Name on resume? a wacky legal name vs. a simple and esay nickname

Question

I am sure this is the question that many of us with a very-hard-to-pronounce or hard-to-remember wacky names ask when turning in our resume or even introducing ourselves to someone we just met. I won't reveal my name here, but, I tell you, I had plenty of experiences where 1) I was mistaken for a guy when I am really a girl, 2) several people I knew for over a year never remembered my name despite encoutering (not just any encounter, but actually interacting, etc.) me everyday, 3) I was never called by full first name by teachers I knew for two years, 4) people call me by different names...all in different pronounciation, etc. etc. etc. Now I am at a phase where I am applying for after-college, serious, first job, and I am wondering whether I should just give myself a nice, easy English name that anyone can say, remember, and recognize as that belonging to a female immediately. Trust me, I love my current name, but for things like this, I have to be practical. What do you suggest I do? Should I just have my "really-weird-cannot-distinguish-as-a-gi... legal name or a simple, easy, but not legal (the name is not on my driver's licence, for instance), nickname on my resume? I would really appreciate your help on this!

Answer 1

Include your nickname with your name.

For example Horace Benton "Bruce" Brewster

Answer 2

Seldom will a co let on it is discriminating, but your name can often give away your race and mental state, so watch out

Answer 3

In staying with what everyone else has said, I think it is perfectly acceptable to put your nickname in quotes following your name.  Where I work, a member of the Board of Trustees always signs documents with his legal name, nickname and last name, i.e.

Salvador "George" Smith.  

Answer 4

I guess you could use your real name and then put an easy to remember nickname in parentheses afterwards..?  I'm sure that would be acceptable.

Answer 5

While it is illegal to discriminate, it's human nature and only so much can be done about that. Plus let's face it. Nobody wants to look like a fool calling you for an interview and not even being able to say your name. It's embarrasing to them. It's nobody's fault, just a fact of life.

You have a couple choices.

You can spell your name as phonetically as possible to help people out, then reveal to them when you fill out the application or the employee information the true spelling.

You can put a nickname in "quotes" between your first and last name. So you can say Theresa "Terri" Jones. This way they know to call you by the nickname but your real name is still clearly printed on the resume.

Depending on how awkward sounding your name the nickname in quotes is a nice way to go. Just make sure your nickname isn't masculine too or people will still think you're a guy until they speak to you!

Good luck to you.

Answer 6

Use both. Just put your legal name and nickname in this format:

     Jehosophat ("Jessie") Smith