If you’re currently active duty but thinking about transitioning to civilian life, you might have a million questions about how to land for your first civilian job. You unquestioningly have skills and experience that will be invaluable to civilian employers. Spend some time
To help you plan and prepare for your job search, CareerOneStop offers online resources based on the “Transition from Military to Civilian Workforce” Employment Workshop from the U.S. Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. Follow the links below to get a head start preparing for your journey.
Make a budget Plan ahead to be sure you can cover your expenses while you’re job searching.
How hiring occurs Understand the hiring process to get better results in your search.
Meet employer needs Show your value to interviewers, managers, and other decision-makers.
Research employers Learn about companies to help you target your job search.
Research salaries Find the typical wages for different careers and industries you are considering.
Relocation Thinking about searching for a job in a new city or state?
Build your brand Your personal brand and reputation are a major part of what you offer employers; learn how to communicate them.
CareeerOneStop offers more resources for exploring civilian careers, finding training opportunities, and job searching at the Veteran and Military Transition Center website.
A lot of jobs require experience to get hired, leading to the eternal question: “How can I get experience when I can’t get a job?”
Right now, many employers are eager for workers, so it’s a good time to apply even if you don’t have all the experience they’re looking for. However, there are different ways to build some experience when you’ve never had a job.
These options can help you develop job skills, learn about what it’s like to work in different environments, meet people who can help in your future job search, and grow your confidence. Plus, having any of these experiences on your resume can help you get hired.
Internships
An internship is a short-term job that may be paid or unpaid, that gives you experience in a real workplace. Internships can be at a company, a store, a school, a government office, or a nonprofit. To find one that’s right for you, try the following:
Visit an internship office at a high school, college, or employment program
Contact the Human Resources office of a business or other workplace you’re interested in
Job shadowing
Job shadowing gives you the experience of following a person in their job for a few hours, a day, or a few days. For example, if you want to work with animals, you might want to job shadow a veterinarian technician or veterinarian.
To get started, identify the type of work you’d like to observe, and ask your family, teachers, and friends if they know anyone who does that kind of work. If you come up short on contacts from people you know, other sources to find people to job shadow include looking into related businesses in your community to ask about shadowing, requesting a contact through a professional association, or applying through a school-based program.
It can be helpful to practice what you want to say when you ask if you can shadow the person in their workplace.
The Job Shadow website also offers stories from people who work in a wide variety of jobs talking about what they do in their work.
Volunteer work
Volunteering is unpaid work. It can be a terrific way to develop professional skills that translate to a paying job. The skills you can learn through volunteering are pretty unlimited, for example, writing, child care, teaching, coaching, fundraising, mentoring, sales, phone answering, organizing materials, construction, arts, and more.
To explore volunteer opportunities in your area, try searching “hands on (name of your city)” or “volunteer work in my area” for listings. Many cities and locations have online listings for volunteering in their area.
You can also target a nonprofit organization or or school you’d like to volunteer for, and call or e-mail them to ask about opportunities. Many provide training.
Informal work
The small jobs you might already do for friends, family and neighbors can also help you develop valuable work skills. Informal work such as mowing lawns, raking leaves, weeding, babysitting, taking care of pets, or helping an elderly person with chores are all great ways to build skills.
To get paying jobs, ask neighbors and family friends if they need help. With permission, you can list your services at school, put signs up on area bulletin boards, or post on a neighborhood services website.
School and community activities
If you participate in clubs, sports, theater, music, dance, religious organizations, and other community activities – you probably have enjoyed yourself while you developed skills that may relate to a future job. You can include these activities on your resume.
If you would like to join these kinds of activities, look for websites for your local school district, community education office, local arts groups, religious organizations, or the public library.
When the COVID-19 pandemic caused shutdowns across the country last year, the service industry was one of the hardest hit sectors. With restaurants, bars, hotels, movie theatres, and more public places closed to in-person service, hospitality and tourism employees were losing jobs at a very fast rate: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ employment figures showed that the industry lost about half of its entire workforce between March and April of 2020.
