Potential employers don't contact me after meeting me

[Shantel]

The background of the thread was how to get employed.
Simply, no matter my personal feelings, if a person, in my belief, will not fit in then they will not get the job.
Why do you discriminate between them?
I know why I did; so who would you employ, or would you move on to another candidate?

Cindy,
    This is a good wake-up call for a generation of people who are being deceived by the idea that fairness and having a job is a right. The real world outside of nirvana doesn't work that way! The attitude expressed by job hunters is so often; I need a job, I'd like to know what it pays, what kind of hours, and will I get sick leave, paid holidays and vacation benefits, how about lunch and other breaks? Do you have daycare facilities for my small children? How long is maternity leave? Do I get profit sharing and a 401- K plan?

Not much if any thought goes in to what can I do to show this potential employer that I will be a valuable asset to this company and perhaps find ways to increase profitability at the bottom line? The answer to this last question will be what may get you hired, while the previous group continues on out through the revolving turnstile.

[Emily Aster]

The interviews I go on these days don't tend to be very skills oriented. They used to focus on finding out if I had the skills, but I have enough experience and references now that they kind of assume that they are there. Instead, the interviews tend to be meeting the senior staff of the company and finding out if my personality will be a fit for the team. Nobody wants a cowgirl/boy in their midst. They want a team player and they want to make sure they have that before making an offer. It's a lot easier to bring skills up to date than it is to change someone's personality that's going to screw up the group dynamics.

[Jayr]

I got my two jobs through perseverance.

For months I brought my resume around my town (VERY small)
I'd write down where I had gone and the name of the supervisor,
after 3 or 4 weeks I'd do my round over again.

Eventually employers started remembering and recognizing me.
Out of the blue employers started calling me, and now I work at two different places and it's going great.

I had no experience, never had a job before, so I had nothing to show what I could do.

One of my employers even told me she regretted hiring this other guy over me, so when she noticed my resume on her desk yet again she called. If I hadn't brought my resume there yet again, I would have never gotten that job.

Determination will get you far my friend.

[opheliaxen]

You miss my intent completely. In the case of debate case I needed a person to do a particular job in a particular environment. That person needed to fit into a team to do the job. If a person wants that job they have to convince me that they are capable of doing the job and fitting in to the team. If they cannot do that they will not get employed.

The background of the thread was how to get employed.

Simply, no matter my personal feelings, if a person, in my belief, will not fit in then they will not get the job.

Interestingly,  you have focussed on the flamboyant character and have not mentioned the person with suspicious tattoos.  That person was very focussed and very aware of himself and very driven. He had all the boxes ticked except for raising my concerns about intolerance. The flamboyant one appeared far more interested in self promotion than being driven to do the job.

Why do you discriminate between them?

I know why I did; so who would you employ, or would you move on to another candidate?

I don't have a problem with tattooed either.

What does interested in self promotion mean? 

[Shantel]

What does interested in self promotion mean?

Probably one who has a driving need to be the center of attention above anything else.

[opheliaxen]

Probably one who has a driving need to be the center of attention above anything else.

How does one gauge that in a one on one interview?  Of course he'd want to be the center of attention.  He's trying to get a job!

[Shantel]

How does one gauge that in a one on one interview?  Of course he'd want to be the center of attention.  He's trying to get a job!

Big secret no-one gets, the job isn't about what the company can do for you, it's about what you can do for the company. An HR person will instinctively pick up on that right away. They wear glasses with windshield wipers that wipe away the BS so they can get a clear sense of vision concerning the applicant. Not something worth arguing about, it is what it is.

[opheliaxen]

Big secret no-one gets, the job isn't about what the company can do for you, it's about what you can do for the company. An HR person will instinctively pick up on that right away. They wear glasses with windshield wipers that wipe away the BS so they can get a clear sense of vision concerning the applicant. Not something worth arguing about, it is what it is.

How is that a big secret no one gets?  You sell yourself to the company because you want them to see you as an asset to bring aboard.  Which is intrinsically self promotion.  You want to stand out from other candidates.

Whatever. 

[Shantel]

How is that a big secret no one gets?  You sell yourself to the company because you want them to see you as an asset to bring aboard.  Which is intrinsically self promotion.  You want to stand out from other candidates.

Whatever.

Big difference between promoting the company's interests above your own need to have a job. We can parse every comment and disagree about semantics but it is what it is!

[Dan G.]

Burento, you haven't actually said how you look or what your legal sex is...and when you talk to people over the phone, do you not give them your name? Is it casual or more like a phone interview?

I work in academe, so things are a bit different. The uni where I work is very queer-friendly. That's where I transitioned, and nobody treats me like I'm anything unusual. That, in and of itself, can be quite weird because I'm apparently the only one who ever thinks "Arch is a freak." My transition was very anticlimactic, but I was well established there.

The community college where I work is more conservative, but staff and faculty are pretty open, and the college itself has official pro-queer policies and resources. However, I applied there after transition, and nobody ever sees me as anything but male.

Do you live in a large city? Do you research each company's official stance on LGBT issues? Many national companies publish this stuff online where anyone can access it. Maybe you're living in too small a community, or maybe you've been applying to some conservative companies. What kinds of jobs are you applying for? If public contact is required, the companies might be worried about their image if you are legally female but come across as very butch. But I'm just guessing here. And it might not be gender-related.

