VIDEO
“I couldn’t get a job in the UK until I removed my native name from my CV” – Nigerian man, Inein Victor – –
Inein Victor Garrick, a 34-year-old Nigerian residing in the UK, has disclosed that securing a job within the UK was tough owing to his native identify.
In line with him, he struggled to get any job interviews after graduating from South Wales College as a result of folks continuously mispronounced his first identify.
Inien, who at present works as a Security Inspector at Transport for Wales, stated he started utilizing his center identify Victor after struggling to get any job presents years after graduating.
Talking with Mirror UK, he stated,
“I by no means appeared to get previous the primary utility levels despite the fact that on paper, I had all the mandatory necessities for at the least an interview. As well as, the few calls I had, the recruiters had a difficulty in saying my first identify accurately.
“I began utilizing Victor’s as first identify as a result of boundaries I confronted while making use of to jobs after college. With feedback like your identify is tough or laborious to pronounce. I at all times felt I used to be on the backfoot and despatched some unconscious bias. The second I modified to my center identify Victor, on my CV, inside per week, I had a number of requires interviews.”
That was at all times the beginning of the dialog, oh your identify is tough after which asking the place I’m from. However after I received to the interview stage, I’d reply once they name out my identify and I’d be requested once more, nearly like ‘are you positive that’s you?”
He, nonetheless, immediately realized that he was “hiding part of himself” and determined to return to utilizing his first identify, Inein.
“I feel it actually hit me. Final yr, I nearly felt like I hid part of myself all these years. It wasn’t shameful per se however I wasn’t my true self. Individuals would hear Victor and assume I used to be British or English and I wasn’t highlighting my true identification. I’m happy with the place I’m from and I feel I hid behind Victor. This opened that door to speak about Nigeria and my cultural heritage, it’s a unbelievable dialog starter.” He added.
