Work: ‘Whitening’ the resume to get called back

Every Thursday, The Takeaway focuses on work issues. This week we take a look at ethnic and racial discrimination in the hiring process and what some people are doing to better their chances of getting called back for a job. Takeaway work contributor Chaz Kyser, author of “Embracing the Real World (The Black Woman’s Guide to Life After College),” says the practice of “whitening” resumes, i.e. making black names sound less ethnic, is becoming increasingly popular in a super-competitive economy. Tuere Murray, a working mother of two from Oklahoma, explains why she changed her name from “Akanju” to “Murray” after she had problems scoring interviews, despite a competitive resume.