EXERCISE 7 Are some names better than others on a job application? Summary This article looks at why a person's name can decide if they get a job interview or not. It explains that in many English-speaking countries your name is important for deciding if you get a job interview, a place at university or a promotion at work. It explains what type of names are the best and worst to have and why. It ends by talking about some of the different things that can be done to end this name discrimination. What do you think is the most important factor in deciding whether you will be selected to have an interview when applying for a job? Although most people would think it would be your previous work experience or educational qualifications, some studies are now suggesting that it is neither of these. What these studies have identified, is that your name is by far the biggest factor in deciding whether you'll get selected. They showed that in both the UK and the US, a person with a "white name" (for example, Emily Walsh or Greg Baker) has a 50% greater chance of getting a call about a job application than someone with a "black name" (for example, Lakisha Washington or Jamal Jones). Although some people think that the reason for this is racist, others think it could be because they are names which are commonly used by the poor. An investigation of 14,449 first-year students attending the University of Oxford between 2008 and 2013 showed three times as many Eleanors (which is a name more commonly found in rich/posh families) studying there than all the Jades, Paiges and Shannons (which are names more commonly found in poorer families (both white and black)) together. But itis not only not having a traditionally “white” or "posh" name that can affect your chances of getting a job interview, if your first name is traditionally female, you have less chance than if your first name is traditionally male. Having a masculine-sounding name, even if you are a woman, is generally linked to better career success, research suggests. For example, one US study claims that a female lawyer with the first name Kerry (a name that can be used by both sexes in the US) has a slightly higher chance of becoming a judge than a female lawyer with the traditionally female names of Sue, Rebecca or Claire. The chances are three times bigger if the female lawyer has a first name of Cameron (a name mostly used by men) and five times higher if she has a first name of Bruce (a name used almost exclusively by men). 37And names like Cameron or Bruce have another advantage as well. In the Anglo-Saxon world, they are also easy for most people to pronounce. If you have a name that the people in your community find easy to say, then you are more likely to be promoted at work or successful in politics, suggests a study in Austral They examined a wide range of last names and gave them a value based on how easy people found them to pronounce. People struggled with ones like Leszezynska, Vougiouklakis and Colquhoun, while Benson, Jenkins and Sherman came out on top. So it seems clear that your name (both your first name and your surname), can affect the opportunities that you have in life. But what can be done to stop name prejudice? Some people suggest that for selecting people for job interviews or for places at university, companies and organisations need to not show a person's name during the process of selecting candidates. One organisation which is planning to do exactly this is UCAS. UCAS, which is the organisation that is responsible for processing applications to universities in the UK, says university applications are going to be "name-blind" from 2017 to stop this kind of discrimination affecting who is offered places at universities But others say there is a far simpler way to stop your name stopping you get opportunities. And that is to just change your name. And this is exactly what one British Muslim man did. Sheikh Ali Tariq Ahmed said that after the terrorist attacks in London and New York, he was struggling to find a job. "I applied for hundreds of jobs and only got around 3 interviews." he said. Feeling desperate, he decided to change his name to Daniel Jacob (a nice white posh name) and said he started getting a lot more call backs from jobs he applied for. "When I decided to do it, I was unsure whether it would make much difference. But within the first month I noticed that I was getting a lot more job interviews." he said. "Although it may have been just a coincidence, I seriously doubt it was.” Although he has been criticised by many in the Muslim community and some members of his own family, he has no regrets about doing it. "If people want to achieve their objectives, then they have to understand the more they adapt or the more they can fit in without losing their core identity, the better it will be for them and the better it will be for society,” he s: So if you are having no luck in getting a job interview, the solution may be to change your name to something that sounds white, posh and male. 38Vocabulary exercise 41. chance (paragraph 5) it is not only not having a traditionally "white" or "posh" name that can affect your chances of getting a job interview, if your first name is traditionally female, you have less chance than if your first name is traditionally ma 2. linked to (paragraph 6) Having a masculine-sounding name, even if you are a woman, is generally linked to better career success, research suggests. 3. likely (paragraph 8) Ifyou have a name that the people in your community find easy to say, then you are more likely to be promoted at work or successful in politics, suggests a study in Australia. 4, range (paragraph 9) They examined a wide range of last names and gave them a value based on how easy people found them to pronounce. 5. kind of (paragraph 12) says university applications are going to be "name-blind" from 2017 to stop this kind of discrimination affecting who is offered places si 6. struggling (paragraph 14) Sheikh Ali Tariq Ahmed said that after the terrorist attacks in London and New York, he was struggling to find a job. "I applied for hundreds of jobs and only got around 3 interviews." he said 7. applied for (paragraph 14) he decided to change his name to Daniel Jacob (a nice white posh name) and said he started getting a lot more call backs from jobs he applied for. 39