to think a working class person can be successful in a corporate environment?

[CoolLikeOvie]

I am in my mid-20s, and am undeniably working class. None of my wider family have been to college, let alone university, and have very little regard for people who have. Outside of work, only a couple of people I know have been to uni. I've had a rough life; was homeless as a teenager, I'm a single mum, my DDs dad is in prison. I'm definitely not the kind of person who an academic type would usually choose to associate with.

But, I was classed as gifted/ talented by my school since reception (in other words, I was 'a bit strange', if you ask my family). I went off the rails for a bit, but sorted myself out once I had my DD, and got a degree and a good job.

I start my masters in a couple of weeks. It's mainly distance learning, but I have to spend a number of weekends with my cohort. I just read the forum where everybody is introducing themselves. And I am terrified.

90% of them seem to already have careers I can only dream about. I am so out of my depth. And I'm realising that I have the most severe 'imposter syndrome' - I don't feel like I deserve a place on a course with such successful people.

Objectively - I've got good grades, and a good, relevant job. I can see that a few others are single mums (though alongside this, they are also consultants for international businesses). I have a WC accent, though I'm trying my best to remember to pronounce my Ts and not describe theories or ideas as 'sick'

Just after some success stories really - are you WC, and successful in corporate business? I'm so excited to meet and learn from such successful people, but I really feel like they'll hear me speak and think 'how the hell did she get on this course'?!

Many life times ago, I worked for a very old school colonial type bank. Most of the staff were common as muck. Come the '80's city revolution, they went up the ranks faster than shit on a slippery stick!

People want results. More cockneys and mockneys in dealing rooms and back offices than you'd think. Gift of the gab is your greatest asset.

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www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-49485250

You absolutely deserve to be there. Everyone has imposter syndrome, as long as you recognise it and shut it down it’s all fine.

Also many of the people you see will have a very rehearsed and polished version of their background and careers - remember that.
You can also create a concise story of your background that includes only the relevant parts you are proud of.

Lastly, people do judge speech - if you can, work on it, whether it’s enunciating more, speaking slower, or cleaning up language, whatever you feel you can change without feeling like a sellout

They'll hear your accent and assume you're there because you're clever and competent.

Worry not.

It's the plummy ones who'll have people wondering "whose cousin are they...?"

Absolutely you can! Especially if you up sticks and go work abroad in say NYC, Tokyo, Beijing, etc.
Most nonBritish think almost any British accent is posh.

Of course a WC person can be successful in a corporate environment. I would say having spent 25 years in a corporate environment I have come across very few with a working class accent. Maybe 2 I can think of. I would never employ someone with a WC accent in a client facing role. Sorry but I think that’s the brutal truth.

My understanding is that it is increasingly getting more difficult. A close friend of mine that I grew up with was dirt poor but got a good higher education mainly through working like a dog in her non study time. She's eventually ended up working in increasingly higher positions in The Big Four and other high level corporate environments but is growing increasingly frustrated with the incompetence of people being recruited, despite supposedly rigorous recruitment schemes, because of their connections/nepotism and who are failing in their jobs with supposedly no consequences.

My old director grew up in a council house. His mum still lives there.

I grew up in an abusive household with alcoholic parents and had a baby at 19. I had good GCSEs and that was it educational wise. I am now 20 years into IT consultancy, I’ve worked my way up from admin to Director level in an operational role (I’m 40 now). I sound like where I am from though les broad now than I was, I am working class and female so I am the most unlikely candidate for IT senior leadership. It can be done OP, I am living proof.

You absolutely can OP. I’m originally from a really deprived background. I too am the first of my family to go to university and have a very strong accent.

I went to a good state school and managed to get straight a’s at A level and I was able to choose between a few good RP universities. I decided on law and came out with a 69% average.

I’m now a Director of legal at a blue chip company earning 6 figures. I’m not being immodest saying that I’m just telling you anything is possible if you’ve got the drive and ambition. I definitely alter my accent so that people can at least understand me but I’m still me and am proud of my heritage and social class.

I’ve just started an Executive MBE to enable me to become a VP.

