Job interview during transition

[Rianna Humble]

I'm feeling about 60/40 nervous and excited. I have got a job interview coming up on Thursday 19th but there is no way I can avoid them knowing I am Trans - the voice just isn't good enough (despite being 46 weeks into my RLE)!

My current employer is actively supporting my transition, but I feel as if my job (specifically) is going nowhere with the new manager who is in charge of the department, so I've started looking around.

Not really asking a question, but any sage words will be gratefully received.

[Kaitlyn Michele]

Rianna only based on your messages, you have a great way of expressing yourself and I bet you interview quite well.

Depending on the job, only you know whether there is a chance of an issue. I wouldn't make any comment about it whatsoever, and let the chips fall.

Unfortunately getting a job is one area where discrimination with no laws being broken is a possibility. All you can do is your best, and try to forget it. In my experience meeting people while looking for opportunities has been very empowering (even tho nothing has really come of it yet) because I forget everything except the business at hand.. If you can achieve that, then you've done your best

[Sophora]

Just be yourself and be open?

I am going through myself right now(although you are further than I am). My current job doesn't pay enough for me for start transitioning right now and keep up rent and bills. so I am looking another place. I don't know how to approach the matter either although I haven't really started yet(I want to :( )

[Helen Grandeis]

:thumbsup:
1. Kaitlyn is correct your self expression as demonstrated in your myriad posts is excellent!
2. Although I have missed any picture posts, your profile picture seems very together and professional. Your appearance is also a plus!
3. I am not sure it will even come up. But what you want to convey is that you are happy and well settled in your personal life and that your work life will be drama free. Stress that the comfort of your personal life allows you to devote 100% (would you belive 98%) while at work.
4. Convey an attitude of maturity, knowledge and helpfulness. Stress that you are the go-to girl.
5. Scope out what ever this new company does and and become conversant in it. Web sites make this easier. (Unless you are interviewing with MI-5).
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I am glad the the economy in the UK is strong enough to make this possible for you to consider. Are there any LGBT books or websites on interviewing? Rehearse your responses. Refocus the conversation on how your skills will add value for the shareholders of the new company. (or the Crown in the case of MI-5)
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:thumbsup: With your Sword and Shield Held High...(you will)...pass the test first time! - Queen, Princes of the Universe
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Big Hugs & Best Wishes

[Gina X]

I'm feeling about 60/40 nervous and excited. I have got a job interview coming up on Thursday 19th but there is no way I can avoid them knowing I am Trans - the voice just isn't good enough (despite being 46 weeks into my RLE)!

My current employer is actively supporting my transition, but I feel as if my job (specifically) is going nowhere with the new manager who is in charge of the department, so I've started looking around.

Not really asking a question, but any sage words will be gratefully received.

I can't really give you any advice because I've not really been in that position all I can say is just be yourself you do sound pretty confident in most things you do, so good luck and I'll keep everything crossed for you ...........

[lizlizzie]

Rianna,

From the perspective of a GG who does the hiring and firing, I would say Helen has summed it up well. Look professional, know what you are applying for, and show me how you will benefit my company.

There are certain types of questions I can't ask, but my concerns would be if you are going to miss a lot of time from work, to make sure there's not going to be a lot drama, and to know that your "desk" is not going to be a "platform" to preach. I am going to have those same concerns regarding anyone I interview. A young, single mother may miss more time because of childcare issues; a person who is very involved in religion may be the preachy type. My goal is to have someone there who can do the job, who cares about the job, who is dependable, who wants the position, who is committed, and who ls likely to stay. I can ask why you are leaving your current job - don't make it about being at a dead end at your current job because you are trans; make it about the career, not the woman.

Good luck!

