I really should be in bed right now. But after talking to other new grads in my area that are also jobless I just wanted to get some opinions. Do you feel that people's names may prevent them from getting them a job as a nurse? I know we've all heard, silly names before and I'm just wondering would say, "Ms Poppy Sunflower" be offered a job? Or would a recruiter look at the name and be like, "heck no, trash bin"!
I'm just curious and this is not a slam to anyone who has a name that is different. Shoot my name is completly, better yet, extremly hard to prononue. But even though my name may be hard to pronouce its not silly or childish sounding. I'm wondering would Bambie buttercup find it easy to find employment.
I know this seems like a weird topic (blame it on sleep deprevation). But after talking to some friends about issues that they believe might be preventing them from getting jobs. I just started thinking about how names can effect landing a job as a nurse. My friend was saying her obviously ethnic name might be keeping her from employment because it might be preceived as ghetto. I usually roll my eyes whenever anyone starts swinging the golden race card(you know that card that has the innate ability to seem to be the cause of whatever the user wishes it to be. No matter even if the said offender is of the same race).
But it got me thinking do we really view people by their names. I used silly examples here but is say Jennifer Rose seen as more dependble or gentle towards patients? Would Poppy sunflower be viewed for a job as maybe childish and unreliable. Would Cu'nae Alize' be percieved as ghetto and unprofessional?
Sorry for the long post. But I am curious to what others have experienced relating to this topic or stories they may have heard. I guess I should have not read the silly children's names post tonight either. :)
I did not mean to offend, nor did I suggest that Americans have a limited vocabulary - quite the contrary.
However, there are words used in the UK that are not used in the US and vice versa - especially slang. Daft is a British colloquialism, with Old English origins, but as you have pointed out, it is used elsewhere. I guess I should have qualified my comment by stating that I have not personally met anyone who understands the word.
Anyway - this is off topic.
Off topic, but I can't resist. Here is one American who understands the meaning of daft, but then two of my favorite writers are Dick Francis and James Herriott! So glad Mr. Francis is writing again with the help of his son. "Chav" escapes me, however.
I wonder if the same goes for people with who have names that are more often used for the opposite sex. For instance, a guy named Kelly or Shannon? Or a girl named Charli or Alex.
On a lighter note; I can honestly say my name hasn't hindered my employment. I've had 5 interviews with in the past 2 months and was offered all 5 of the jobs and was able to pick the one that I thought best suited me. So it's either one of two things 1. they love my name or don't think much of it; or 2. they really need a warm body to fill a position...lol. I am loving this topic because it has brought much dialogue on what can be sometimes a taboo subject.
I absolutely agree that it can definitely give someone a first impression of you. I have a very common name, like Jennifer. Almost every single one of my patients procedes to tell me about their family member of the same name. While it does tend to get a bit old, hearing what their "Jennifer" went to school for and what shes doing now, their "Jennifer" children or their dislike for "Jennifer"'s husband it does in away provide some sort of bonding and as long as they didn't have deep-seeded issues with this family member I've never had it hinder my relationship with them.
I named my son after Holden Caulfield, although it seems that not many people get that reference any more. It will be interesting to see if that has any effect on his ability to get a job as he gets older.
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
Off topic, but I can't resist. Here is one American who understands the meaning of daft, but then two of my favorite writers are Dick Francis and James Herriott! So glad Mr. Francis is writing again with the help of his son. "Chav" escapes me, however.
:paw:
I can' resist the lure of this off-topic either! "Daft" is used enough that I know it means "crazy" or "tetched" but not psychotic or dangerous, I don't think. Sort of like Aunt Clara from the TV show Bewitched. When I come across a British-ism I look it up on urbandictionary.com. A couple of recents "I felt like a right plonker!" and this one from Simon Cowell "busker-ish" I figured it wasn't a compliment, though.
Last year, I went to a convention. Had breakfast with a woman who had a truly elegant name. It was something like Veronica Lake or Atwater. Just went well together. I told her that her name was beautiful and it suited her.
Her reply: My Mama gave me a white girl's name and I hated it growing up. Then she looked at me and went "oops, didn't mean that the way it sounded". I'm white, she's black, and it never fails to amaze how different Americans and Canadians are despite living on the same continent.
I never thought of black v. white names. We get all sorts of made up names up here. People wanting to celebrate various ethnic heritages. I do remember the "Roots" era fad for bizarre names. But then I live in a province where the surnames "Running Buffalo, Yellowbird, and I kid you not Ugly Old Woman" are common. I mean how would you like to go through life as Mrs. Ugly Old Woman???
