May 27th 2024.
Mukhtar Kadiri had been struggling to find a job for months and finally decided to make a change. He admitted to altering his name on his resume to something more recognizable. As a Nigerian-born Toronto native, he felt that his given name was not fitting in with the English-speaking job market. He wanted to avoid being seen as an "other" and hoped that a more English-sounding name would help him fit in better. After graduating from university and studying petroleum engineering, Mukhtar began preparing for his post-grad life. He attended career workshops, worked on his résumé, applied for jobs, and went on interviews.
However, he soon noticed that his American classmates were landing job offers much faster than he was. Being an international student, Mukhtar's potential employer would have to sponsor his H-1B visa, making it even more challenging for him to secure a job compared to his American peers. Feeling frustrated and determined to improve his chances, Mukhtar decided to take action. He noticed that some of his Nigerian friends had adopted English names and seemed to have an easier time navigating the corporate world. Mukhtar thought that these names might make them seem less strange and more relatable at social events and conversations. So, he added the name "Mark" next to his given name, putting it in quotation marks. He hoped that this would eliminate any potential barriers between him and the interviewer.
Soon after, Mukhtar landed an interview with an oil and gas service company. To his surprise, the interviewer called him Mark, and eventually, he was offered a job in petroleum engineering. He reflected on this experience, saying, "It's possible that I would have been called for an interview even if I didn't use Mark, but the timing was interesting."
Although Mukhtar never legally changed his name, he found himself using Mark in his work email and introducing himself as such. However, he never felt entirely comfortable with it. He would cringe whenever someone called him Mark, feeling like he was denying his roots or being inauthentic. He explained, "No one forced me to change my name, but I felt like I had to do it to avoid being seen as a failure. I really wanted a job."
According to a 2023 survey by hiring software company Greenhouse, one-fifth of job seekers admitted to changing their names on applications to protect themselves against workplace discrimination. This discrimination included factors such as race, age, gender, and ethnicity. Ariana Moon, the head of talent planning and acquisition at Greenhouse, called these statistics "sobering" and a reflection of the discrimination that still exists in the hiring process, despite federal employment laws in place.
For Mukhtar, his days as Mark didn't last long after a Nigerian colleague started calling him by his real name. He then moved to the UAE, where there was a predominantly Arabic presence, and began introducing himself as Mukhtar again. However, after becoming a permanent citizen of Canada in 2015, he found himself struggling to find a job once again. A friend suggested that he change his name once more, but Mukhtar refused. He said, "I didn't want to go through the same experience again. I didn't want to erase a part of myself just to get a job." Eventually, he found work at a tech company and stayed there for four years, using his real name. He reflected proudly, "I feel like I'm being authentic now that I use my real name at work. I'm proud of the journey I've taken to arrive at this place." Mukhtar added, "It took me a while to get to a point where I love who I am and where I'm from, but now I embrace my identity."
The struggle of changing one's name to avoid discrimination is not uncommon, as many job seekers have gone to drastic measures to protect themselves. However, as Mukhtar's experience shows, embracing one's identity and staying true to oneself is ultimately more fulfilling. As Mukhtar says, "What's in a name? I've learned that my name is an essential part of who I am, and I wouldn't change it for anything."
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