Asian applicant claims US firms ignored his résumé until he changed name

Asian applicant claims US firms ignored his résumé until he changed name

An anonymous posting on the professional forum TeamBlind has gone viral after a technology professional said that many months of applications went nowhere until he changed his name. The poster wrote that his original résumé, which carried a "very Chinese" name, yielded automated rejection emails only, despite meeting all stated job requirements and having his résumé reviewed by a career coach. Then he changed it to a more American-sounding alias, "James Bright," and received three interview invitations for job openings from companies that had rejected him.

The techie said he did not need visa sponsorship and was a U.S. citizen, but still suspected his ethnic-sounding name was a problem. "I am lost and I don't know what to do anymore," he wrote. "If I go on with the interviews, they're going to know I didn't write my legal name on the résumé. If I continue using my real name, I won't get past the résumé phase."

A deeper question about hiring bias

The case has set off a broader conversation in the tech world about implicit bias, résumé-screening software and the “bamboo ceiling” that many Asian professionals say they hit in the high-tech industries. Many of those responding on TeamBlind said they similarly changed their name or adapted the form of their résumé and received better responses. “You can go by a preferred name… nothing illegal about it. If it’s helping, do it!”

Experts say the story may reflect broader structural issues. In a 2023 academic study of Asian American tech workers, researchers found that racial strategies, self-presentation and cultural assumptions played a significant role in how Asian professionals were evaluated.

What this means for job seekers

The decision is still fraught for the poster. He must choose between interviewing under the alias and hoping for the best, or reverting to his real name and risking invisibility. Either path carries questions of transparency, identity, and fairness in hiring. His experience simply underlines how, even in an avowedly meritocratic environment such as technology, superficial attributes like name and cultural appearance could make all the difference.

The industry response and next steps

Some companies are already re-evaluating the use of résumé-screening tools and diversity-related efforts that may inadvertently favor certain names or linguistic cues. Proponents say increased transparency in hiring, blind résumé screenings, and more inclusive referral networks are needed. “Since now you know how to get their attention, use James + real last name and continue to apply,” one TeamBlind user said.

This is a reminder that in a sector built on innovation and disruption, career opportunities are still too often shaped by biases. What the tech worker did may not solve the larger problem, but it has helped one individual get past the gatekeepers.