As a student or alum whose identities include Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Non-Binary, Gender Non-Conforming, Genderfluid, or Queer, you may have questions about your job search that your straight and cisgender peers may not.
This page offers guidance and resources to help you manage your job search as an LGBTQ+ candidate. Specifically, it includes:
If you already know what fields you might like to work in you can start to research if they are a good fit for you. Use our industry exploration pages and talk to people in the field. The “explore” section of CCE’s Design Your Next Steps guide contains short assessments to start your career exploration. These activities will help you think about your:
College is a time when many individuals explore their gender identity and sexual orientation as well as begin to explore career interests. It is not uncommon for LGBTQ+ students to feel that they have not had the energy, mental space, or opportunities to devote to their career development. In addition to the resources on this page, consider making an appointment to speak with a career counselor for career support or to help you think through options.
Other considerations include the extent to which you would like your career to incorporate your LGBTQ+ identity. Do you want your identity to have a major role, such as working for an LGBTQ+ advocacy group? Or expressed in a smaller way, like joining the LGBTQ+ affinity group for employees at an organization?
As an individual and a LGBTQ+ identifying student, you can bring unique assets and strengths to your career and the workplace. Make a list of the personal qualities and values you’ve gained from being a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Consider your awareness of how privilege works in the U.S. or in other contexts. Have you overcome challenges or developed nuanced socio-cultural understanding by nature of your identities? LGBTQ+ employees may bring empathy and respect for diversity. You may choose to become an advocate in the workplace (i.e. by joining or starting an LGBTQ+ affinity group). What have you learned from direct involvement in organizations and your life experiences? Keep these in mind as you explore careers, build your resume and cover letters, and prepare for interviews.
We invite you to discuss your career-related concerns, questions and strategies with a CCE career counselor. We’re here to help you get started or to think through the important decisions involved in your job search. Schedule a career counseling appointment or practice interview. We also encourage you to seek out support from the broader Columbia LGBTQ+ community- please see below for more information on resources available to you. Check out all of our Info For pages for resources connected to your identities.
Attitudes and protections vary tremendously across the U.S. and Internationally. If you are planning to relocate be sure to research the political climate and cultural attitudes toward LGBTQ+ people as you navigate the job search. Additionally, it is important to inform your references whether or not you are out in your job search, which name and pronouns you will be using in your search, and what information you are comfortable with them disclosing to potential employers. Have this conversation before providing your references’ contact information to employers. The Human Rights Campaign has a brief guide to Transitioning in the Workplace.
What name to use when applying for jobs is a very personal decision. You may wonder whether to use your preferred name or the name on your government-issued ID when submitting a resume and cover letter. There is no right or wrong answer.
Resumes and cover letters are not legal documents. It’s fine to write the name you use even if it does not reflect the name on your government-issued ID. For trans and genderqueer people, doing so may help you to communicate your gender identity with your employer. However, documents used for background checks, social security, tax or insurance paperwork needs to have your legal name on them. For resources on how to change your legal name and gender markers, please visit Trans @ Columbia page on the Multicultural Affairs website.
Here are a few ways you can address a mismatch between your resume and other legal documents:
Should you include information on your resume or in a cover letter that directly associates you with the LGBTQ+ community? For example, you may wonder whether to include LGBTQ+ specific awards or scholarships, advocacy work, or involvement in LGBTQ+ student organizations. Whether or not to come out on a resume or cover letter depends on your own comfort level and interest in sharing your sexuality or gender identity with others. It is a very personal decision to come out at any stage of the job search process. As such, there is no right or wrong answer.
While it is important to some people to be out and visible, others prefer to be more private. Ask yourself: is it important to you to be out at work? Be sure to research your work environment. Is it likely the organization you’re applying to is LGBTQ+friendly? If you’re concerned they are not, you may choose to highlight the skills you developed but not the organizations you worked with. Is a particular activity, award or experience relevant to the job you are applying for? If the experience does not demonstrate relevant skills you may choose to leave it off at this point.
Sample Resume Excerpt: Including LGBTQ+ community involvement
Columbia Queer Alliance, Columbia University New York, NY
Vice President of Events Fall 2022-Present
Sample Resume Excerpt: Minimizing visibility of LGBTQ+ community involvement
Below, see the same experience described in ways that focus attention on the role and accomplishments. If there is concern about the organization name, abbreviations are okay. You may also choose to list it as a diversity, community or minority organization without naming it.
Columbia University CQA (a political activist student group) New York, NY
Vice President of Events Fall 2021-Present
Choosing what to wear to professional meeting, interview or networking event may be particularly challenging for gender expansive, queer and trans job seekers.
