high level of unemployment today, landing a job with any company is highly competitive. What is the possibility that your voice is not an asset but indeed a liability?

Before pursuing graduate studies, I worked for a company in the Philadelphia area in which we sold pre-arranged tours to Hawaii, Mexico, and California over the telephone. While my boss, Harry, was an excellent salesman, his speaking voice was definitely his greatest asset. Deep, rich, and resonant, Harry’s voice was captivating and his success at Your Man Tours was outstanding.

I lasted about 3 months with that firm and I know that my voice was the issue. High-pitched and young-sounding, I did not give the impression of maturity or ability. I sounded like a teenager which did not instill trust for my perspective customers.

It was later in graduate school, however, that my singing professor showed me where the optimum pitch of my ‘real’ speaking voice was – not my singing voice. Deeper in pitch and resonant, my voice displayed a warmth and confidence that sounded much more mature than my age. I sounded like I knew what I was talking about.

My ‘real’ voice got me the jobs I wanted when I later moved to New York City. But it also got me jobs I was not looking for. In one particular instance, I had never met the company face to face. All my business dealings with that firm, the Aspen Music Festival, had been over the phone. When I questioned them about that fact, they told me they were more than confident in my abilities to handle the job they were offering.

If there are two candidates for a position and both have equal experience and education but one sounds wimpy while the other has a voice that captivates, who do you think will get the job? The choice here is pretty obvious.

Now let’s look at the scenario a little differently. There are 2 candidates. Candidate A is a bit more experienced and somewhat better educated than candidate B. Candidate A, however, sounds like a wimp whereas Candidate B speaks with authority and enthusiasm. Who would you hire in this particular case?

Do not think your voice does not matter. It is part of the image you project; and, if it is a liability, maybe you should consider a course in voice improvement or voice training and make it an asset. Your chances of landing that coveted position are much more likely if your speaking voice is not a liability.