I was wondering how people here filled out their job or volunteering applications in the midst of transitioning, before being able to change (correcting) things like your assigned legal name and gender so they match your real identity better?

I used to put down my preferred name, but feel employers would be incredibly mislead if they tried to pull my information on file by using my social security and/or date of birth and find that they do not match each other since I am still registered under my overtly feminine assigned name at birth. >.>

How do you guys work around this, other than changing your name and gender marker, obviously? Maybe that is the only solution, besides just putting up with it until having the finances to do so...

I live in Florida and here I believe it costs a total of $400.00 to do name changes alone...I swear. -.-

Hey Phoenix,

I was applying for jobs after transitioning but prior to my name change. My advice is going to vary based on what kind of position you're applying for.

A lot of positions do not actually do any kind of background or credit check, so all that will happen is they'll find a discrepancy when you sit down with HR to complete your new hire paperwork. They have a list of documents they have to verify. Just practice explaining it, and you should be fine.

It's actually similar with positions that do require a background or credit check. They will find the discrepancy, so you'll want to be up front about it. I would apply to these with your legal name in case they do a pre-screening. Just explain to anyone doing the background check, or whatever HR rep you meet with, that legally your name is X, but you go by Y. Similar explanation, I'd just bring it up sooner.

It is much, much easier once you've updated your documents. But unfortunately it doesn't end there! It takes some time for the name/gender marker update to trickle around to everyone, even if you personally updated it. I'm coming up on a year post-update and I still get calls for my old name. So after you make the updates, just watch. Some jobs have a section for "previous names". I'd play it by ear depending on what they require, but honesty in general is the best policy.

Hi Max. And thanks for replying.

Not to sound noobish, but are you saying like for regular jobs like as a cashier, stocker, bagger or greeter, I could get away with listing my preferred name instead of my assigned registered name and then explain myself when I meet the person who will interview me?

Also, I suppose I could do this with volunteering as well? I mean, I did once with that but it didn't go through because I kept going back and forth into the hospital during the holidays. -.- But the service chairman of the volunteering department that I was tryin to become a part of was totally fine with me being transgender.

Hey Phoenix,

Yes, that's exactly what I mean. A lot of jobs don't do any kind of check on you before they decide to hire you. So I wouldn't bring up that your documents are different until you're sitting with an HR person or hiring manager filling out your new hire paperwork. Once they've hired you, typically all that happens is they make a copy of your driver's license and SS card to file with your tax paperwork, or they put that same information into the e-Verify website. So you'd need to explain to whoever is doing that paperwork with you that your IDs say one thing, but you go by another. The vast majority of entry level jobs like you described will not do any kind of checking beyond this. Fast food, retail, etc.

If it requires a background or credit check, it should say somewhere in the job ad (usually near the bottom, it'll say something like "Hiring is contingent upon successful completion of a background and/or credit check"). You could mention during your interview that you go by a name different than what is on your documents if it is something that you worry about, or if you want to gauge how they feel about trans people. Or you can just wait until they ask you to fill out the paperwork for the background/credit check. Background checks and credit checks can't be initiated without a signature from you, so you could wait until then to say something.

And you could definitely do this with volunteering as well. It may even be easier - a lot of smaller organizations don't require much from volunteers beyond showing up when you say you're going to show up. Some do require some paperwork - hospitals, animal rescues, at-risk shelters, etc. But you can still do the same thing.