Usually I rant or ask a lot of questions, but it is time for some positivity! I read a lot of posts about things going wrong at the working scene, and this story will be different.
I got hired at a bank (financial advisor, a phone job, but fun). I applied with my girly name because that is still my official name, and figured that applications needed official names. During the job interview, the calling test (an employee would call you and pretend to be a customer to see how you would handle it) and the signing of the contract, my girly name was used. Naturally, because so far I had decided to not disclose my trans status. Why should I? It only becomes relevant when I'm hired.
The thing with this job was that an entire group of 10 people were hired, and together you start a training program of 5 weeks. When I knew I was hired, I planned to disclose my status when I signed the contract. This usually is done one on one, right? Wrong, when I got there, my entire group was there, and the my girly name was dropped for all of them to hear. I wanted to slap myself for not telling them sooner because I had planned to be introduced as Aaron so no one would have to question a thing. All that went down the drain. Of course, when everybody had left, I poked my boss and told her what was up, and what my preferred name was. She reacted incredibly nice, and said it would be no problem at all. They would change my name, and use Aaron. When I called a few hours later to notify my other boss, she told me she was already informed and on it. No issues at all, so a big plus to this company!
Now the group. I dreaded the first training day. They had heard my girly name. How to fix this? I was incredibly nervous as the first day surely had introductions planned. And it had. But I manned up, hoping that they had not really noticed my name. I told them I was Aaron, regardless of the mistake happening at the signing of the contract. And since then, no one has questioned it. They call me he, they call me Aaron, it's great. I'm almost 6 months on T, but apparently I already pass. Or maybe I do not, but they accept me as I am (probably a weird, short gay guy, but a guy nonetheless!), and call me Aaron. Either, I am very, very happy! The company has been so respectful about my wishes, and this entire group of 9 people have been nothing but friendly, and treat me as a guy.
So, that was a very long story. But a positive one about how things can go really right sometimes.