But now that much of the country is opening back up, the opposite is happening: many establishments are desperate for workers and hospitality and tourism was the fastest-growing job producer in June 2021.
The Leisure and Hospitality sector added 340,000 jobs in June, according to the Bureau’s June 2021 Jobs Report. Moe than half of those jobs were in food services and drinking places (+194,000 jobs), but employment also jumped in accommodation (+75,000), and in arts, entertainment, and recreation (+74,000).
So whether you were laid off from a hospitality or tourism job last year, or you’re thinking about getting started in the field—there has probably never been a better time to look for a job in this sector.
Ready to get to work? Search for local job openings with CareerOneStop’s Job Finder. Enter your location and a keyword for the type of job you’re looking for: restaurant, hotel, server, barista, bartender, kitchen, etc.
Want to improve the impression you make in your job search or advance in your current job? Earning one or more professional certifications demonstrates your subject matter knowledge and skill, as well as your motivation to add a credential to your qualifications.
What are certifications?
A certification is a nationally recognized award that shows you have specific skills or knowledge in an occupation, industry, or technology. To earn a certification you usually have to pass a test or demonstrate a skill.
Certifications are sponsored by professional associations, product manufacturers, corporations, unions, and others. Training to pass a certification test is often available at community or technical colleges, or from the organization that offers the particular certification exam.
Many certifications must be renewed on a time-specified basis by earning continuing education credits or keeping up to date on advancements in the subject area. Some product-related certifications, which are common in technology fields, may lose value when the related product is no longer widely used–so it’s alwasy a good idea to keep your certifications updated.
Certifications are more commonly earned or required in certain occupations and industries, particularly Information Technology, Accommodation and Food Service, Finance, Construction, and Health Care and Social Assistance.
What are the benefits of certifications?
There are several key benefits to earning a certification:
It’s portable. Having a certification is widely accepted as proof that the individual holding it has particular skills and knowledge, so it’s considered “portable”—when you earn one, you take it with you to other jobs—and it can translate across occupations, industries, and geographical locations.
It may be required for the job. Employers in some fields require that candidates have certifications before they even apply for a job, or that they are willing to obtain them immediately upon being hired.
It gives you an edge. A certification can also be seen as a marketing tool that gives you an extra edge over other job seekers who may meet the requisite qualifications for a job but haven’t gone above and beyond the essentials.
It can provide a professional development goal. To pass a certification test requires that you develop the specified knowledge and / or the technical or professional skill. Earning one certification or a series of them can serve as a goal to work toward in your professional development.
How to get started?
As a first step, you can look up certifications that fit your career goals using CareerOneStop’s Certification Finder. You can start your search based on the name of an occupation, industry, or a specific skill or technology. If you know the occupation’s O*NET code, or the industry’s NAICs code number, you also use those as search terms. Or you can browse a list of occupations or industries to start your search.
Once you click “Search” you’ll see a list of certifications that match your search term. There are filters to narrow your results for related industries, types of certifications, and organization names.
From your results, you will be able to visit an association’s website by just clicking the link in the URL column.
Certifications marked with a chili pepper indicate those that are frequently mentioned in online job postings, according to CareerOneStop analysis.
What are some certifications that are popular with employers?
Check out the Certification Finder to learn about these examples of in-demand certifications from a variety of disciplines:
When you send out a resume today, you can be nearly certain that it will wind up going through automated applicant tracking system (ATS) software. Many, and probably most, employers use these time and labor-saving programs to review job applications and make an initial sort of resumes to either send to Human Resources for review, or to reject.
Read on to learn about just how employers use these software programs to sort through incoming resumes—and find out how to tailor your resume for success.
How employers use ATS software
Once employers identify a job opening, they use ATS software to describe the skills, education and training, years of experience, and other details they want in candidates for the position. As applications come in, the ATS scores each one and puts it in rank order based on how well it meets the employer’s list of criteria.
