"Get a Job" Names

[iceandivy]

Has anyone had any problems in the corporate world or professionally because of having a particularly "ethnic" name?

When naming my son, I wanted to be sure that when his resume crossed a person's desk, they would not be able to tell his ethnicity, simply from his name.

Some say that it is playing into the stupidity of closed minded individuals, but I think that it levels the playing field. It is just a fact of life that many of the people who will be deciding your fate, as far as employment goes, will make unfair decisions based on superficial criteria.

What do ya'll think?

[Senusret I]

My first name is Arabic, and I haven't had any problems (to my knowledge). However, my work isn't "corporate"....it's mostly been government and non-profit.

I think you should name your child what you want to.

[blutifulRho]

My name "Winsome" is rather weird sounding to most people however after being hired at my current job my boss (she is white) told me that my name really sparked her interest...she just felt she had to meet with me....

As you can see its hard to predict how people will view things.

[Conskeeted7]

I have an ethnic name, however, I now live in a city with a small Black population. So, when I was interviewing, most people were intrigued and had never heard my name before. I can't tell you how many times I get complimented on my name from a white person around here.

However, when applying to jobs in other areas, I did use my middle name on my resumes.