Use maiden or married name in job search?
Q. I was married a little over a year ago and changed my last name to that of my husband's. I am currently in the midst of a job search. For the better part of my employment history I used my maiden name. My resume and contact information all use my married name, as that is my preferred surname. My question regards a prospective employer contacting a former employer about my work dates - if the job was before I was married, my previous employer will only know my maiden name, but future employers will only have my married name. How do I remedy this disconnect? How and when is it appropriate to tell prospective employers what my maiden name was, so that they can conduct the appropriate background research?
A. Women, and men, have many options about the name or names they choose to take into adulthood. Do we continue to use our original name? Do we choose to use the name of our spouse or partner, or perhaps create some meaningful combination of the two? Which order should we put these names in? Many cultures make recommendations about who gets first billing. And some people are choosing to start over and take completely new names that represent who they are at a new point in their life. It might be a family name from generations ago, or a descriptor of their aspirations.
In light of this, changing a resume or work history name can present challenges. People in sales and celebrities want to make sure they don't confuse their customers or fans, so they might not change their "public" name even if they choose to change their legal or private name.
Your goal as a job seeker is to make it easy for the hiring manager to find you, for references to provide you a great reference, and to not to make your preferred surname an confusing issue until after you secure your job.
On the resume, you can use your first name, your "maiden" name, followed by your married name. When you meet anyone in the job search, you can introduce yourself with your first and married name, as it is your preference. If you have a name tag in any kind of networking meetings, I suggest you use all three names.
Until you have made the complete professional switch, it is in your best interest to let everyone know what you used to be called and what you want to move toward being called. Provide your references with copies of your resume, so they can be prepared for calls and verify your employment, in addition to singing your praises as a valued colleague.
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I don't see why this needs to be a big deal. Women get married (or divorced, for that matter) and change their names all the time. If you use your three names as suggested, I think people are smart enough to figure it out.
You should be notifying your references in advance anyway. When you do that, you can take the time to give them a quick update about your marriage and that you have changed your name so there won't be any confusion.
Why is this even an issue? The OP is making a big deal out of nothing, and should be smart enough to figure things out.
I used all three names for my resume -- first, maiden, last across the top. My cover letters were signed with my married name.
I don't know why everyone overlooks the good ole parentheses in these cases. They are an obvious choice. The parentheses indicate that the information contained therein is for informational purposes, background information, etc.
So my maiden name is Jane Doe. I marry a guy nameed John Ray. I prefer to be called Jane Ray, but want the documents which create my paper trail to point potential employers in the right direction. WHat do I do?
I put "Jane (Doe) Ray" on my resume. On the cover letter, I would leave the Doe part out, as the cover letter is a direct communication betwen me and the person(s) with whom I am hoping to establish a new working relationship. I want these new people to address me as Jane Ray. If I am really nervous, though,I can certainly sign it "Jane (Doe) Ray." If I get the job, I will make it clear what my preferred name is when I hit the office.
It's only when the name is hyphenated ( as in "Jane Doe-Ray") or left OUT of the parentheses ( as in "Jane Doe Ray") that readers are given tacit permission to use my maiden name in addressing me.
This writer has some serious decision-making problems. She couldn't figure this one out on her own? Had to write to somebody about it? I wouldn't hire her for that reason alone, LOL!
If a prospective employer is at the point of contacting your references, you have probably already had an interview or at least a conversation with them. Simply inform them that your references may know you by your maiden name, and make sure to contact your references ahead of time.
The average job searcher i not known by their names anyway. Its the resume that speaks about you. If you have publications/articles on your resume, than include the name under which they were published.
Why all of the bashing of the creator of this question. It is perfectly reasonable to wonder. What is not mentioned is that if she has a long history and a good reputation while being known by her maiden name. If this is the case I suggest either the hyphenated approach or simply using the maiden name until it is no longer necessary.
I had to face this in my career and felt that I lost a bit of my previous reputation when I changed surnames.
Hi. Level with your child by being honest. Nobody spots a phony quicker than a child.
I am from Vatican and too poorly know English, give true I wrote the following sentence: "Much major points will run what it is, chase freedom mastercard."
:o Thanks in advance. Abner.
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
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Patricia Hunt Sinacole is president of First Beacon Group LLC, a human resources consulting firm in Hopkinton. Sheworks with clients across many industries including technology, biotech and medical devices, financial services, and healthcare, and has over 20 years of human resources experience.
Elaine Varelas is managing partner at Keystone Partners, a career management firm in Boston and serves on the board of Career Partners International.
Cindy Atoji Keene is a freelance journalist with more than 25 years experience. E-mail her directly here.
Peter Post is the author of "The Etiquette Advantage in Business." Email questions about business etiquette to him directly here.
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