I've yet to get any interviews, so I'm thinking maybe it's my town, I live in a town of 2-3,000 people, and the Navy is very prevalent here. My legal gender is female, but I'm working on starting my transition to being myself, aka male.

I do look very masculine, and I have a super effeminate name. I also live on the conservative half of the island, so I'm thinking maybe I should try the south end, which is more liberal.

[Dan G.]

I got my two jobs through perseverance.

For months I brought my resume around my town (VERY small)
I'd write down where I had gone and the name of the supervisor,
after 3 or 4 weeks I'd do my round over again.

Eventually employers started remembering and recognizing me.
Out of the blue employers started calling me, and now I work at two different places and it's going great.

I had no experience, never had a job before, so I had nothing to show what I could do.

One of my employers even told me she regretted hiring this other guy over me, so when she noticed my resume on her desk yet again she called. If I hadn't brought my resume there yet again, I would have never gotten that job.

Determination will get you far my friend.

I'm thinking of doing that as well, however, I am a tad afraid that I'll get the door shut in my face yet again. I would call after two weeks of nothing back from a potential employer that I had taken a resume to and turned it in face to face and politely introduced myself., and they would get agitated when I asked, nicely mind you, if they had had the chance to take a look at my application/resume yet.

[Jamie D]

Folks, I have been a hiring manager who has conducted hundreds of interviews.  Let me give you a couple of tips for a good interview:

1) Show up dressed like you want the job, especially if it is an office-type job.
2) Be neatly groomed, and if possible, find out ahead of time of the employer has grooming and dress codes.
3) Introduce yourself to the interviewer(s) and shake his/her/their hand(s).  Use "Mr." and "Ms." when addressing your interviewer.
4) Be polite and succinct in the interview.  Think a moment about your answers and speak intelligently.
5) Get the name(s) of the interviewer(s), business cards, if possible.
6) Follow up the interview immediately with a thank you note.  You may not get that job, but you will leave a favorable impression.  I have called back good interviewees when new positions opened.

[Shang]

Folks, I have been a hiring manager who has conducted hundreds of interviews.  Let me give you a couple of tips for a good interview:

1) Show up dressed like you want the job, especially if it is an office-type job.
2) Be neatly groomed, and if possible, find out ahead of time of the employer has grooming and dress codes.
3) Introduce yourself to the interviewer(s) and shake his/her/their hand(s).  Use "Mr." and "Ms." when addressing your interviewer.
4) Be polite and succinct in the interview.  Think a moment about your answers and speak intelligently.
5) Get the name(s) of the interviewer(s), business cards, if possible.
6) Follow up the interview immediately with a thank you note.  You may not get that job, but you will leave a favorable impression.  I have called back good interviewees when new positions opened.

Do that. Still no jobs.  But I'm over-qualifying for some jobs and under-qualifying for others. -.-;  This degree is sucking majorly.

But, I do think perseverance is a key thing.  So is being polite.  I've gotten jobs in the past just because of that and not because of my qualifications.

[Dan G.]

Folks, I have been a hiring manager who has conducted hundreds of interviews.  Let me give you a couple of tips for a good interview:

1) Show up dressed like you want the job, especially if it is an office-type job.
2) Be neatly groomed, and if possible, find out ahead of time of the employer has grooming and dress codes.
3) Introduce yourself to the interviewer(s) and shake his/her/their hand(s).  Use "Mr." and "Ms." when addressing your interviewer.
4) Be polite and succinct in the interview.  Think a moment about your answers and speak intelligently.
5) Get the name(s) of the interviewer(s), business cards, if possible.
6) Follow up the interview immediately with a thank you note.  You may not get that job, but you will leave a favorable impression.  I have called back good interviewees when new positions opened.

I'm good up until #3, the problem is, I can't even get them to give me an interview. I'm very well mannered and polite, as I was raised to be. My grandmother nailed in a great set of manners into me. (I grew up in a rather upscale household, and I was expected to behave as such.)

Anyways, points taken, and I shall do my best to remember them and follow through assuming I can get an interview C:

[Dan G.]

Do that. Still no jobs.  But I'm over-qualifying for some jobs and under-qualifying for others. -.-;  This degree is sucking majorly.

But, I do think perseverance is a key thing.  So is being polite.  I've gotten jobs in the past just because of that and not because of my qualifications.

Alrighty, thank you! I'll keep at it!

[Arch]

Wow, that is a small community. Any chance you can look for work outside of it? Or have you already tried that?

[Dan G.]

Wow, that is a small community. Any chance you can look for work outside of it? Or have you already tried that?

Nothing without at least a 2 hour commute by bus, and off island buses cost money I don't have

[Keaira]

My biggest concern is my driver's licence/ Social security card difference. my driver's license still has my old name because the BMV  can't seem to understand that I'm British, changed my name via deed poll, I live my life as Keaira and even the social security office changed my name when I presented them with my deed poll. I'm worried that that right there will screw everything up for me.

[dean1229]

That's one of the reasons why i try to look and dress unisex and not completely masculine:(((( I know that it will be very hard for me to get a job if i look like a man but have a female's name and i am a female according to the documents. ((((

[Brooke777]

I interviewed for a job on Wednesday. I am full time, but still visibly trans. I got hired. Not every place out there cares that you are trans. As long as you have the skills they are looking for, you are in.