# Stuttering and finding a job **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 24, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010 "2012-11-24T20:17:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![taskmgr.exe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@taskmgr.exe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taskmgr.exe)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/1 "2012-11-24T20:17:03Z")
What are the suitable jobs for someone who stutters? Is it definitely a disadvantage when trying to get a job? ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/2 "2012-11-24T20:32:35Z")
In positions with a lot of verbal communications, it can be seen that way. OTOH, stuttering is a disability protected under ADA. ---
**Author:** ![taskmgr.exe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@taskmgr.exe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taskmgr.exe)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/3 "2012-11-24T20:45:54Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > OTOH, stuttering is a disability protected under ADA. Thank you Is it protected under law in every country? Which countries have this kind of law? How can I check it? Moreover, employer doesn’t have have to tell you that he refuse to employ you because you are stutterer. He can lie.\* It seems to me, this law is useless. \*\* I am not criticizing or judging the employer by the way. This is human nature.\* ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/4 "2012-11-24T20:52:21Z")
> [@taskmgr.exe](#): > > What are the suitable jobs for someone who stutters? [Film, stage, and voice actor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Earl_Jones) [Singer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley) [Chairman and chief executive officer of the world’s largest company](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Welch) My father and brother are both stutterers. My father was a teacher for 30 years. My brother is a lawyer. ---
**Author:** ![taskmgr.exe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@taskmgr.exe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taskmgr.exe)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/5 "2012-11-24T20:55:35Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > My father and brother are both stutterers. My father was a teacher for 30 years. My brother is a lawyer. I guess they have minor problems with stuttering. Otherwise could they be a lawyer or a teacher? I don’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/6 "2012-11-24T21:03:01Z")
> [@taskmgr.exe](#): > > I guess they have minor problems with stuttering. Otherwise could they be a lawyer or a teacher? I don’t think so. No, they are not minor problems. But they found ways to deal with the stuttering while performing their jobs well. Are you a stutterer? Have you sought any kind of counseling or therapy? ---
**Author:** ![taskmgr.exe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@taskmgr.exe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taskmgr.exe)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/7 "2012-11-24T21:08:22Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > [Film, stage, and voice actor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Earl_Jones) > > [Singer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley) > > [Chairman and chief executive officer of the world’s largest company](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Welch) As far as I can tell from youtube videos, these people have really minor problems. > [@Acsenray](#): > > Are you a stutterer? Have you sought any kind of counseling or therapy? Yes, of course. But they are of little help. Plus I was told by doctors there was no exact cure for this disability. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/8 "2012-11-24T21:19:59Z")
> [@taskmgr.exe](#): > > As far as I can tell from youtube videos, these people have really minor problems. You can’t tell from YouTube videos. > [@](#): > > Yes, of course. But they are of little help. Plus I was told by doctors there was no exact cure for this disability. I don’t know of any cure either, but there is no such thing as a list of “jobs suitable for stutterers.” How old are you? ---
**Author:** ![taskmgr.exe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@taskmgr.exe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taskmgr.exe)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/9 "2012-11-24T21:25:34Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > You can’t tell from YouTube videos. Why? > [@Acsenray](#): > > there is no such thing as a list of “jobs suitable for stutterers.” Why? When I said suitable, it meant that employer wouldn’t really care about someone’s stuttering. For example being a dishwasher wouldn’t much pose problems for the stutterer in his work area. > [@Acsenray](#): > > How old are you? 1. Why are you asking? ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/10 "2012-11-24T21:29:19Z")
> [@taskmgr.exe](#): > > Is it protected under law in every country? Which countries have this kind of law? How can I check it? Try a search engine. Really. I bet you find a very, very short list. > [@](#): > > Moreover, employer doesn’t have have to tell you that he refuse to employ you because you are stutterer. He can lie.\* It seems to me, this law is useless. Based on that approach, why have any law to treat people fairly? If exquisite elocution is not the predominant **requirement** of the job (air traffic controller, auctioneer, play by play announcer, etc.) it falls to the aggrieved to do their research and determine if a complaint or lawsuit under unlawful discrimination is worth the effort. You be surprised just how stupid potential employers can be, let alone current employers when it comes to unlawful discrimination. > [@taskmgr.exe](#): > > 1. Why are you asking? Because your inexperience and naivete are relevant. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/11 "2012-11-24T21:29:39Z")
> [@taskmgr.exe](#): > > Why? Because even people with serious stuttering problems don’t necessarily stutter when they’re on camera. > [@](#): > > Why? When I said suitable, it meant that employer wouldn’t really care about someone’s stuttering. For example being a dishwasher wouldn’t much pose problems for the stutterer in his work area. Because even for a dishwasher any given employer might care. Discrimination isn’t based on rationality. And even in jobs in which you assume that an employer would care, any given employer might not. > [@](#): > > 1. Why are you asking? Because it is relevant to who you are, what your experiences might be, what leads you to ask the question in the way you have. Have you finished high school? Are you in college? What are your professional, academic, and other interests? Have you ever applied for a job or interacted with potential employers? ---
