Can You Legally Use a Pseudonyms on Your Résumé

[paddywakk]

My employer requires that applicants submit sealed, official transcripts with their application for jobs that required degrees (most of them do). If someone doesn't, they have an incomplete application and are not considered for an interview. We run background checks on all the applicants who make it through the interview process. Those who are hired have their fingerprints checked, as well.

Why on earth would you want to use a pseudonym on your resume?

[MarkSmith]

Thank you all so much for your responses.

[PayrolGuy]

You are welcome Mark. But let's stay away for hypotheticals in the future.

[MarkSmith]

Perhaps I am using the wrong word, hypotheticals. Before I started my business, I met with a business attorney several times to discuss business related issues that could arise. I call these hypotheticals similar to the questions I posed on this post. I did not have nor do I have any legal issues or problems. I simply met with the attorney to make sure that I was complying with all business laws. The attorney didn't find any of my questions inappropriate even if they were on the hypothetical side. So, honestly, I don't know why posting similar questions on this post is so inappropriate. Again, perhaps I am using the wrong word.

[free9man]

Your attorney was being paid for his time, I assume? The unpaid volunteers here generally prefer to dedicate their time to actual issues where people have an actual problem and not hypothetical situations.

[MarkSmith]

This was a free consultation. The laws can be very confusing and complicated. That is why it is always best to consult with an attorney before engaging in a new adventure, just to make sure you are following the laws. This only makes common sense. But I see that this forum is not for this purpose. So from now on, I will avoid posting any hypothetical business related questions on this forum.

[cbg]

There is a purpose for you to ask a lawyer questions to determine if you are in compliance with all business laws. That purpose is to be in compliance with the law. The lawyer's job is to help you with that.

However, if these are truly hypotheticals and not related to any specific legal issue you are facing, then the only purpose for your questions is curiosity. The volunteers on this board, who have limited time to spend here and who mostly have jobs of their own, would prefer to spend their limited time answering real questions that people are really facing, and not just satisfying curiosity. That's the difference.

[MarkSmith]

Curiosity is a judgement call you are making. I would never waste my time posting on a forum for mere curiosity. All these were business related questions that would help me decide which direction to go in. Laws are very confusing and complicated. Who else would confer with before making business decisions to make sure you are in compliance with the laws? It you wait till you get into legal trouble, it sounds a little too late for me. Perhaps I am the only one who feels this way.

[eerelations]

Curiosity is a judgement call you are making. I would never waste my time posting on a forum for mere curiosity. All these were business related questions that would help me decide which direction to go in. Laws are very confusing and complicated. Who else would confer with before making business decisions to make sure you are in compliance with the laws? It you wait till you get into legal trouble, it sounds a little too late for me. Perhaps I am the only one who feels this way.

So as an employer you are expecting to receive a bunch of resumes with pseudonyms and are asking what to do about this in advance of it probably happening?

[MarkSmith]

I don't understand your question. Can you please elaborate? Thanks.

So as an employer you are expecting to receive a bunch of resumes with pseudonyms and are asking what to do about this in advance of it probably happening?

I don't understand your question. Can you please elaborate? Thanks.