[CharleneT]

Try and ignore the whole issue of trans - both in your prep for the interview and when you are there. Even if they do read you, their decision is likely going to be based on other things. Especially if it is a big company (they've seen it all....). Voice is important for RLE, especially in employment. But it is not the sole marker. Present the rest well enough and they may very well assume you are a woman with an odd voice !! Confidence and calm will probably do you the most "good". I have applied for, and gotten, two very different jobs during my RLE. I am currently working in a hospital and end up talking to a lot of people during my day, both on the phone and in person. It can be done and it can work ;)

GOOD LUCK :bighug:

[Jorja]

Rianna,
Stop and take a deep breath and relax. I have watched you go from a duckling to a swan here in this fourm. As mentioned, you have a great way of expressing yourself. Be the woman you are, know your business, and show you are dependable. There is no reason to bring your transition or any of your private life into it unless asked about it. You have as much of a chance as the next person applying for the job.

Good Luck!!!

[Melody Moore]

I have to agree with most of the other comments here, just go to the interview, be yourself & don't tell them
anything unless they ask. Even if they do ask they can only ask the question 'Are you transgendered?' Any
other line of questioning would have to many legal implications is sexually invasive & would most likely be an
invasion of your privacy and a violation of your civil rights. If I was asked if I was transgendered, I would just
stick to my guns & maintain that I am a female.

[Debglam]

Nothing to add Rianna other than just be yourself and all your friends here are rooting for you! Let us know how things go.

:hugs:
Debby

[Katesback]

Riana I realize you dont listen to a word I write but needless to say I would suggest that if you are going to go in there and talk about trans stuff in a job interview you might want to carry in a huge gay flag and a huge trans flag. Advertize your difference and tell em all how different you are!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sounds like a great plan.

[pamela_a]

Pardon my ignorance but how are you applying for the job? If your name and marker has been changed then there should be no issue as you are applying as a female. If you're applying as male that may add a level of complexity to it since you will be continuing to transition at your new job. IMHO, if your present employer has no issues with your transition I would wait until all of your documentation has been corrected then go about looking for a new position.

[Rianna Humble]

Thank you all for replying - even those who misread the point about my voice giving away my status as saying that I want to give it away.

Pam, I am applying as Rianna, but these days most employers insist on a passport as identification and I only have that in my old name. For the interview, I am taking my photo driving license which shows my correct name. Also, I have not yet started my treatment so I will be continuing my transition. If asked about absences for this, I will give the same answer that I give about my diabetes (a notifiable condition in the UK), which is to say that I will try to make any appointments during my regular days off, or failing that will aim to cover them by either holiday or shift swaps.

Liz, thank you for the advice, I have a fairly stock answer about why I am looking to change jobs which (hopefully) should also show my dependability:

When I joined my current employer to help set up the service, they had firm plans for expansion of the department that would have allowed me to build upon my experience and progress with the needs of the firm. Unfortunately, two and a half years on, the expansion has not materialised and there are currently no opportunities to progress.

I used to be a member of my local town council and am used to deflecting the preachy worries. My answer to that used to be that I did not believe in taking my duties on the Council into the workplace.

Charlene, as far as I can tell, the company is relatively small but growing.

[Hope]

I am also applying for gigs right now.

I have an additional complication in that I haven't changed my name legally yet - so I have to be pretty seriously out about who I am. Oh yeah - and my voice SUCKS.

I have had 3 or 4 interviews in the last month an a half or so... And here is what I have noticed: No one cares. I have, not once, been asked any trans-related questions. I don't know if I have been discriminated against or not, but I don't think so. One of the gigs I didn't get because I was light on experience and the person who was hired, was more experienced than I was. Fair enough. The guy interviewing me spent over an hour with me. If he wasn't serious about me he would have spent 15 minutes - long enough to pretend he wasn't discriminating - and sent me on my way. Another interview was with a panel of people. The interview went well, I am clearly over-qualified for the gig, and I thought I had it in the bag, but I think I lost the gig when they googled my guy-name and found 28 of the top 10 links go to a particularly unsavory jerk who happens to share a name with the old me... and happens to do the same gig I used to do in a part of the country I went to college in. Too many coincidences for them to be willing to take a chance on the nut-job being me. I didn't know about the nut-job at the time or I would have brought the coincidence to their attention in the interview - but... que sera sera.

