We’re still getting over the Super Bowl this morning so I thought we would start out with some lighter fare. Our local Pioneer Press offers up an interesting article on names – What’s in a name? Maybe your next job. The thesis is the fact that “old-fashioned” names tend to scream older applicant. I think the author is correct on this topic.
Case in point:
Larry, Mary, Linda, Lisa, Michael, James, Robert. … If one of these names is yours, you are apparently shouting to the world, “I’m at least 40, and probably closer to 60.”
On the other hand, names like Taylor, Sidney, Ethan and Jacob all have baby rattles attached to them. These are the popular names of more recent generations.
I agree. We see many resumes here at Select Metrix and I have harbored similar thoughts. In fact, I was just thinking the other day that the name Mike is far less common today than when I was younger.
This is lame:
…after speaking with an HR person who admitted that she will put a résumé at the bottom of the pile if the applicant has a complicated name. This unintentional discrimination came from her fear that she would mispronounce the name when she called to set up interviews.
Fear of mispronouncing a name? I wouldn’t recommend HR as a career choice for that individual.
This is funny:
I vote for the tradition found in some cultures of using several names – maybe at least five or six – for every child. With luck, they’ll have one for every career change, and maybe an extra to use when they start a retirement business.