Job Searching While Transitioning

[lilcuddlymouse]

So, in about 5 months I may or may not be losing my job depending on what Secretary Matthis decides once his time limit to make a decision on transgender service members is up. I've been looking at job availabilities and even the possibility of going back for another college degree, but I guess my question is this. What gender should I go to job interviews as and should I maybe hold off on changing my gender legally until I have a job? Assuming I lose my job in or around 5 months from now I will have been on HRT for around 7 months and the military has already said that no surgeries will be paid for anymore so if I present as a woman at the interviews I will almost certainly be clocked unless I suddenly gain enough weight to hide my adam's apple.

Part of me feels like any job that doesn't hire me if I tell them that I am transitioning isn't worth it, but at the same time I will need whatever job I can find.

[elkie-t]

a) let them force you out of service, don't quit voluntarily. It might prove a bit more difficult to fire you than it looks now.

b) always look for better options after all, you are in much better position to negotiate if you're currently working.

c) there might be several approaches to how you do it, depending on how busy you are. One would be to write about your transition and include your female name along the male one. This way - you're contacted only by companies that are trans-inclusive and you can expect fair treatment. Minus would be - many employers would just not contact you.

Another approach would be to send your resume as a female (in your preferred gender), especially if your documents are in order (at least DL). When you're invited to an interview and their HR do their due diligence, they will figure out you're trans. From there - if they aren't cool about it, they will offer job to someone else, you only attend more interviews with less results. But I think overall your chances this way are best.
Third would be to pretend you're male, then flip after being hired and come out later. I think this plan may backfire, as the company might just start setting you up for ways to fire you, or just fire you right away for withholding important information before the offer. I mean hiring people might be really 'not amused' that you hide it from them.


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[Dena]

Fixing your adams apple is easy and relatively inexpensive. Most any reconstructive plastic surgeons should be able to do and have after few weeks, a little makeup on the surgical site should cover any remaining signs. The question is will you be ready to move into the feminine role. If you are, then I would say go for it.

In my case I lost my job so I took care of my adams apple and while I was at it, I had my nose corrected. By the time of the second follow up visit to the surgeon, I had moved into the feminine role and was sending out resumes. I decided to go this route because I didn't feel like waiting another 6 months to a year before transitioning and there was no guarantee that I wouldn't lose the new job if I transitioned there.

[lilcuddlymouse]

If I were to lose my job today, I would probably not be ready to present as female full time but in 5 months + the amount of time it will take to process me out, I certainly will be ready. As for the tracheal shave, from what I've been able to find online the average cost seems to be around $4k which I do not have now and will not have in 5+ months so that option is out the window. If my hair removal would ever be done I would at least have that money to put towards it but I was unfortunately cursed with very stubborn facial hair.

[rmaddy]

I didn't end up losing my job 3 years ago, but it looked for me at least as possible as it does for you right now.  I don't think preparing to work in a new job is a matter of surgery, but rather of clarity.  At the time I was worried about my job, I had been presenting full time female for 3-4 years, but I was still using my old name.  My counselor pointed out that if he were interviewing me, my presentation would be coherent and non-problematic, but my name would confuse him.  Most potential employers won't care if you are transgender, but if they are confused about what you want and expect, they might feel uncomfortable, decreasing your chances for hire.  It is not difficult to tell that I am transgender, and they can deal with that, but as long as I kept the male name, I was throwing off mixed signals.

Hiring discrimination still occurs (and should be reported if there is evidence to support the claim), but I submit that getting hired by an anti-trans company then coming out later will be no picnic either.

[lilcuddlymouse]

rmaddy, that all makes good sense. I've been working on getting over my fears that people will discriminate against me. I know I will be discriminated against but I am choosing to transition anyways, but at the same time I have seen too many examples of how bad that discrimination can get. Knowing that there are people out there who have gotten jobs while transitioning makes me feel better and I just need to get over my fears and with 5 months to do it I should be able to. Looking at all the politicians scrambling to block Trump's executive order entirely I may not lose my job, but I still have to be prepared to.

[Gertrude]

a) let them force you out of service, don't quit voluntarily. It might prove a bit more difficult to fire you than it looks now.

b) always look for better options after all, you are in much better position to negotiate if you're currently working.

c) there might be several approaches to how you do it, depending on how busy you are. One would be to write about your transition and include your female name along the male one. This way - you're contacted only by companies that are trans-inclusive and you can expect fair treatment. Minus would be - many employers would just not contact you.

Another approach would be to send your resume as a female (in your preferred gender), especially if your documents are in order (at least DL). When you're invited to an interview and their HR do their due diligence, they will figure out you're trans. From there - if they aren't cool about it, they will offer job to someone else, you only attend more interviews with less results. But I think overall your chances this way are best.
Third would be to pretend you're male, then flip after being hired and come out later. I think this plan may backfire, as the company might just start setting you up for ways to fire you, or just fire you right away for withholding important information before the offer. I mean hiring people might be really 'not amused' that you hide it from them.


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HR shouldn't be doing anything until they either make an offer or the interview process has ended. Anything before is inappropriate and a waste of time. Never give references and permission to contact previous employers before that.


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[Gertrude]

You may want to look at colleges and universities which are fairly liberal and even in states where there are no protections for trans people, they have policies that do.


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[elkie-t]

HR shouldn't be doing anything until they either make an offer or the interview process has ended. Anything before is inappropriate and a waste of time. Never give references and permission to contact previous employers before that.

They often ask for those during very first stage - resume submission / application for the job. Sometimes, they even call to check those references before any interview to weed out obviously week candidates. HR time is cheaper than time of experts and managers needed to conduct meaningful technical interview.

[Gertrude]

They often ask for those during very first stage - resume submission / application for the job. Sometimes, they even call to check those references before any interview to weed out obviously week candidates. HR time is cheaper than time of experts and managers needed to conduct meaningful technical interview.

You shouldn't give the info before the interviews are over. Check out Liz Ryan on LinkedIn. She covers a lot of stuff hr and recruiters do that's inappropriate/wrong. Most people just assume they should go along with whatever hr and recruiters do. We don't have to and with regards to certain things, we're better off not working for such companies. A lot of it comes down to trust. If they don't trust you or treat you right from the start, it'll only get worse. Same with one sided power relationships with employers.


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[elkie-t]

You shouldn't give the info before the interviews are over. Check out Liz Ryan on LinkedIn. She covers a lot of stuff hr and recruiters do that's inappropriate/wrong. Most people just assume they should go along with whatever hr and recruiters do. We don't have to and with regards to certain things, we're better off not working for such companies. A lot of it comes down to trust. If they don't trust you or treat you right from the start, it'll only get worse. Same with one sided power relationships with employers.

In some places, you wouldn't even get an interview before you provide them

[lilcuddlymouse]

I'm not sure how work references work for veterans. When I get out, my records will be sealed and best I can do is give them names of people I've worked with which they probably won't ever be able to contact.

[Alicia Francesca]

Estimated 100 thousand truck driver deficiet in American.Get a CDl in 2 weeks and hit the road.My boss does not care how I present or look.Only cares I deliver on time.40 to 50 grand a year your first year.