I have said before, and I am sure I will say again, that being trans is a HUGE jerk-filter. Honestly, I am not sure I want to work for someone who would not hire me because I am trans. If I were desperate - I suppose I would be happy to have any gig - but obviously not permanently. It sounds like you are changing gigs to be in a better place. Don't switch gigs to work in a worse place.

My advice is this - go - be yourself. Don't expect that an interviewer will ask any trans-related questions, and don't answer them unless they are asked. I think talking with a potential employer is a lot like talking with a child about sex. Answer their questions honestly, completely and forthrightly, but don't provide them with information they didn't ask for, or are not ready for.

[Melody Moore]

but these days most employers insist on a passport as identification
Well that's the first I have ever heard about an employer insisting on a passport because not everyone has been
abroad & unless you are planning on going abroad you don't usually have a passport. So does everyone in the UK
go overseas Rianna? Because here in Australia I would say that less than 10% of people have ever been overseas.

Anyway, usually a Drivers Licence is sufficient ID here for everything because they have photo ID & are issued by our
state government through the Dept of Transport, Road Traffic Authority or whatever it called in the state you live in.

Also if you start revealing to your prospective employer that you are trans & no questions were asked by them then
it might appear that you are insecure about yourself & that you are trying to justify the fact to them. Just leave it
well alone unless you are asked. But as I said, don't say anything to them other than that you are a female. If they
insist on questioning you along these lines, then ask them their reasons for wanting to know such personal & private
information in the first place? Chances are you won't get the job anyway because they were being invasive to start
with, so you've already been discriminated against.

Like Hope said, these types of questions won't probably be asked anyway, but just be prepared to deal with it if they
do start asking questions.

[Deborah_UK]

Well that's the first I have ever heard about an employer insisting on a passport because not everyone has been
abroad & unless you are planning on going abroad you don't usually have a passport. So does everyone in the UK
go overseas Rianna? Because here in Australia I would say that less than 10% of people have ever been overseas.



In the UK employers have to establish a persons right to work. An employer who does not establish a lawful defence (i.e. checking and copying passports or other documents confirming a right to work) can receive a civil penalty (of up £10,000 per worker) if they are found to be employing illegal entrants. To avoid charges of racial discrimnation most employers will ask to see a passport for all, not just those that are apparently foreigners. A UK driving licence does not contain details of nationality, so is not accepted as part of a lawful defence. The new(ish) coalition government scrapped the introduction of a national identity card, so the only document that confirms nationality, without exception, is a passport.

[Felicity71]

In the UK employers have to establish a persons right to work. An employer who does not establish a lawful defence (i.e. checking and copying passports or other documents confirming a right to work) can receive a civil penalty (of up £10,000 per worker) if they are found to be employing illegal entrants. To avoid charges of racial discrimnation most employers will ask to see a passport for all, not just those that are apparently foreigners. A UK driving licence does not contain details of nationality, so is not accepted as part of a lawful defence. The new(ish) coalition government scrapped the introduction of a national identity card, so the only document that confirms nationality, without exception, is a passport.
Crikey! we dont have national identity cards either, but in Australia, we quote our Tax file numbers to the employer.

[BOBBI G.]

Here in the US a certified, stamped and embossed copy of a birth certificate more than suffices.

Bobbi

[Rianna Humble]

Noticed that the dress code for this interview was Business Formal, so I had to go shopping :D

No pics of me in the clothes, but I got myself a cute grey pinstripe skirt suit (http://direct.asda.com/george/women-s-clothing/shadow-stripe-suit-jacket/GEM63139,default,pd.html) and a white blouse (http://direct.asda.com/george/women-s-clothing/tops/blouses/short-sleeve-stripe-fitted-shirt/GEM60686,default,pd.html) with grey stripes to go with it.