The decision to dress according to “traditional”, cisgender norms or to wear clothes that allow you to express your gender identity may vary over time and from interview to interview, depending on your personal comfort level. Your knowledge of the particular employer or industry may inform your decision.
Ideally, wear clothing that makes you feel confident. If you are interviewing or networking in a conservative, corporate environment, you may consciously choose to dress in gender normative attire. For organizations that are more liberal, and particularly those that have shown they are LGBTQ+ inclusive, you may feel comfortable wearing clothes that express who you are. Or you may choose to dress in nonbinary, gender-neutral or androgynous clothing. Like the decision to come out on a resume or in an interview, this is a personal choice and will be impacted by your own level of comfort as well as your research on the particular employer or field.
One way to share your LGBTQ+ identity is to ask questions about affinity groups or employee resources that the employer offers to LGBTQ+ employees. Or, you may bring up your involvement in LGBTQ+ related leadership or advocacy as evidence of skills and knowledge you can bring to the organization. Think about what assets you have as an LGBTQ+ candidate. Are you more empathetic towards others? Do you pick up on subtle nonverbal cues and interpersonal power dynamics? Do you bring a perspective that may be lacking in the organization? These may be strengths you wish to share in an interview.
Employers might ask about your sexuality or gender identity, keep in mind that it is your choice whether to answer the question directly or not.
In some states it is illegal to make a hiring decision based on your answer; in other states it remains legal to discriminate against people because of their LGBTQ+ identity. In New York State, it is illegal for employers to discriminate based on sexual orientation, and in New York City, both sexual orientation and gender identity are protected by state and local laws. (Check with the Human Rights Campaign and New York Attorney General’s office for the latest information).
There are many ways to redirect the conversation or dismiss the question as irrelevant to your employment. For example, if asked about your sexual orientation, you can simply ask if it is relevant to the job you are interviewing for. Conversely, you may choose to bring up your identity/ies to gain a sense of the company’s culture or the employer’s openness.
You can build confidence by preparing to answer the questions you are most nervous about and practicing tactfully negotiating questions around your sexuality. Schedule a mock interview with a career counselor to practice!
Factors to consider when evaluating whether or not you wish to work for a particular employer include:
Draw upon your critical observation and analytical skills to understand workplace culture and social dynamics. While it may be difficult to determine if the employer is truly safe and supportive, you can ask about the following indicators for insight into the organizational culture:
The Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index is a useful tool for identifying LGBTQ+ inclusive employers. HRC also created the GenEQ Guide to Entering the Workforce to help evaluate employers and understand what to look for in non-discrimination policies and benefits information.
Multicultural Affairs and LGBTQ @ Columbia
Multicultural Affairs (MA) aims to promote an inclusive university climate by acting as an educational resource that prepares students to succeed in a heterogeneous and ever-changing society. The Office provides a supportive environment for intercultural communication, constructive interaction and mutual understanding. MA aims to strengthen and enhance the richly diverse fabric of the Columbia community by providing and supporting programs and services related to diversity issues. Learn about LGBTQ @ Columbia, which provides advising, advocacy and resources for LGBTQ+ students, and curates the Trans @ Columbia page dedicated to providing up-to-date policies, services, and resources for Columbia’s transgender community.
LGBTQ+ affiliated Student Organizations
LGBTQ+ affiliated student organizations on campus can provide a support network to foster identity development and allow for connections. For a list of Columbia Gender & Sexuality groups, visit the LGBTQ @ Columbia website. Many groups welcome students from all Columbia schools to attend events and become members. Columbia iQ and qSTEM are undergrad and grad groups respectively, focused on the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). An additional group with a pre-professional focus is the Columbia Queer Business Society.
LGBTQ+ affiliated Alumni Community
Columbia Pride’s mission is to build community among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning (LGBTQ+) alumni of all schools of Columbia University in the City of New York, to foster a safe environment for Columbia’s LGBTQ+ students, to strengthen the LGBTQ+ student community, and to deepen the sense of connection between the LGBTQ+ alumni and student communities, and between these communities and Alma Mater.
The Human Rights Campaign maintains a list of industry specific LGBTQ+ Professional and Student Associations, we’ve highlighted general career resources here.
These are sample fellowships and research opportunities that are available for Columbia students. Be sure to connect with your faculty advisor and the Office of Fellowships to find out additional opportunities.
NYC Unity Project Guide to LGBTQ+ Community Resources
Community Centers
Additional Resources
Sources:
http://www.hrc.org
https://www.cc-seas.columbia.edu/OMA/CULGBTQ
