Ask Asa: Assuming A Different Name For Business
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If you are unemployed, you know it's a jobless jungle out there. To help you navigate the unemployment terrain, NY1's Employment reporter Asa Aarons has answers to some viewers' questions. What's in a name? A viewer wrote in to discuss that very question.
As a long time job seeker, I would like to use my middle name on my resume because it's easier to remember than my last name. Over the years, I've talked to many people in business who use their maiden name, middle name or even a different name entirely for business. What's your opinion?
~ Amy, New York City
Amy, if you do change your name, use great care. Like you, I've known many people who have done it, and several regret it.
Taking a different, more memorable name is common in my business. I know of one person who did it temporarily and 20 years later can't shake it off. For every Richard Bachman, better known as Stephen King; Alisa Rosenbaum, known as Ayn Rand; or Asa Yolson, better know as Al Jolson; there are a ton of people who regret a name change.
As long as you are not trying to defraud or impersonate anybody, you can use a different name. If it works and you get the nod from the employer, you'll have to supply your real name and contact information and Social Security number for background checks and direct deposit of your pay.
One thing you might find helpful is to go through the state and spend $25 to file a Certificate of Assumed Name. This is not a legal name change, but just a way to make it official sometimes you go by an assumed name. That way, if a question or controversy should come up, you can show it's legally registered.
Find out more at the New York Department of State homepage at www.dos.state.ny.us.
If you have an employment story, a job, a new interview technique, or something you want to share with those looking for work or those doing the hiring, contact Asa Aarons at askasa@ny1.com.