Resume Whitening: Is It Still Necessary in the 2018 US Job Market?

3 min read

If you’re looking for a job, should you resort to resume whitening? With racial discrimination in mind, should you change your resume just to please employers? So, learn here how you can still use your non-white name and land a job in America today.

White Name Resume: A Reverse Scenario

American Woman, Man And Asian Woman Headshot Celebrate Diversity

Have you experienced racial discrimination in the workplace? Just when you think you’re done with bullying, it has crept its way to your work right from hiring. Although companies try to resolve it, did you know it’s common practice worldwide?

In the United Kingdom, would you guess that hiring bias happens even in the academe? The country’s Higher Education Statistics Agency published the state of employment in the years 2015 through 2016. In the report, no black person held a top post in UK schools. In fact, Times Higher Education featured a black lecturer on the challenges of finding work in the country.

Toronto, Canada, known for diversity, suffers from hiring bias, too. A study by The Star further showed resumes with ethnic-sounding names find it hard to land service or retail jobs. In the same way, the research showed white-sounding names, even those with criminal records, get callbacks.

Even artificial intelligence or AI can’t escape the stigma of not having a white name. From written human data, AI practiced gender and racial bias. In particular, this came from a Princeton University study modeled after human bias research in the late 90s.

Good News! No Need to Whiten Resumes!

If you’re hunting for a job, here’s good news! In April 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released that America, so far, has 6 million job openings now, with 164,000 in April alone.

It also showed the total hiring flat lined at 5.5 million. Employers, however, express worries on hiring as shortage remains. Are you ready to be part of the answer?

Therefore, to snag the job, know what fields are most unfilled. In the report, education and health topped the charts at 4.8%, trailed by leisure and hospitality with 4.6%. Information, financial, professional, and business made it to the top five with 4.5% each.

The niche sectors grew, too. Likewise, technology, energy, mining and utilities, clerical, and non-farming firms have evened out their hiring levels.

Asian Job Seekers and Minority Job Applicants Must not Whiten Resumes

With the demand for pros in America today, you need not bleach your resume to suit the white label or do a job search abroad. At length, put your strengths on top as you present yourself as the best candidate for the job. Otherwise, avoid resume whitening with these tips:

1. Before you submit your resume, find out if the company supports diversity.
2. Instead of whitening your name, affix your highest degree to it. Write Zhang Chu, MBA.
3. Before toning down your minority affiliation, focus your resume on your feats, so hirers look past your name and, instead, see what you have achieved so far.
4. Prior to changing your hobbies, check if they will raise your hiring chances. Will snowboarding get you an accounting job?
5. If you pick a white name, ask yourself, with your skills and given the current US market, do you need it?

By now, you’re more than ready to apply for jobs. However, if you must fix your copy, why don’t you get an expert resume writing service?

Sources: nytimes.com| slideshare.net| us.jll.com| industryweek.com| theguardian.com|
thestar.com| xonecole.com| colorlines.com| motherboard.vice.com| independent.co.uk| timeshighereducation.com

Image Source: pixabay.com

Scroll to Top