No, you do not have to put your legal name on a resume if you’re trans.
A resume isn’t a legal document, so putting your preferred name in your resume header is acceptable.
Just ensure you’re comfortable using your preferred name while interviewing with companies, and be ready with an answer if employers ask about your name.
Depending on your circumstances, you could tell an employer about your name change in the interview process, or explain when you reach the point in the hiring procedure that requires you to prepare legal documents.
If you’d like to state both your legal and preferred names on your resume, list your legal first name (or first initial), your preferred name (using quotation marks), and then your last name. Here are two examples:
B. “Shandra” Wong
Brian “Shandra” Wong
If you haven’t legally changed your name yet, remember that you still have to use the name listed on official documents when providing them to employers. These legal documents include your:
- background check
- insurance forms
- social security card
- application forms asking for other names you go by
If you’ve already changed your legal name, feel free to use your new name on your resume and on official documents.