But unlike a human reader, the software is likely to reject resumes because:
Qualified candidates fail to use the employer’s chosen keywords
The system doesn’t recognize unusual fonts or formatting
Candidates lack the preferred experience, but may have qualifications that could make up for what’s missing
Navigating the ATS when you apply for a job
Use these tips to improve the chances that your resume will pass through the ATS to be reviewed by Human Resources staff:
Use thoughtful, relevant keywordsAnalyze the job posting to identify job requirement keywords, then use those exact terms in your resume. Any variation from what’s written in the job posting may be missed.
Aim to use each keyword twice, more is not helpful
Modify your resume keywords for different job openings
Ask someone in a similar job to check your terminology; find people in similar jobs on LinkedIn
Check professional association websites and publications for ideas for keywords
For additional keywords, review an Occupation Profile and check the knowledge, skills and abilities
Follow the posting’s instructions to the letterSend only the documents requested by the posting, and use the requested format. If no format is specified, use Word or plain-text files. Avoid scanning resumes and sending them as an image; these will not be recognized.
Prioritize formatting details
If a font is not specified, use a basic font such as Calibri, Arial, or Times New Roman, with font size of 11 or 12 (10 to 14 is generally OK)
Bold and all capital letters are OK to use, but avoid using italics and underline
Bullet points are fine, but only use solid circles, open circles, or solid squares
Avoid graphics, logos, charts, tables and columns – this will disrupt the ATS’ ability to read text
Lines and borders may be used as long as they do not touch any text
For your name and contact information, avoid extra spaces and special characters
For dates, use the standard format MM/DD/YYYY or Month, YYYY; avoid abbreviations, such as ’19
When a job posting requests the day a past job began and ended, be sure to include one, even if you have to estimate it
Margins of 1″ on all sides are typical
Putting extra keywords in a white font on your resume will not “trick” an ATS
Choose aresume style that’s compatible with an ATSA chronological work history, with jobs listed in order by date, should be used to ensure the ATS will successfully interpret it.
While a functional resume may best highlight your transferable skills, it is likely to be rejected by an ATS. You can use a section such as “highlights of qualifications” or “professional summary” for transferable skills, just include your work history as well.
Keep these general tips in mind
Customize your resume for each job application
Resume length: 1-2 pages
The general rule is to include your previous 10 years’ work history. If your most relevant experience is older, consider noting it in a professional summary / highlights section, but not in work history.
ATS systems check both for your work experiences and the number of years on the job.
Since nearly all Fortune 500 companies use an ATS in their hiring process, double down on this advice if you apply to a job with one of them. But keep in mind that networking is still the best way to bypass ATS systems and get your resume directly into the hands of hiring managers.
Check out CareerOneStop’s Resume Guide for more resume tips, samples, adn templates!
To help overcome job search and employment barriers due to a criminal record, CareerOneStop offers targeted tools and websites for both the currently incarcerated and those in the community. Whether you’re a workforce professional who helps individuals find employment, or a job seeker who has a criminal record, CareerOneStop can help.
According to the Bureau of Justice, approximately 77 million Americans, or one in three adults, has a criminal record—whether an arrest record, criminal charges, or a conviction.
A criminal record can be a significant barrier to employment, yet particularly as U.S. employers face workforce shortages, there is great opportunity for this pool of potential workers. Many individuals who have a record are eager for stable employment and have skills and knowledge that are in demand by employers.
CareerOneStop ReEntry website
For individuals preparing to transition out of incarceration, CareerOneStop ReEntry (https://reentry.careeronestop.org/) offers key resources, job search tools, and guidance to plan for job search and employment success.The website is a nearly identical version of CareerOneStop that has been developed specifically for use in correctional facilities.
