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THE QUESTION
I have an African first name and I’m worried that it’s been harming my ability to find a new job. A friend suggested that I use a more “Canadian” nickname instead on my resume and I’ve been getting more callbacks and interviews. Now I don’t know when to fess up about the lie. Ideally, I would start off on the right foot and let them know in the first interview, but I’m worried they’ll be offended. However, if I wait until after I get an offer, that feels dishonest. What’s the best way to handle this?
THE FIRST ANSWER
Jermaine L. Murray, recruiter and career coach, JupiterHR and The Jobfather, Toronto
This question hits close to home because this was something I personally went through. My advice is that if you’re going to go through with this, you have to fully commit. Explaining why you did it creates awkward tension and will feel like you’re calling them out. Think about it, explaining that you changed your name because of bias puts the interviewer in a defensive position, where they will most likely think you’re calling them biased. If that’s how you introduce yourself, that’s what you have to go through being called while you work there. Choose to do it or not, but don’t do half measures.
For what it’s worth, I go by Jermaine L. Murray because early on in my career, I struggled with getting a callback. My dad kept saying it was because Jermaine was a Black name and to try my middle name, Lascelles, and voila, I was getting callbacks on my resume. I worked at a job for three years under the name Lascelles. It took me a while to adjust, and it took even longer to work on the resentment I felt, but that opportunity allowed me to build the resume I needed to grow my career so that I never have to do that again.
If you find yourself in a position where the name you’ve introduced to the workplace isn’t the one you want to be known as, you have a few options for making this work. First, wait until you’re past your probation stage and then tell them you feel more comfortable after getting to know them and would like to be known as your real name because that’s what your friends and people you’re comfortable with call you. This allows you to indirectly tell them you don’t find them as one of those bad racist places everyone hears about.
We live in a world where this shouldn’t be, but the reality as a Black professional is that sometimes it is. At the end of the day, this is a deeply personal decision with no right or wrong. In a lot of ways, this is a survival tactic.
THE SECOND ANSWER
Shauna Cole, founder, hirediverse.ca, Saint John
The right time to share your legal name is when you receive a job offer. Your legal name is simply an administrative detail needed for paperwork like background checks, payroll and tax forms. The irony is that your African legal name (an administrative detail) carries more than enough weight to get you screened out of a hiring process.
Your friend was right to suggest changing the name on your resume to improve your chances of landing an interview. Research from the University of Toronto shows that an African-sounding name can lead to 50-per-cent fewer callbacks from employers.
So, now what?
You get to decide whether you want to go by the name on your resume or use your African name at work. It’s your choice and you should do what feels right for you.
Option 1: You continue to go by the nickname on your resume
In this case, there’s no need to bring up your legal name until the offer stage. When the time comes, simply say:
“My legal name for background check and payroll is ___, but I go by ___ day to day.”
Option 2: You prefer to go by your African or legal name
If that’s the name you want to be called, mention it early in a simple, casual way: “By the way, I go by ___, which is also my legal name.”
Then move on. No need to explain or apologize.
This is about handling logistics in a hiring system that isn’t neutral. It reflects your savvy ability to navigate a flawed process and is not a reflection of your honesty.
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