CAREERS NOW 05-08-11

Why You Care What's in a Name

DEAR JOYCE: My name is fairly common. I read that recruiters often check out job applicants on Google, LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media. Apparently the recruiters have been known to confuse people with the same name or a similar name. I need to work! Speaking for myself, what can I do to prevent being rejected because of a name mix-up? - K.A.J.

No one knows how often the name problem occurs, but I can see how it could be an unemployment-maker.

Try this fix for your social media public profile - one suggested by LinkedIn to help you stand out from other professionals who might share your name, but not your profession:

- Customize your LinkedIn profile URL so that it's your firstnamelastname, one word with no spaces (example: www.linkedin.com/in/SarahSmith). Not only will it help raise your profile to the top of Web searches for your name, it also makes it easier to link to your profile in your email signature or on your business card. You can make this change easily on your "Edit Profile" page. If your planned URL is taken already, you can also customize with lastnamefirstname.

- Others with your same name probably don't have the same expertise you have, so add relevant skills to your profile. After you've logged in, go directly to "Skills" under the "More" tab.

DEAR JOYCE: I've been out of work for l7 months. I'm a professional woman with a master's degree in my field. A recruiter friend recently told me that my lengthy unemployment gap is choking my chances - as in "don't hire the unemployed.". I could go on and on, but why isn't it illegal in this country to discriminate against people because of joblessness? - B.P.

National outrage is needed before politicians will rectify this form of discrimination, which unfairly targets reentry women, some minorities, older men and disabled job seekers. Civil rights, anyone?

DEAR JOYCE: Before I make a request to management at my company, what are my chances of inspecting my personnel file? -- K.C.

Your chances for a look-see at your own file are excellent. There's no federal law giving you that right, but the vast majority of states have some type of provision to allow employees to inspect their own files. The hitch is that state laws vary widely.

Google "Business Owners Toolkit: Who Can See Personnel Files?" This helpful article includes a clickable U.S. map that takes you straight to your state's law on personnel files.

DEAR JOYCE: Disabled with a bad back, I can work in my field, technical publishing, but not my former profession, construction. Companies receive tax credits for hiring disabled people. Do I use this information in my interview pitch? How? - K.K.

Yes, mention the amount of tax incentives that hiring you would bring to company coffers. But only after you've sold yourself as a perfect match for the position.

Read "Perfectly Able: How to Attract and Hire Talented People with Disabilities" by Lighthouse International and Jim Hasse (Amacom Books, amacombooks.org). Written for employers, you'll pick up effective selling points for your pitch.

DEAR JOYCE: I've always told my kids to ask when they don't get the job they applied for in order to find out what's wrong and take it as constructive criticism for the next interview. Now I'm looking for work and have asked a few times why I wasn't picked, but I always get the same excuse - another applicant was better qualified. Why won't employers tell you the truth? - G.S.S.

You almost never will be given the straight scoop on why you lost out. Employers have no legal or ethical obligation to help you improve your act for the next interview. Here are some of the reasons you may as well save your breath:

- Employers are leery of lawsuits. The less said, the less liability.

- There's no profit in wasting work hours on a dead end.

- Hiring managers don't enjoy dishing out negative feedback

- Human resource interviewers and independent recruiters may not have enough details from hiring managers to give helpful answers, even if they're inclined to do so.

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