The site offers inmates, instructors, and other workforce intermediaries access to the full range of tools, resources, and information without active Internet links. There are no active links to external websites, and no social media sharing or other external functionality.
For example, the Job Finder tool offers access to job postings across the U.S. ReEntry users are able to enter job titles and locations to search for current openings and can access a detail screen about each job, but are not able to go out to the company’s website or complete a job application.
CareerOneStop ReEntry is used currently in at least 197 locations in 30 different states; it is typically installed on tablets that are pre-loaded with resources.
Job Search Help for Ex-Offenders website
Job Search Help for Ex-Offenders provides tips, information and resources for job search, application, and job success for anyone in the public with a criminal record. (This site is part of the collection of websites that make up CareerOneStop, so it’s also available on the ReEntry website mentioned above, which includes content but no external links.)
To facilitate the use of this website, CareerOneStop developed some special features and put them on the home page for easy access:
an overview video to introduce the website and how to use it
A Get Started Guide that suggests where to start on the website based on your questions or needs
Since most correctional facilities do not yet provide digital content to inmates, there is a comprehensive PDF of all pages in the website, along with all pages of the State Resources so they can be downloaded and printed on paper for use in facilities or any setting.
There are three main sections of the site:
Explore Careers offers information on job skills, interests, work options and goal setting
Get Training provides ideas on gaining basic skills, earning job credentials, and paying for training
Find a Job includes tips for job applications and resumes, how to find job openings, and ideas about how to talk about your conviction in interviews
For local resources, the State Resource Finder offers contact information to help with essentials, including:
Basic needs like housing, food support and medical care
Finding legal assistance
Getting a driver’s license and your vital records
ReEntry Program Finder
A key tool on both sites is the ReEntry Program Finder, which lists reentry programs in all states and many cities. Reentry programs specialize in helping people overcome the barriers caused by having a criminal record. Services often include help with employment and training. Program offerings vary, so it can be helpful to contact several programs to learn details about their menu of services.
Applying for a job? Many companies now have streamlined, online application systems. Often, you can fill out an application in just a few minutes. But before you begin, you may need to collect several different kinds of information and records.
School and employment records
Every time you write a resume or fill out a job application, you’ll need the places and dates for jobs you’ve held and schools you’ve attended. It helps to make a master list of these important facts. If you’re not sure about names or locations, look them up online and add them to your list so you’ll have them when you start an application.
You will need the company or employer name, city and state, job title, brief description of duties and dates employed. Sometimes the reason for leaving is asked on job applications, so note that in your records too. For schools or training programs, note school name, city and state, classes or program studied, dates of attendance and graduation, diploma or completion level, as appropriate.
Driver’s license or state ID card
A driver’s license is the most widely-used picture identification. It can be helpful to have one when you are searching for a job.
To find out how to renew or obtain a driver’s license, visit CareerOneStop’s State Resource Finder. First, select your state, and then select “Documents and Vital Records.” You’ll find information about your state’s motor vehicle department. If you don’t drive, you can apply for a state identification card—usually at the same department where you apply for a driver’s license.
Birth certificate and other vital documents
You may need a copy of your birth certificate to get a driver’s license or to prove that you are eligible to work in the United States. To request yours, call or write to the vital records office in the state you were born. You can find your state’s vital records office using CareerOneStop’s State Resource Finder (select your state and then see “Documents and Vital Records”).
planning a first career out of high school or college,
deciding on a college major or degree program,
looking for a new career after a layoff,
changing direction after a poor job fit,
or considering your career options in any other scenario – there is data available that can help you make a meaningful and potentially lasting decision.
Employment projections can help you answer these, and other important career questions:
Is the career you want growing or declining in your area?
How hard will it be to find a job when you complete your training program?
Will you be able to get the kind of job you want in a new location?
Employment projections are developed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Employment Projections (EP) program develops information about the labor market for the Nation as a whole for 10 years in the future. National employment projections are developed annually.
