Ask a trans person!

[The Oopster]

Originally Posted by Jet

I disagree with responses about how to tackle jobs while
Trnsitioing.

Thnks for your input.

Originally Posted by Dylan

Jet,

Can I ask where you live? What state?

Employment is the toughest issue for transfolks. The gender identity clause in many places is merely lip service.

I seriously would NOT come out as trans at an interview. I've done it, and I won't do it again.

If you come out at an interview, and you don't get hired, there's nothing you can do about it.

If you ensure you have the job first, and they fire you when you come out, you will be able to cover your ass better.

Since deciding to transition, I have been an many job interviews (after losing my job the day after coming out as trans).

Before I applied anywhere, though, I would look into what my city, county, and state have to say about gender identity, so I know what companies are 'supposed to' abide by.


Dylan

Originally Posted by Thinker

First off......and this is just *me*......I wouldn't put myself under the stress of applying for a new job at the same time I'm beginning my medical transition.......unless, of course, you absolutely have no choice.

Secondly, I think you need to go about the process in the way that feels best and most right *to you*. Personally, I would not fool with HR until I had to......certainly not prior to even securing an interview.

I think there are a number of correct ways to go about this; you have to find the way that feels most right for you.

And I'd use the men's room. If you are introducing yourself as Parker and presenting yourself as the man you are, then the men's room is the only option.

I agree with thinker and Dylan that there are lots of things that go into it, and ultimately it is what you are comfortable with.

I know for me, I am speaking from my experience not from what I "think." My strategy has changed over time.

The job I currently have I've never really addressed the issue. I'm a courrier and seldom in the office. At first they called me she and over the past year without me even saying he or anything they call me he and the one that has the most troubles I'll catch him correcting himself. Since I'm not in the office, it just wasn't worth investing energy into it. If they called me she to a customer the customer just looked at them crazy. I deliver to a lot of the studio lots and other businesses including government agencies where I have to present my government id which has my birth name and gender on it. Despite that I am still 99.99% of the time he'd. If someone says something about the name I just make a joke about it. My work ID has my chosen name and actually more often that is commented on since it's original and my first name is the first part of my last name. Again I just make a joke about it. That my parents wanted to keep things simple. If I feel the there is a vested relationship then i may address the issue but on the most part the job I currently have I'm lucky if I seem the same people twice in one week for more then a couple minutes so it's just not worth making a big deal. I've learned that by making a big deal about it and it's just not worth it, for someone I don't know that i may not see again.

The job I had before this which I really was in the beginning of transition and did a lot of my transition during it. I applied under my chosen name didn't bring up the issue but one of my bosses was intuitive and sensitive to the issue and in the first week approached me and how I wanted to be addressed. Made sure that all the employess called me he. Again it was a service job and some of the customers still perceived me as she. There were a few that if appropriate I would bring it up in passing conversation but again it just wasn't worth it.

More recently I've been applying for an old company i use to work for and the more comfortable interviews have been the ones where I've addressed it at the end. Still haven't gotten a job with them and in my head it's hard not to think that it's partly because of being trans, they just may not want to deal with possible issues that could arise, but there is no way of knowing that, it honestly could be something else.

If i end up looking for jobs with other companies I won't address it til it needs to be and only if it needs to be.

Again I've gotten to this point by trial and errror and what works best for me. One thing that helped me was by sending out different types of coverletters and resumes to different perspective employers and going with whatever in the end got the best results.

I have work lapses in my employment history also, because of physical disability, and in that i wanted to be honest about it at first also, but have found that anything like that is best to avoid until i get the interview and am in the office where I'm able to make a legitimate impression versus a preceived impression.

Again ultimately you have to deal with it in your own way and chances are it is a process that will develope through your own trial and error.

[Dylan]

Originally Posted by The Oopster

I know for me, I am speaking from my experience not from what I "think."

My strategy has changed over time.

Again I've gotten to this point by trial and errror and what works best for me.

