Hi,

I went full time in June of 2014.  Jennifer started work on June 16, 2014 and THAT caused a stir around work.  I'm a scientist (chemist/molecular toxicologist) at a $35 billion dollar sales multinational. I am reasonably high up the ladder for anyone in the company and really high up for a researcher.  It's been hard.  Many people didn't want anything to do with me post transition and then there were people who wanted to work with me when they didn't before.  It's nothing short of bizarre.  It's finally settled down and much the same as it was before.  The ones who stopped talking with me were working with me for reasons that didn't go away so they are back.  The others just wanted to meet or support someone who was "brave" enough to transition.  (Brave?  Nope, Just trying to stay alive, stay sane and have hope at enjoying life.)

Anyway, I need to do something with my old Linked In account.  I'm not afraid of just changing the name and picture and going forward.  I'm just tired of the explanations...  and the coming out... and the hate... and maybe even the well wishers...  I just want to live.  But if my changing rather than creating a new one would help someone else, I'd do it this evening.

So, your thoughts?  What did you do? What about FacebooK?  (That one is next.. )

Hugs,

Jen

Off topic, but you bring up an interesting point. The bravery. I know a lot of people don't like hearing that because the bravery was in living a tormented lie, not in the going forward part. But from the point of view of someone who isn't transgender, they see us doing something they wouldn't dare to do. They see us pursuing things despite the cost, and they marvel at the guts that must take. I think that's the bravery they see in us.  My two cents worth. 

You may now continue with your regularly scheduled thread. 

Hugs, Devlyn

I don't know about linked In, but   for Facebook I just did a new account and let people know where to find me. actually I forgot I had a Linked account I retired a couple of years ago.

I turned off update notifications in Linkedin and then quietly changed my name and profile picture and removed any references to my old name. Those were in the endorsements made by other people and I just deleted them.

The idea was to let people slowly find out about me and judging from the "who has viewed your profile" emails that seems to be working quite well. Some people from my past that I haven't told seem to be quite enamored with me with multiple views since my transition

I did a new profile for facebook, but for Linkedin I just changed my name.  That went well.  No one said anything good or bad on Linkedin.  I wonder how many people even noticed.  I rarely pay attention to linkedin emails.  On facebook it was very much noticed and I had lots of comments and questions.  Most of them were good, or at least well meaning.

I agree with both comments about bravery.  I get "you are so brave" comment constantly, and I understand where they are coming from because they see it as going against society.  Which is a hard thing to do.  I myself don't feel that way and like others did it to save my life and to be happy.  A desperate, but well worth it, change.

Thank you all!

I'm thinking I'll go ahead and just put my name on Linked in and upload a picture.

Is Facebook is going to need a story?  A comming out letter?

Brave......yes, it was hard.  Not sure about brave. 

Hugs

Jen

I just changed my name and picture on my LinkedIn account.  Frankly, not too many people noticed.  I did see a spike in activity on my account when my law school published the announcement of my transition in the bi-annual magazine they put out. 

For Facebook I created a new account.  I posted about my transition on my old account and made an announcement that I was going to be closing my old account.  I told people that I was not going to be sending out friend requests because I knew some of them may not be comfortable with my decision to transition.  I provided a link to my new account and invited them to send me a friend request if they were so inclined to do so.  That actually worked out pretty well.  I lost some "friends" but I have gained so many more. 

Good luck girl, I'm sure you will be fine.

I also changed my name and picture and the ones that notices already knew I was transitioning and the others really didn't notice. I didn't lose anyone either. Most of my acquaintances on LinkedIn are in either the Tech/IT field or the logistics field with a few exceptions.

Not sure if this helps, but I as far as I'm concerned the main (only) purpose of LinkedIn is making money, usually finding a job. With that in mind do whatever is most likely to help with that in the future.

Quote from: jessical on January 28, 2016, 05:32:54 PM
I did a new profile for facebook, but for Linkedin I just changed my name.  That went well.  No one said anything good or bad on Linkedin. I wonder how many people even noticed.

Most people are not stupid enough to say anything critical on LinkedIn where potential employers will find it.

I forgot to say what I did about Facebook.

I left my old Facebook profile still out there frozen in time so that people can find me, and I started a new Facebook profile for the new me. The two profiles are not cross pollinated for a reason - I can cherry pick the people that I want to invite to my new Facebook page and leave the rest of them parked on the old page, unaware of the new me.