**Author:** ![taskmgr.exe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@taskmgr.exe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/taskmgr.exe)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/12 "2012-11-24T21:52:25Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Because even people with serious stuttering problems don’t necessarily stutter when they’re on camera. Perhaps, you are right. But, I doubt anyone with heavy/major stuttering problem could hide it in front of camera, or could find a way so that he doesn’t seem to have problem with stuttering at all. > [@Acsenray](#): > > Have you finished high school? Are you in college? What are your professional, academic, and other interests? Have you ever applied for a job or interacted with potential employers? I have finished high school. I was in a college, but after some time, I flunked out of the college. I’ll be in another college again soon. The reason that I ask this is I wonder if it’ll pose any problems to me in future. And, I thought I could get some info concerning the toughness degree of problems which I may encounter. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/13 "2012-11-24T21:59:02Z")
Well, I don’t know what your particular skills are, but I once had a Masters-level coworker who did data analysis. He didn’t stutter, but he had a pretty serious disability that made him unable to talk clearly. He moaned and grunted a lot. He had to write everything down. And he couldn’t use one hand so he often had to type with his nose. So people do get hired. I think you’d probably have good luck with non-profits, they tend to want to diversify their employee base so they might even see this difference as a plus. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/14 "2012-11-24T22:05:59Z")
> [@taskmgr.exe](#): > > Perhaps, you are right. But, I doubt anyone with heavy/major stuttering problem could hide it in front of camera, or could find a way so that he doesn’t seem to have problem with stuttering at all. Look up Mel Tillis. > [@](#): > > I have finished high school. I was in a college, but after some time, I flunked out of the college. I’ll be in another college again soon. The reason that I ask this is I wonder if it’ll pose any problems to me in future. And, I thought I could get some info concerning the toughness degree of problems which I may encounter. Seems to me there are two issues you need to address: [ul] [li]Your stuttering (what it is and degree of affliction)[/li][li]Whether you control your stuttering or it controls you (self-esteem)[/li][/ul] The degree of self-confidence you have as a person, how you interact with people, and how you “manage” your stuttering will determine your own success. There will always be assholes who will judge your stuttering as judging you. Some of those assholes will be (potential | actual) employers. Don’t lower yourself to their level. ---
**Author:** ![NGC2024](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f475e1/32.png) [@NGC2024](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NGC2024)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/15 "2012-11-24T22:11:02Z")
I had a college professor at a well respected liberal arts college who had a severe stutter. He was an exceptional educator. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/16 "2012-11-24T22:31:58Z")
I know someone with a stutter who is the speech writer for the Alberta Premier. Super nice guy to deal with. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/17 "2012-11-24T22:45:01Z")
What are you good at? What skills, knowledge, etc., do you think you have enough ability and motivation to acquire? Those are the questions to answer. There are stutterers in every profession and trade. Just do a simple search for famous stutterers — Look at lists like these — [Famous People Who Stutter | Stuttering Foundation: A Nonprofit Organization Helping Those Who Stutter](http://www.stutteringhelp.org/famous-people-who-stutter) The key is to become good at something. Stop looking at yourself from the point of view that you are a stutterer and you have to find a profession or trade that doesn’t care if you stutter. If you are good at something, people won’t care. My dad had such bad eyesight and such a bad stutterer that his father kept him out of school until he was 15. His entire primary and secondary education was through home schooling. His parents thought he probably would never learn to read and considered sending him to be trained as a confectioner. He got into one of the best colleges in India and subsequently got scholarships to world-class universities thousands of miles away in Europe and America. He intentionally went into teaching, knowing that every single day of his life he would have to stand up in front of a class and find a way to talk to them. So, the question is not what jobs are available for stutterers. It’s a question of what are you prepared to do in order to get a job that you want. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/18 "2012-11-24T23:05:16Z")
I know a real estate broker who has a significant stutter. Interestingly, he is also an auctioneer. When he’s calling an auction, he either doesn’t stutter or the stutter blends seamlessly into the patter, I can’t tell. He’s a good auctioneer, though. The vintner who sold us wine for our wedding has the worst stutter I’ve ever heard. He makes excellent wine and sold us cases of it for our wedding, so I don’t think it was holding him back professionally, and we enjoyed working with him. The most significant obstacle in your way, IMHO, will be your attitude, not your stutter. ---
**Author:** ![wheresmymind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@wheresmymind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wheresmymind)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/19 "2012-11-24T23:48:59Z")
> [@Arrendajo](#): > > The most significant obstacle in your way, IMHO, will be your attitude, not your stutter. This. Of all the people I’ve known who stuttered, the biggest factor in how normal or successful their life was wasn’t how severe or mild their stutter was, but how rather how they dealt with it. One thing I noticed with all of them: it’s very common for someone to be uncomfortable or embarrassed when first meeting a stutterer. They were very good at using a little bit of humor to break the embarrassment and put the person at ease. Friends of mind were married by a priest with a fairly severe stutter. He would be fine when reading a book or singing, but anything from memory was pretty bad. He started his homily with “don’t worry folks, I promise you this shouldn’t take more than three or four hours.” The tension in the room dropped, and by the end of the service it was almost unnoticeable. People are willing to ignore a lot from people who make them laugh or feel good. ---
**Author:** ![Silvorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Silvorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silvorange)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2012, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010/20 "2012-11-25T03:54:27Z")
Have you tried speech therapy with a therapist who has experience dealing with stuttering? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuttering-and-finding-a-job/642010.md?page=2)