Don’t be deterred OP honestly, the RP English isn’t as respected today as it once was.

A WC person can only be successful in a corporate environment for a limited time. Because after a few years they cease to be WC...

I grew up in a council house, went to uni and have spent my entire career in an upper middle class industry. It’s full of incredibly posh white people.

I can honestly say that none of them have ever seemed to notice. The only person who had given this any thought is you, truly. Just be yourself.

Have you watched 'How to break into the elite' On bbc iPlayer? It discusses how very unlikely the wc are to break into corporate careers for many reasons. Very interesting yet I found quite depressing as I hope my children can move beyond their wc beginnings when I realised how extremely difficult it is

OP one of my closest friends grew up in a really deprived area, came from a working class family and is now Director at a huge international company- before turning 40.

Unlike a pp, her employers have had no issue with having her in a client facing role. In fact, my eyes hurt from rolling at that poster.

BeardedMum “ I would never employ someone with a WC accent in a client facing role. Sorry but I think that’s the brutal truth.”

I think the brutal truth here is about you.

Of course you deserve to be there - more than them even because you’ve done it the hard way. The best people on my team, in a very old school intellectual environment are the ones who’ve worked up. The green graduates are 75:25 nightmare:dream to the point where I only took one these year as he’d done a year already somewhere which will have knocked his edges off. When ever I get offered an apprentice I bite their hand off.

My typos there are not really backing me up

You are clever , your brain works in a certain way
Many people with the ‘right’ accent are not
As clever or gifted as you

My honest advice to to remember many people from less privileged background are hugely successful . You just lack confidence and it’s a crying shame for it to hold you back

Accents can be neutralised and my main advice when in an intimidating situation Is to listen hard , and soak it all in

Of course you can.

A colleague of mine absolutely flew up the ranks, director level in a huge global firm by the age of 28. He has the broadest Scouse accent you ever heard.

He is also smart, immensely hard working, politically astute and charming.

if you have to, you can speak differently, because that is just surface, and can be changed.

When in my home town I am broad Glaswegian but I can turn it on and off like a tap!

What is your true value is though is the life experiences and the gravitas and edge that gives you over and above anyone else. That with your academic credentials and you are dynamite.

I think you are going to go very far and have a stimulating, financially rewarding career. Good luck to you!

The thing is, people are battling aspects of their character all the time in the work place. Literally everyone suffers from imposter syndrome. It is about giving people no reason to doubt you- admittedly accent can be relevant to that but your content and delivery can deal with that nearly immediately - tons of high powered international speakers can hold an audience in broken English. You give it your best each time and you will get there. I’m a relatively senior lawyer and believe me, I can spot brains from ten paces and that is far more intimidating than a upper class accent!

I’ve had imposter syndrome many times I’ve had two careers, just qualified into one very professional job and am experiencing it a bit atm.
In my experience, I have been on courses with people who are upper middle class, Cambridge educated etc. They have been trained in how to behave but are not necessarily more intelligent and often don’t have much in the way of life skills.
It’s not to run anyone else down as the truth is more like we’re all ok. Don’t undervalue yourself, you bring different things to the table.
You can learn behaviours you don’t have yet. Observe other people and how they behave in certain situations.
We need people from different backgrounds in top jobs. Do yourself proud xxx

Yes you can. It'll be slightly harder for you (at least that's what I found) but it's definitely doable. Most of the barriers, however, are in your head. You deserve your place on the course and are just as intelligent and impressive as your fellow students.

I work in a FTSe100 in the corporate headquarters. Diversity is really valued and that means background, gender, ethnic, etc. We absolutely do not want one 'type' because group think is not good for business. We would absolutely not discriminate on background. I interview grads regularly and I'm much more interested in how they deal with people and situations than I am in the Academic (that's a given, must have 2:1 to get through to interview anyway). People from WC are generally more interesting as they've worked hard to get where they and quite often have a lot more to talk about. Please believe in yourself and you will do well. Trust your instinct. Good luck!

Bloody hell, these replies. Thank you SO much! I feel indescribably enheartened. I can't thank you all enough.