As someone with an apparently long, rather-difficult-to-spell-even-harder-to-pronounce-full-name that is often butchered, I can fully appreciate the desire to have one’s name pronounced and spelled correctly.
- Be sure you know the correct pronunciation and spelling of your interviewer’s name.
- When an interviewer calls to set up the interview, listen carefully to their name.
- If you didn’t catch it the first time, it’s quite alright to ask them to repeat it – “I want to be sure to pronounce your name correctly. Would you mind repeating it for me?”
- If an assistant schedules the interview, ask the assistant for the correct pronunciation and spelling of the interviewer’s name.
- Shy to ask? Be a shark and call the interviewer’s number at 2am and listen to their voice message to get the correct pronunciation.
- If you interview with a panel or series of interviewers, be sure to get the correct spellings, pronunciations, (and titles), of each person.
- If you know others may find your name difficult to say or spell, do them the favour of spelling it and pronouncing it for them. If you have a prefered name, offer that name, as well.
(By the way, my full name is Maria Gracia Marasigan Kutney, but you can call me Grace.)
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