I wonder if the same goes for people with who have names that are more often used for the opposite sex. For instance, a guy named Kelly or Shannon? Or a girl named Charli or Alex.
I never really thought of my name as a "guys" name but over the years I have gotten more emails addressed to "Mr." than I can count. My name is used for both males and females (probably about equally) but each usually with a different spelling ('K' typically for girls and 'C' for boys) and mine is with the more typical "male" spelling. It makes me wonder, when applying for jobs in the Nursing field, if I should include my, very obviously female, middle name. Just a thought.
I know it makes a difference. My first name is typically one given to males, though it is spelled the way the few females with it tend to spell it. Over the years, I've had interviewers do a double take when meeting me after we set up the interview w/out ever speaking over the phone, a teacher ask me why I have a "boy's name" on the first day of school in front of my entire class, and callers who've never spoken to me before insist that I'm lying when I answer the phone and inform them they're speaking to "Branden" (obviously that's not my real name, but you get the idea). I hated my name so much growing up that I swore I'd change it when I turned 18. Eventually I grew attached enough to it that I decided I wasn't going to change my name just because the world contains an unnecessarily high number of fools.
However, before our child was born my husband and I agreed that we wouldn't be naming the baby something unpronounceable to the vast majority of people in the U.S., anything extremely long, names overwhelmingly identified with one gender when the child happened to be the other, or any name that would otherwise subject our offspring to instant incessant teasing and/or pummeling the minute the poor child set foot on the playground. We didn't choose a totally dull name (at least, not to us!), but we did avoid the extremes as a result of my experiences.
I wonder if the same goes for people with who have names that are more often used for the opposite sex. For instance, a guy named Kelly or Shannon? Or a girl named Charli or Alex.
I never really thought of my name as a "guys" name but over the years I have gotten more emails addressed to "Mr." than I can count. My name is used for both males and females (probably about equally) but each usually with a different spelling ('K' typically for girls and 'C' for boys) and mine is with the more typical "male" spelling. It makes me wonder, when applying for jobs in the Nursing field, if I should include my, very obviously female, middle name. Just a thought.
I have family members who have named their little boys, "girl" names. Courtney and Stacey both refuse to let anyone call them by their name lol. I guess their mother just really liked their names. I have a I read the link about how people feel about different names. My daughter and my sons name rhyme. Which is a big No No on the list. I thought it was cute at the time lol. Well I still do. Some people like it others are like, "how ghetto". Oh goodness when they grow up they will be making a thread about me someday, "yes our mother named us Nalani and Giovanni":clown::smackingf
I absolutely agree that it can definitely give someone a first impression of you. I have a very common name, like Jennifer. Almost every single one of my patients procedes to tell me about their family member of the same name. While it does tend to get a bit old, hearing what their "Jennifer" went to school for and what shes doing now, their "Jennifer" children or their dislike for "Jennifer"'s husband it does in away provide some sort of bonding and as long as they didn't have deep-seeded issues with this family member I've never had it hinder my relationship with them.
I named my son after Holden Caulfield, although it seems that not many people get that reference any more. It will be interesting to see if that has any effect on his ability to get a job as he gets older.
Maybe in high school when the required reading is A Cather in the Rye, he might get some jokes or references. :):) But it doesn't sound like it would present a problem with his ability to find a job. At least it is a literary reference and not one off of the television. How many daytime soap stars have babies named after therm...lots! :)
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Last year, I went to a convention. Had breakfast with a woman who had a truly elegant name. It was something like Veronica Lake or Atwater. Just went well together. I told her that her name was beautiful and it suited her.
Her reply: My Mama gave me a white girl's name and I hated it growing up. Then she looked at me and went "oops, didn't mean that the way it sounded". I'm white, she's black, and it never fails to amaze how different Americans and Canadians are despite living on the same continent.
I never thought of black v. white names. We get all sorts of made up names up here. People wanting to celebrate various ethnic heritages. I do remember the "Roots" era fad for bizarre names. But then I live in a province where the surnames "Running Buffalo, Yellowbird, and I kid you not Ugly Old Woman" are common. I mean how would you like to go through life as Mrs. Ugly Old Woman???
Mrs. Ugly Old Woman??? OMG, WHO would do that to someone? Now that is unique, and can follow a person forever. WoW...
But even though my name may be hard to pronouce its not silly or childish sounding. I'm wondering would Bambie buttercup 
catshowlady
393 Posts
Off topic, but I can't resist. Here is one American who understands the meaning of daft, but then two of my favorite writers are Dick Francis and James Herriott! So glad Mr. Francis is writing again with the help of his son. "Chav" escapes me, however.
:paw: