The sample resume included in our downloadable PDF Guide illustrates a simple and clean format, pronoun inclusion, and strong bullet point descriptions.
As an LGBTQ job-seeker, you may have specific questions about your resume. To be out or not be out? Should you list your membership in your college Gay-Straight Alliance? What if you recently changed your name, or want to make sure an interviewer knows you use they/them pronouns?
There are no one-size-fits-all answers to these questions, but we have a few ideas to help you choose the best options for you in writing your resume.
LGBTQ workers have to make difficult choices about when and where to be out about their identity, especially if they are in an unsafe work environment. Some LGBTQ people prefer to not be out at work. In deciding whether or not to come out at work, we support you in choosing what is best for you.
Coming out on your resume to an employer as LGBTQ is most likely by including your name and pronouns, or listing your LGBTQ community involvement—the rest of our guide focuses on those topics.
For the majority of job seekers, the resume should be viewed as a marketing document, not a legal form. What this means is that if you have a different legal name than the name you use in daily life, you should not feel pressured to include your legal name on your resume or cover letter in the majority of circ*mstances. In some sectors and organizations, such as governmental organizations, you may be required to include your legal name. However, this does not mean you are unable to also include the name that you use in your daily life. For example, if your name is Alex Doe, and your legal name is Mary Doe, you could list your name as “Mary (Alex) Doe” if you are required to use your legal name.
It is becoming common to list your pronouns on resumes, especially in nonprofit or education. Typically pronouns are included after your name, or on the same line as your contact information directly below your name. Some job-seekers choose to include pronouns on their resume to normalize the idea that a person’s pronouns cannot be assumed based on gender identity or gender expression. Some job seekers include pronouns to make their pronouns known so others can avoid misgendering them—particularly if they use pronouns that are usually not assumed by others, such as “they/them/theirs” or “ze/hir/hirs.”
Including the name you use in daily life or your pronouns on your resume is not a guarantee they will be respected by employers. Sometimes, disclosing one’s trans or nonbinary identity by including one’s name or pronouns can open oneself up to discriminatory treatment. We encourage you to assess for yourself the pros and cons of including your name and pronouns on your resume. If you are in a financial position where you need any job, you may not want to come out to all potential employers. It is always okay to choose to leave your pronouns off a particular resume and use the name that feels like the safest and best option for you.
After you have decided how to list your name and pronouns on your resume and job application, make sure to let your references know which name and pronouns to use if they receive a call for a reference check. If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe with making this request of a previous employer, you can let the hiring manager know that when they call your reference(s), they may refer to you by a previous name or with different pronouns.
Many LGBTQ people are involved with their communities: from volunteering with local LGBTQ community centers, to campaigning for LGBTQ causes, to joining LGBTQ sports leagues or hobby groups. Community involvement is a valuable area of experience when it comes to building your resume, and not only because of the accomplishments you may achieve or skills you may gain through involvement. Community engagement and volunteerism are valued attributes by many employers.
For these reasons, we highly encourage all job seekers take some time to inventory their community involvement and draft a version of their resume that includes all of it. It’s highly likely that if you do this, you’ll see additional value to your resume from including these activities.
Including a name that is different from your legal name, pronouns that do not match others’ assumptions of your identity, or your involvement in LGBTQ community groups, college clubs, and volunteering on your resume can reveal your LGBTQ identity to an employer.
Being out on your resume can be a benefit if you know you want to be out at your workplace. But studies have also found LGBTQ job seekers can get up to 40% fewer callbacks for interviews when listing LGBTQ organizations or experiences on their resumes.
If you are concerned about being out at work, or if you are in a position where you need any job, you may want to consider this discriminatory challenge when deciding whether or not to come out on your resume to future employers.
