If you have a lisp- interview perceptions

[TheZaLord]

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So I'm asking about this now as I have some time to maybe work on it if needed...I have a "lateral lisp"...not terrible, pretty mild I thought.
I had a lot of speech therapy as a kid so severity improved a lot.
However, I was talking with a coworker at lunch, she's a speech therapist herself. I was telling her about my classes, etc...and she (in a very kind manner) said I may want to think about "fixing" my lisp before I get to the point of interviews.
But I had speech for years- even into high school. So I'm not sure what there really is to be done about it.

My question is, in interviews, is this going to make me look bad in some way? If so I'll at least try to work on it...again.

I have bangin' hair and a great ass for suits but if I'm doing to be looked at like Daffy Duck I need to know.

 

[gannicus89]

Get more opinions about how obvious your lisp is. Maybe she picked up on it since she's in the field. I don't think a lisp will make you look bad, but it's the kind of thing that you don't really want people to remember you for. YouTube seems to have some exercises that can help reduce lateral lisps. Check them out.

 

[musicalfeet]

I don't think people will consciously ding you for it, but subconsciously it may play a role. For example, I knew someone who had pretty decent scores + GPA and seemed not to have any trouble getting IIs (lots of them..at some pretty good schools too!) but for some reason had a really hard time getting acceptances. That person was a nice person (and pretty normal socially), but had a lisp. I can't help but wonder if that had something to do with them having trouble turning those II into acceptances...

 

[candbgirl]

If you get opinions get them from people who don't know you well. It could be that over the years you've gotten lazy and don't even realize that this is reoccurring. Do you remember any of the exercises you did? Maybe just practice them a few minutes a couple of times a day. At least it will make you aware and hopefully when you are interviewing it will be easily intelligible. Good luck!

 

[TheZaLord]

I remember some exercises. The YouTube videos are very similar...I wonder if I just don't feel when it's happening because to myself I sound fairly decent- it just seems like a "noisier" s to me.
Also, in a controlled setting, I can pretty much eliminate it, because that's all I'm focusing on.
To focus on what I'm saying when speaking to another person, and concentrate on folding my tongue...one's gotta give at some point.

Also, I think I may have an over large tongue as well. Can't seem to keep it tucked without looking crazy..."Bite down and make an s sound with your teeth closed, Za"

Okay!

 

[cantankerous]

Practice speaking with a pen or marbles in your mouth.
Well, that's the example they always use for speech therapy lol

 

[DokterMom]

If you've have ST for multiple years and your lisp still lingers, then it's not likely that a few touch-up sessions now will make much of a difference.

So my vote is, if you can't fix it, own it. Acknowledge that it's an issue that you've struggled with and that you've made great progress from where you were. But that you don't let your lisp stop you from speaking publicly, and have found that concentrating on what you have to say rather than how you say it has allowed you to get where you are so far. Honestly, admitting that it exists (or pop up sometimes during certain phrases) gets it into the open and out of your interviewer's subconscious.

In other words - It's pretty common for people to judge based on 'closet' disabilities, but much harder to hold onto petty biases when the disability is acknowledged and dealt with pro-actively.

 

[Noomm]

Hopefully nobody is shallow enough to judge you because you have a lisp. Things like this make are why I think interviews for medical school are dumb.

 

[TheZaLord]

Practice speaking with a pen or marbles in your mouth.
Well, that's the example they always use for speech therapy lol

Lol I don't think that's legit...seems like a choking hazard.

 

[Goro]

Pay very careful attention:

See this guy?
http://profiles.utsouthwestern.edu/profile/17917/perrin-white.html

I knew him when I was a tech at Sloan-Kettering. He had a grand-mal stutter. Didn't stop him, did it?

So quit worrying about your lisp, OK?

So I'm asking about this now as I have some time to maybe work on it if needed...I have a "lateral lisp"...not terrible, pretty mild I thought.
I had a lot of speech therapy as a kid so severity improved a lot.
However, I was talking with a coworker at lunch, she's a speech therapist herself. I was telling her about my classes, etc...and she (in a very kind manner) said I may want to think about "fixing" my lisp before I get to the point of interviews.
But I had speech for years- even into high school. So I'm not sure what there really is to be done about it.

My question is, in interviews, is this going to make me look bad in some way? If so I'll at least try to work on it...again.

I have bangin' hair and a great ass for suits but if I'm doing to be looked at like Daffy Duck I need to know.

 

[DokterMom]

Hopefully nobody is shallow enough to judge you because you have a lisp. Things like this make are why I think interviews for medical school are dumb.

People judge us all the time for things far shallower than this. I'm not defending that - just acknowledging it - and suggesting that admitting it and stating that it doesn't stop him/her stops the interviewer from wondering and assuming.

 

[TheZaLord]

If you've have ST for multiple years and your lisp still lingers, then it's not likely that a few touch-up sessions now will make much of a difference.

Well I won't be applying until next cycle at the very earliest- but probably the one after that, so I'd have some time. But I just wasn't sure I wanted to deal with it so much unless it were going to be a big issue. Really doesn't bother me unless it's pointed out.
So, I guess I can practice but I think you're right- just acknowledging it would probably be best.

 

[TheZaLord]

Pay very careful attention:

See this guy?
http://profiles.utsouthwestern.edu/profile/17917/perrin-white.html

I knew him when I was a tech at Sloan-Kettering. He had a grand-mal stutter. Didn't stop him, did it?

So quit worrying about your lisp, OK?

Whoa...that puts it in perspective, thanks!

In regards to your last paragraph, pics or it didn't happen

I'm having trouble finding one featuring it. It would seem others don't hold it in such high esteem as I.