For context, across all occupations, BLS projects more than 17 million openings each year, on average, from 2019 to 2029. Openings arise from two sources: when new jobs are created from employment growth and when workers leave an occupation permanently, such as to transfer to another occupation or to retire.
Occupational employment projections can provide valuable input to your career decision-making process, although of course, they are only one of many considerations as you choose your career direction.
Where to start exploring employment projections?
A career profile is a great place to start exploring employment projections. The detailed information can help you get a good idea of an occupation. That’s often enough to determine whether you want to learn more or realize it’s not for you.
CareerOneStop’s Occupation Profile provides two sources of projections: “Outlook: will there be jobs?” can tell you whether a career is expected to be in demand in the future—that is, whether there are likely to be job openings if you choose this career. Careers can have one of three outlooks:
A Bright outlook means new job opportunities are very likely in the future. An Average outlook means that a small number of new job opportunities are likely in the future (less than an 8 percent increase). A Below Average outlook means new job opportunities are less likely in the future.
The other card to note is “Projected employment”. This card shows how much employment is expected to grow in this occupation over a 10-year period. This can help you decide if this career is a good choice for future job opportunities. You can look at projected employment in your state, or in other states where you might consider living.
While the projected numbers may not be exact, they are helpful to compare one career to another, or one location to another.
Want to learn which occupations are growing or declining in your area?
The career reports below can give you a broader look at which occupations are trending toward expansion, offering increasing job openings and opportunities, and those that are declining, and likely to offer fewer job openings in the near future.
Fastest-Growing Careers Find out which occupations are growing the fastest. Includes details about employment, wages, and education.
Careers with the Most Openings Create a list of occupations with the most openings by state or nationwide. Includes details about employment, number of estimated openings, wages, and education.
Careers with the Largest Employment Find national and state occupations with the largest employment. Includes details about employment, earnings, and education.
Careers with Declining Employment Create a list of occupations with the largest declines in employment by state or nationwide. Includes details about employment, earnings, and education.
Scan your local industries to find the strongest job markets
Another type of projection is based on changes to growth in industries, which are the collection of companies and organizations connected with producing a particular product or service, such as cars, software, health care, or energy. By combining a look at which occupations are growing along with knowing which industries that employ them are also growing, you can sharpen your job search or career planning tremendously.
For example, you might want to become an accountant, or a customer service representative. These occupations exist in most industries. By learning which industries are strongest, for example, health care, you can choose the type of company that is likely to have more openings and offer greater stability.
View Career Cluster / Industry Videos Learn about major industries and the careers they offer with these videos highlighting popular carer clusters.
Fastest-Growing Industries Find the industries that are projected to grow the fastest. Includes past and projected industry employment levels and growth rates.
Industries with the Largest Employment View the industries with the largest employment nationwide. Includes details about employment and links to more detailed industry information.
Industries with Declining Employment Create a list of industries with the largest projected decline in employment nationwide. Includes past and projected industry employment levels and growth rates.
Highest-Paying Industries Find the highest-paying industries. Includes details of average weekly wages and average annual wages.
What Phlebotomists Do: Phlebotomists draw blood for tests, transfusions, research, or blood donations.
Work Environment: Phlebotomists work mainly in hospitals, medical and diagnostic laboratories, blood donor centers, and doctors’ offices.
Pay: The median annual wage for phlebotomists was $36,320 in May 2020.
Job Outlook: Employment of phlebotomists is projected to grow 17 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. Hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, blood donor centers, and other locations will need phlebotomists to perform bloodwork.
How to Become a Phlebotomist: Phlebotomists typically enter the occupation with a certificate from a phlebotomy program. Almost all employers look for phlebotomists who have earned professional certification.
What Nursing Assistants Do: Nursing assistants provide basic care and help patients with activities of daily living.
Work Environment: Most nursing assistants work in nursing and residential care facilities and in hospitals. They are physically active and may need to help lift or move patients.
