Do I mention I’m gay? 🏳️🌈
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Before I send a career article to a mainstream editor, I still debate how queer to make it. Should I mention my partner? How we met? Most of the time, I soften the details. Many LGBTQ+ job seekers ask themselves the same questions throughout their search. Do you list your ERG leadership on your resume? Do you mention your partner when an interviewer asks what you do for fun? Each answer shapes how much of yourself you bring to your next role. Even if you’ve never had to come out, I imagine you’ve edited your personal story during a job search at some point. And sometimes, someone else does the editing. An editor at a top mainstream publication once tried to change the singular “them” in my draft to “he or she.” The article was about finding inclusive workplaces. I pushed back. The right employer won’t ask you to edit yourself down. Queer publications are where I don’t have to edit myself down, which is why my rawest stories go there. In my recent LGBTQ Nation essay, I share: 🏳️🌈 How queer media documented our history while mainstream outlets mocked or ignored us Some readers have told me I was the first person they felt comfortable coming out to. Sharing still scares me every time, but messages like those make it worth it. If you’ve ever toned yourself down to land a role, this essay is for you. 👉🏼 Read why you don’t have to soften your story to belong. ~ Kyle | CaffeinatedKyle.com P.S. Know someone who’s still deciding how much of themselves to share at work? Send them my LGBTQ Nation essay. |