This study investigated how educated non-native speakers of English perceive three distinct accents of American English (Eastern; African American; and Southern) and make judgments of the speakers' background, intellect, ability, and character that might affect their employment overseas. Subjects were 53 native speakers of Turkish, (44 females, 13 males, aged 18-20), students at an English-medium university in Turkey. They listened to recordings of three male individuals with the different accents in mock employment interviews, then role- played a language center director assessing the candidates on their teaching ability and knowledge of subject matter, successful adjustment to Turkish culture and specifically its educational system, and their estimated length of stay in Turkey. Eighteen pairs of personality traits were considered. Results indicate that accent has an important impact on evaluation of the speaker, and may affect employment opportunities. The subjects rated the individual with a Southern accent highest, the Eastern accent second, and the African American lowest. However, ratings of the last two did not differ greatly from each other. (Contains 24 references.) (MSE)