Yeah, my approach has changed greatly over time. I finally ended up starting my own business

I've learned (again, in my own experience) that many 'diversity' policies (including Austin's city 'diversity' policy) are merely lip service to make the company look good. ALL of the interviewers I've had since researching companies' diversity policies have been wonderful about gay issues, but completely ignorant and fearful of trans issues.

I also agree with Thinker that ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do, and I MORE than agree that I (personally) wouldn't interview for jobs during transition unless I absolutely had to.

My thoughts on this today are COMPLETELY, 100% different than they were years ago


Dylan

[TenderKnight]

I guess I was pretty lucky to get a job at where I work now.. At the interview, I told them my prefered pronouns, the name I would be changing to legally, and that I would be starting hormones.. I am lucky to live and work in a very diverse and queer friendly area with managers that may not *get* it, but have been exposed to trans people and were cool with taking me for who I was and on my work history and not my gender..

Not everyone is that lucky or CAN be that open with an employer. If I were still living in the South, I doubt very much if I could have gotten the job I have now and transitioned while working.. Thankfully, I was and am that lucky.. The customers have seen me transition and have asked questions, some are just confused and think they pegged me as female by mistake. I get to educate others on transgender issues and I have tried to invite a more open and welcoming attitude to those along the gender spectrum..

This is just my experience, like I said, I kinda lucked out in some ways. I would never suggest that anyone put themselves in danger by transtioning on the job, but it can work out. Just my .2 on the subject

-Tony

[The Oopster]

One thing you can do is practice.

Apply for jobs that you are qualified for but not necessarily interested in and try out different approaches to find out what is comfortable for you. Even with that said I may go into an interview with one intention and after in there for a few minutes totally change my game plan.

If i'm really interested in one particular company, unless there is a immediate urgency like the job posting is going to be closed tomorrow I won't apply for it first, i'll warm up with other options. If I can get an interview with someone else first bonus, practice time.

I use to especially do this with temp agencies. A lot of the tests they have are the same. I'd go to the temp agencies I was least interested in first take the tests a few times then go to the ones I was really interested in and score 100's. Sometimes fate would throw me a surprise and the one i wasn't interested in would be the one that ended up being the gold mine

[Thinker]

Originally Posted by The Oopster

One thing you can do is practice.

Apply for jobs that you are qualified for but not necessarily interested in and try out different approaches to find out what is comfortable for you. Even with that said I may go into an interview with one intention and after in there for a few minutes totally change my game plan.

Outstanding advice.

[Jet]

I wouldn't come out at an interview.

[The Oopster]

Originally Posted by Jet

I'm typing from my blackberry
Until I get my computer back.

Question...

I am a contract designer looking to go full time. Since
I.M starting T now I want apply at And be accepted at companies with diversity policies. I'm thinking of submitting

My resume
Portfolio
Summary of experience
And....
A letter to HR addressing my transition under the company
Diversity policy.

Should I include the letter at the. onset of applying?

What bathroom do I use?

Etc.

Originally Posted by Jet

I wouldn't come out at an interview.

I guess the confusion lies on what you meant by onset of applying? For me the that means at the interview or even in a cover letter.

From your last comment i wonder if you mean at the beginning of employment or onset of a job offer. Which to me is different. I think most jobs at some matter of time it does have to be addressed and when and if I get a new job if the issue needs to be addressed it will be at the beginning.

I say "need be" because i'm further along in the transition process. Currently my name and sex aren't changed so I would need to address it and would want to address it right away because it's easier for people to learn of me one way then to learn one thing and have to change it. Some of it also depends on type of job. I've transitioned in jobs where I'm not in an office setting and i'm not around the same people all the time. When i'm in the office the bathroom is unisex and in my previous job I had to use the bathroom before or after picking up clients so the bathroom wasn't an issue. In these jobs i really haven't addressed the issue, although the one employer did for me. Yet i still had customers that read me as female and again it wasn't worth it to correct not atleast at that time.

I also say "need be" because once everything matches up I don't see a reason to address it unless again it has to be for some odd reason.