Pay: The median annual wage for nursing assistants was $30,850 in May 2020.
Job Outlook: Overall employment of nursing assistants is projected to grow 8 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. As the baby-boom population ages, nursing assistants will be needed to help care for an increasing number of older patients.
How to Become a Nursing Assistant: Nursing assistants often need to complete a state-approved education program and pass their state’s competency exam to become licensed or certified.
What Truck Drivers Do: Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers transport goods from one location to another.
Work Environment: Working as a long-haul truck driver is a lifestyle choice because these drivers can be away from home for days or weeks at a time.
Pay: The median annual wage for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers was $47,130 in May 2020.
Job Outlook: Employment of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers is projected to grow 2 percent from 2019 to 2029, slower than the average for all occupations. As the demand for goods increases, more truck drivers will be needed to keep supply chains moving.
How to Become a Commercial Truck Driver: Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers usually have a high school diploma and attend a professional truck driving school. They must have a commercial driver’s license (CDL).
Personal Trainer (or Fitness Trainer or Instructor)
What Fitness Trainers and Instructors Do: Fitness trainers and instructors lead, instruct, and motivate individuals or groups in exercise activities.
Work Environment: Fitness trainers and instructors work in facilities such as recreation centers, health clubs, and yoga studios. Many work variable or part-time schedules that may include nights, weekends, or holidays.
Pay: The median annual wage for fitness trainers and instructors was $40,510 in May 2020.
Job Outlook: Employment of fitness trainers and instructors is projected to grow 15 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. As businesses, government, and insurance organizations continue to recognize the benefits of health and fitness for their employees, incentives to join gyms or other types of health clubs are expected to increase the need for fitness trainers and instructors.
How to Become a Fitness Trainer or Instructor: The education and training typically required for fitness trainers and instructors varies by type of specialty, and employers prefer to hire those with certification.
What Wind Turbine Technicians Do: Wind turbine service technicians install, maintain, and repair wind turbines.
Work Environment: Wind turbine service technicians generally work outdoors, in confined spaces, and often at great heights. Although the majority of windtechs work full time, they may also be on call to handle emergencies during evenings and weekends.
Pay: The median annual wage for wind turbine technicians was $56,230 in May 2020.
Job Outlook: Employment of wind turbine service technicians is projected to grow 61 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. Because wind electricity generation is expected to grow rapidly over the coming decade, additional technicians will be needed to install and maintain new turbines. Job prospects are expected to be excellent.
How to Become a Wind Turbine Technician: Most wind turbine service technicians learn their trade by attending a technical school. They also receive on-the-job training.
Pride Month is a chance to celebrate and honor the work of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ+) people as they seek equity and inclusion in society, in the law and in workplaces. For some workforce development professionals, the terminology and perspective of their LGBTQ+ customers may be unfamiliar ground.
The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) has published guidelines and vocabulary to help effectively serve LGBT (USDOL currently references the term “LGBT” in their policy) customers of the public workforce system and provide them with the knowledge, support, and guidance they need to be successful in their career planning and job search.
The USDOL states their mission is to promote and protect opportunity for all workers. They note the workforce is stronger when it embraces diversity, and when workers can apply their unique skills and talents to jobs that provide fair wages, benefits, safe and healthy working conditions, and ensure respectful inclusion.
In providing workforce services, an inclusive, equitable environment is built through language, policies, and practices that affirm people’s identities.
Why special guidance for the LGBT population?
According to the USDOL Training and Employment Guidance letter 37-14, “Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals experience unemployment and employment discrimination at significantly higher rates compared to the rest of the American population, making it particularly important that they have full access to the services provided by the public workforce system, to help overcome the employment-related barriers they encounter.”
For the public workforce system, there is specific guidance about how to protect against discrimination against LGBT individuals, whether based on gender identity, gender expression, or sex stereotyping.
