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I have a hard to pronounce ethnic name as my legal name so I have usually preferred to use a more easily prounced "American" nickname as my professional name. I know it is actually a common practice among ethic minorities to use a name different from their legal first names on a regular basis, but what are the standards regarding this issue for law related resumes? This is a bit different than going from Jonathan to Jon or Andrew to Drew as it is almost a complete change so I thought it would be worth asking.

And if it is appropriate, should the full name on the resume look like:

1) First "Nickname" Last
2) First Nickname Last
3) Nickname Last (and just correct the legal name when filling out official paper work?)

First looks a bit tacky to me, second misleading about my legal middle name, and third is just not my real name. Thoughts?

I have seen the following for people who use another name as their English name (I have never heard someone call it a nickname before because nicknames are normally used in familiar environments, not professional workplaces).

(1) NativeName Surname
(2) EnglishName Surname
(3) NativeName (EnglishName) Surname

I personally like the third option the best as it gives the interviewer an easy name to call you at the start of the interview while still preserving your true legal name.

Use nickname and last name.

I live in Los Angeles, and people do that all the time. However, I'm assuming your nickname is something common in America and non-offensive.

CyLaw wrote:I have seen the following for people who use another name as their English name (I have never heard someone call it a nickname before because nicknames are normally used in familiar environments, not professional workplaces).

(1) NativeName Surname
(2) EnglishName Surname
(3) NativeName (EnglishName) Surname

I personally like the third option the best as it gives the interviewer an easy name to call you at the start of the interview while still preserving your true legal name.

Native name (English name) Surname

I am a two name person as well. The problem is I always go by my "nickname" and it is not like it is will instead of william, the two are not very alike. Its just been that way since I was born, don't ask me why. Anyway I do:

Legalname (nickname) lastname

On your resume you should put the name you want to be called.

So: "Americanized" Name & Surname (if that is what you want to be known as)

I don't think using quotes looks very professional. It looks like you are telling them to call you some name you got in a fraternity or something. I just think parenthesis look more subtle and professional. Either way you will probably get he point across.

emciosn is right. when I said "Americanized" I in NO way intended that you should actually put quotes around your name.

i'm glad u said that emciosn

Some nicknames are better than others. I can think of many that should not appear on one's resume. In the OP's case, however, use of his/her nickname should make the interviewer more comfortable.

CanadianWolf wrote:Some nicknames are better than others. I can think of many that should not appear on one's resume.

Some people (myself included) are just called something else for their entire lives and in all professional and social situations. I think it is appropriate if that is what you expect to be called on a day to day basis and it is completely different from your given name (i.e. not william shortened to will).

Edit: just saw your edit, I agree.

Thanks for the responses. I agree that parentheses look far better than quotes and will probably use that.

The way it's always been explained to me is if it's a nickname, it's in quotes. I say "nickname" because in some cases, a foreigner with a complicated, long names might shorten it the way someone would shorten William to Will, but it's still recognizable as their name.

But if it's an "American" name, one that sounds nothing like the ethnic name, then it's in parentheses.

Odd distinction, but one that has been uniformly drilled into my ethnic friends' heads.