What's In A Name?

The year is 2008.

I'm getting my Masters degree in Healthcare Management at the University of New Orleans and thoroughly enjoying the program, as well as my classmates (some of whom have become good friends and study partners).?

I'm also in the process of getting a part-time job to help with my financial needs. I've applied for several job openings (both on campus and off).?

I keep applying month after month, for positions I believe I'm either qualified or overqualified?for, yet nothing.?

Frustration.?

What is going on??

Does my resume clearly articulate my educational background, work experience to date and value I can bring to the table??

I believe so.?

Am I operating with a positive attitude and an abundance mindset that good job offers I'm qualified for are coming my way as long as I do the work of applying?

I believe so.

So, what exactly is going on??

My question is answered soon enough.?

On this day, I've just finished a class session and I'm outside in the hallway chatting with a friend when I see the Head Administrator from the International Student Office passing by - we both smile and wave at each other. She's a lovely Caucasian woman and although we've had a few interactions (as an International student, I have to visit the office from time to time), they've always been pleasant experiences.?

Considering one of the positions I applied to was an administrative role in the International Student Office (which I haven't gotten a reply about), I decide to ask the Head Administrator if she's reviewed my application file and has any feedback regarding the position. She informs me that she didn't realize I had applied and asks me to confirm my name. I do so. And then she exclaims with laughter: "Oh! That's you? When I saw your name on the CV I assumed the person doesn't speak English well and won't be able to handle the job! I'm sorry, we've already given the position to someone else. If I had known you were the one applying, the job would definitely have been yours."?

I'm taken aback.?

This is the last thing I expected to hear.?

The irony of this situation is also not lost on me...for a few reasons.?

One, my father is a retired diplomat and known for his strong English communication skills. My mother was an English teacher in the past and known for her strong English communication skills. Two, my favorite subject in school (from Primary school to University) was English and I spent a lot of my childhood reading books written in English, in addition to writing stories...in English. When getting my Bachelors degree at the same school a few years earlier, I was one of the top performing students in almost all of my English classes.?

And here I am being denied a job because the assumption is that I don't really know how to speak English.?

Oh, the sweet irony of life.?

*Outcome*

I continue applying for role openings and eventually get another job. Thank you God.?

*Lessons I Learned*

1. Every Choice Has An Opportunity Cost. There's an opportunity in every choice and a cost in every choice. I have an English name (Diana) which happens to be my second middle name. I don't actively use it though. I'm Nigerian and I actively use my Igbo names which have beautifully powerful meanings that I'm happy to stand in. My first name Nwanyibuife means 'a woman is valuable'. My middle name Adaeze means 'first daughter of the king'. Have I lost some more job opportunities because I operate with my Nigerian names? It's possible. And therein lies the cost aspect. Has my confidence and power grown over the years in operating with my Igbo names? As well as my access to more global growth opportunities? Yes. And therein lies the opportunity aspect...for me, that outweighs the cost.?

2. Closed Mouths Don't Get Feedback. If I didn't ask the Head Administrator if she had reviewed my job application, I would never have gotten the insight I did about the perception (by some people) of my work capabilities, in the American environment I was living in, based on my name. Insight is valuable because it provides the knowledge needed to understand one's context better and make informed decisions.??

3. Challenging Biases Matters. We all have biases (some conscious, others unconscious) that we deal with - they can include age bias, gender bias, race bias, relationship bias...even name bias. This is expected. As we grow from babies to children to adults, we're conditioned to think in certain ways based on the people we are exposed to, the media we consume, the books we read and more. The word bias does not automatically equal 'bad'. For example, having a bias for eating fresh, healthy food is a good thing. On the other hand, having a bias against a person in the workplace (and refusing to give them access to career growth opportunities because of the color of their skin) is not a good thing. As adults, we have the choice to challenge the biases we hold and either stick with them (because they are in fact worth keeping) or do the work of unlearning them (because they're more harmful than helpful). I'm hopeful that the experience the Head Administrator had that day helped her challenge her name bias and consider viewing people with names that are foreign to her differently than she thought when the job application with my name crossed her desk. That experience still challenges me 'til this day whenever I am feeling biased (or operating out of bias) towards someone else.?

We live and we learn.

Until the next story :)

Nwanyibuife Adaeze Ugwoeje

#Bias #OpportunityCost #Speak #TheAnatomyLetters