Although I had mentioned to my boss that I planned to take an unpaid week off to take a cruise, he asked whether I noted it online - which I didn't. In addition to setting up an account on the new payroll system, I also put in a request for a week of unpaid time off. What I didn't know was that I would need to schedule something else for when I should be working, and whether I should attend an interview as Mario or Marian.
When I got home today, I received the following email:
Good afternoon Ms. Johnson –
We (Name 1 and Name 2) left you a message last week to inform you that we are interviewing for the Clerical Assistant position in the Westchester office of Mental Hygiene Legal Service.
We will be conducting virtual interviews on December xx, 2021. If you are interested, please contact me.
Thank you.
Name 1
Principal Attorney.
Although I found a record of this call, I did not see any evidence of a message being left on voicemail. (I'll have to talk to them about this when I meetup with them.) But what I noticed most about this email was that it was addressed to Ms. Johnson and not Mr. Johnson, as in my application. Considering that all the paperwork that NYS has uses my legal name, I wondered how this mistake could be made. Even more, how could I make this work to my advantage. So I called Vicki for some advice.
Vicki advised me to mention that it was all right co call me "Ms." as I am transgender. However, to clarify things, I have not yet changed my legal name, although I have worked two jobs (including the one I am in) as a female. And then, shift the conversation to whether I am right for the job at hand. If this person remembers me from a prior interview, I will mention that it was easier to then interview as a male at that first interview out of a desire to be overly cautious.
So now, once I hear back from this office, I will need to schedule some time off for this interview AND schedule some time off for my yearly physical. AARGH! At least, I have been able to keep the times I need to present male and female fully separate from each other....
PS: This was too good to be true. The next day, I received the following email.
Good afternoon Mr. Johnson -
This email will serve as confirmation of your interview for the position of Clerical Assistant with the office of Mental Hygiene Legal Service. The interview will be held .... via Microsoft Teams. I will send you a Microsoft Teams link prior to your interview. Should you be unable to make the interview, please contact me at the phone number provided below.
The interview panel will consist of the following individuals:
xxxxxxx - Deputy Director of Administration
xxxxxxx - Deputy Chief Attorney
xxxxxxx - Principal Attorney of the Westchester Offices
xxxxxxx - Secretary - Southern Westchester Office
As discussed, this position is Contingent Permanent. I have attached a “Status of Position” statement which further explains the “Contingent Permanent” status. Please sign and return the form to me prior to your interview.
*In accordance with OCA guidelines, all new hires must be FULLY vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus by the date of hire, unless granted a reasonable accommodation due to disability or religion.
We look forward to meeting with you....
You'll note the dreaded "Mr." at the beginning of the above email. So I guess I'm going to attend this online meeting as Mario after all....