Still nervous as heck - this will be my first interview as the real me.

[Wendy_Marie]

Stay positive and show confidence....Go in there and let them see your qualifications far out weigh any negative stereotype and preconceived notions they might have with your current gender status.

*NOTE TO SELF-practice what you preach.*

[lizlizzie]

Here in the US a certified, stamped and embossed copy of a birth certificate more than suffices.

That is incorrect. Every employer has to complete an I-9 within 3 days of hire, which requires either a passport or permanent resident card. If you are an average person with no passport, then you have to provide 2 Identifications, one being a photo id like licenese, military Id, school Id AND a Social security card or birth certificate. The birth certificate by itself is not sufficient. The process is geared towards not hiring illegal immigrants and holding the employer responsible for doing so. Since your gender is on most documentation, if you have not changed those items, some of which can't be changed without having had SRS, even if you pass with no problem, the employer is going to see that you present female and your paperwork doesn't match that. Also, we do check resumes. So if your employment history is important to the position you are now interviewing for you need to somehow indicate your former name. Otherwise, you will get tossed when we call a former company who says they never heard of you. Stealth is not going to work and may actually lose you an opportunity.

Ladies, there are no easy answers, but for those in the US, I wanted to make sure you knew about the I-9.

Rianna: It sound to me like you have covered all your bases in a very professional manner; just concentrate on that and good luck.

[Hope]

Noticed that the dress code for this interview was Business Formal, so I had to go shopping :D

Still nervous as heck - this will be my first interview as the real me.

You are going to be just fine.

And remember, that even if you don't get this gig, the interview is a great rehearsal and prep experience for the next one.

[Carole Cross]

You don't need a passport for ID, just a photo ID so your driving licence will be suffice for ID. good luck and you should only tell them you are trans if you want to, they don't have the right to ask you. You are applying for the job as a woman and should be treated as such.

[Laurie Ann]

Rianna just be yourself and you will knock them dead.

[Rianna Humble]

Thank you all for the support and advice. I went along yesterday although I was still feeling unwell. The first hour (the interview itself) went fairly well although I personally do not like competency based interviews. The written test was much less successful - I had mental blocks over stuff I normally know and I worked too slowly meaning that I probably only covered 60% of the test :sad:

They said I will hear in about a week, but I won't hold my breath (not that I could with this cough :heehee:)

[Gina X]

Well at least you attempted it, I've had interviews where the mind goes blank, there isn't much you can do about it, good luck and keep the pecker up (that'll confuse our US cousins)

[JulietteLeblanc]

Hi Rianna,

First off, congrats on landing an interview and carrying it through. It takes courage, especially the first time.

I agree with all the above posts. I will only add 3 things:

1. Practice Makes Perfect
There is no better time to look for a job than when you have one (takes much of the pressure off), which is your situation. Use this to your advantage and try to see your interviews as an opportunity to grow -- you will be more and more confident with each new experience. In this situation, "successful" interviews are those that run smoothly and are good practice, not just those for which you land the job.

2. Interviews are Two-Way Streets
It has been said: would you work for someone who clearly appears to be transphobic? You're evaluating them, on every aspect, at least as much as they're evaluating you. And don't be afraid to let it show: if done properly (i.e. with respect), it shows your professionalism and commitment towards your career.

3. Talk to the Right People
During my transition (I passed fairly well, but not perfectly by a long shot, and my name hadn't been changed yet), I tried as much as possible to discuss the matter of my identity only with HR people, and only once the hiring process got serious. If you explain how sensitive this matter is to you, and if you show them that you see them as allies, they're generally much more helpful than if they see your situation as a burden to the company.

That said, I wish you the best with your future interviews, and keep us posted on the results!

[Jorja]

Congratulations Rianna for taking the step you needed to take. It is better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all. Who knows, you may get the job yet. The more you go to interviews, the better you will be at it. I agree, the best time to look for a job is when you have one.