Resume Pronouns

More and more, it’s becoming standard to include pronouns alongside the name on professional documents, including on resumes. For some trans and nonbinary people, this is a helpful and important way to establish communication surrounding your candidacy.

Your resume is a marketing tool, not a legal document, so you do not have to list your current legal name or any former legal name. That only needs to be provided on legal documents like a background check form or formal government form. If your potential employer will be contacting references, you may need to consider disclosing former legal names or pronouns (if those have changed) at that time.

If you prefer not to flag pronouns on your resume, or feel that doing so could put you at a disadvantage (for possible discrimination or unconscious bias), you don’t have to include them. However, if doing so will help a potential interviewer address you correctly, you may want to do so. In a professional interview situation, your interviewer will want to get it right, and if they address you incorrectly, they may feel embarrassed about their mistake. You don’t want negative feelings associated with your interview, so if you decide not to use pronouns on your resume, consider other ways in which you can stay in control of how you’ll be addressed.