Is your name keeping you from finding a job?

Chris Wodke

www.summittrainingpublications.com

If you have an African American or minority sounding name the answer may be yes.  MIT and the Chicago School of Business sent in 5000 resumes to 1,250 advertised openings as part of a study. 

Tamika and Brendan were two of the names submitted for administrative and sales positions.  Greg, Emily and Anne got 50 percent more responses than Tamika and Brendan in both Chicago and Boston. White Family names for Emily, Greg and Anne were Baker, Kelly, McCarthy, Murphy, Murray, O’Brien, Ryan, Sullivan and Walsh. Tamika and Brendan used African American last names of Jackson, Jones, Robinson, Washington and Williams.

The applicants with white sounding names got one call, letter or email for every 10 resume’s mailed.  Those with African American names got one response for every 15 resumes mailed.  The study head Sandhil Mullainathan designed the résumés to match in terms of skills. Mullainathan is an associate professor of economics at MIT.

The researchers also tried then tried to give the resumes an advantage with unbroken employment, volunteer activities and other skills valued to see if they would then get if this made a difference.  Candidates with superior resumes got 30 percent more response than superior resumes with African American sounding names. 

It is not known if the companies did not look past the names or discounted the skills listed because they were listed on resumes with African American sounding names.  This is really troubling if employers are screening out non white applicants.

If you are in this position you can try using initials with you last name. It is quite common in the work place to see this.  It is also important to use your network. If you can get a recommendation from someone within the company, that can overcome the name barrier.  Also work as an intern can get you in the door where the company will be familiar with your work.  Internships are often arranged with the candidate’s school so there is no resume screening by the company. The proposed intern at least get the chance to make a favorable impression in an interview.

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