Some examples of unlawful discrimination include:
Denying access or adverse treatment to individuals seeking assistance under a WIOA program based on gender norms, expectations for dress, appearance, or behavior.
Treating an individual negatively based on gender expression.
Negative treatment based on learning the customer has a same-sex relationship or does not otherwise conform to society’s sex-role expectations.
Harassing a customer in the form of gestures, mannerisms, or verbal tone.
Denying transgender employees access to the bathrooms used by the gender with which they identify.
There is additional specific guidance to protect Transgender persons:
Because of persistent employment discrimination against transgender persons, it may be more difficult for workforce system customers who are transgender to find jobs. Transgender customers cannot be denied access to workforce and training programs due to their gender identity. The customer should not be counseled to change their gender presentation to find work.
Key customer service practices for serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender customers
Names and pronouns. Always refer to each person by the name and the gender-specific pronoun (for example: he, his, him or she, hers, her) by which the person wants to be called. If you do not know an individual’s pronoun preference, it’s appropriate to ask in a tactful way.
Identification documentation. Transgender people may have mismatched identification documentation (i.e., “old” identification with a previous name and/or gender marker and “new” identification with corrected name and/or gender marker). If a situation in which discrepancies in personal identification pose legitimate obstacles is encountered, staff should explain what documentation must be provided (e.g., proof of a court-ordered name change).
Restroom access. All customers and employees must be able to access restrooms consistent with their gender identities. The decision as to which restroom to use should be left to the individual to determine the most appropriate and safest option for them. Restricting customers and employees to using only restrooms that are not consistent with their gender identity, or segregating them from other workers by requiring them to use gender-neutral or other specific restrooms, singles those individuals out and may make them fear for their physical safety. Bathroom restrictions can result in customers and employees avoiding using restrooms entirely while at work, which can lead to potentially serious physical injury or illness.
Confidential medical information. Information about a person’s status as transgender may be considered medical information, and thus should be kept strictly confidential.
Key terminology for working with LGBT persons
Sex: A characteristic assigned at birth based on a combination of an infant’s biological characteristics.
Gender: Socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.
Sexual orientation: An individual’s physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction to people of the same and/or opposite gender. Examples of sexual orientation include straight (or heterosexual), lesbian, gay, and bisexual.
Gender identity: A term that refers to one’s internal sense of one’s own gender. It may or may not correspond to the sex assigned to a person at birth and may or may not be made visible to others.
Gender expression: A term that refers to how a person represents or expresses one’s gender identity to others, often through behavior, clothing, hairstyles, voice and/or body characteristics.
Gender non-conforming: Refers to individuals whose gender expression is different from societal expectations related to gender.
Transgender: A term that refers to people whose gender identity, expression or behavior is different from that typically associated with their assigned sex at birth. Transgender is a broad term and an acceptable descriptive term for non-transgender people to use. “Trans” is shorthand for “transgender.” (Note: “Transgender” is correctly used as an adjective, not as a noun; thus “transgender people” is appropriate, but “transgenders” is often viewed as disrespectful.)
Transgender woman: A term that refers to a person whose assigned sex at birth was male but whose gender identity is female.
Transgender man: A term that refers to a person whose assigned sex at birth was female but whose gender identity is male.
Transitioning: A term that refers to the time when a person begins living as the gender with which they identify rather than the gender they were assigned at birth, which often includes changing one’s first name and dressing and grooming differently. Transitioning may or may not also include medical and legal aspects, such as taking hormones, having surgery, or changing identity documents (e.g., driver’s license, Social Security record) to reflect one’s gender identity. Medical and legal steps may be very costly and sometimes unaffordable.
Sex reassignment surgery: A term that refers to surgical procedures that change one’s body to better reflect a person’s gender identity. Contrary to popular belief, there is not one surgery; in fact, there are many different surgeries. These surgeries are medically necessary for some people, however not all people want, need, or can have surgery as part of their transition. “Sex change surgery” is considered a derogatory term by many.
