DD EXCLUSIVE: A young woman has been turned down for a nanny’s job in Russia after being told her Donegal accent was too strong.
Former Rose of Tralee finalist Grainne Boyle, who holds a Masters in Education, applied for the job through the prestigious Bonne International Nanny Agency in London.
The 25 year old completed a Skype interview last week and was told she had more than adequate qualifications for the position in Moscow.
However Grainne, from Gartan, was turned down because her Irish accent was too strong.
The Special Needs teacher, who was the Dubai Rose of Tralee in the 2011 Contest, admits she is maddened by the outcome considering she previously worked in Russia.
“I am amused but I am also a little maddened by it all. I don’t think accent is an issue as it has been proven that children pick up their accents from their peers and not their teachers,” she told Donegal Daily.
The Recruitment Manager at the Bonne International Nanny Agency on famous Harley Street said families are all after nannies with “BBC English.”
“Unfortunately accent is probably the first criteria by which families choose candidates. Everyone is after BBC English.
“We have employed a few people from Ireland this last year, but due to the strong Irish accent I have had to turn down more people than I would have liked to,” admitted agency boss Anna Gremitskikh.
In a letter to Grainne, Ms Gremitskikh admitted that her CV and interview were great but that they could not move forward.
“I’m sure you understand that as an agency we are tied to what requirements the families set us and so it is often quite frustrating for us to turn down candidates who are perfectly good except for this one aspect,” she added while admitting Grainne had a “fantastic CV.”
The young Donegal woman was told that unfortunately she will not be considered for any nanny positions with the Bonne Agency around the world because of her strong accent.
However, Grainne, the daughter of Grace and James Boyle, said she understood the company had been recruiting in Dublin earlier this year.
A triathlete and former Donegal Sports Star winner, Grainne’s mum Grace is the former Donegal GAA County Treasurer and dad James was a former Donegal County Council engineer.
She added “I don’t know anybody west of the Irish Sea with the so-called BBC accent
“I’m proud of my Donegal accent and I don’t think I’ll be changing it.
“I’m annoyed but more amused. I don’t think it will stop me getting a job but I do think it is a little short-sighted.
“But the agency knows their clients best and they have to keep them happy,” she laughed.
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