Jobs pre and Post Transition

[judithlynn]

i am wondering wihat the experience is generally  of all of us in respect of our jobs before transition and post transition and why we chose to do what we have done

When i was taking HRT for the first time I was in Business Development for a major IT company. This work took me all over Europe, the US and subsequently to the Far East.  When I transitioned to living full time as a woman, my therapist encouraged me actively to look at doing something different in a more female role "as she put it". Remember girls this was in the 80's!

I looked ata variety of roles and through the UK Job Centre signed for some training courses. I considered working in retailing fashion, but whilst that would have meant beeing with other women all day, I rejected it  because of having to stand on my feet all day. In the end I decided office work was the way to go, because I at least had a lot of experience of that  albeit in my pre-transition roles.

Anyway my first experience was that I took a variety of temporary clerical office jobs, then did a stint as receptionist/telephonist, before taking a secretarial/shrthand course part time and then working for a Building Socity as secretary/personal assistant.  I also took some evening classes in beauty therapy as I have always thought I would like to work in the beauty business.

Working as secretary/personal assistant, I found working life very fulfilling, despite my long career in sales/business development, because in a way it was my way of turning my back on my male outward going life.

My therapist thought these were all excellent choices as part of my transition, to relearn my maleness into a more feminine submissive role.

I wasnt completely submissive, but working as a secretay/pa for someone was something that I revelled in. In fact I found it quite suprisingly refershing than my previous life. Little things like my boss completing on how nice I looked, or being given flowers on my birthday or the girls at the tea break taling about beauty products was very fulfilling for me.

Interesting to hear other peoples experiences.

Hugs
JudithLynn

[Cindy]

I'm a top flight scientist/pathologist and I'm about as submissive as Attila the Hun

I have no qualms or fears in that regard. I dominate my job, I have extensive staff, I deal with people from politicians to office cleaners. I generally have more respect for the office cleaners BTW.

I'm a very out woman. I wear nice feminine clothes. I'm a professional and I expect people to be so.

I see no threat whatsoever to my femininity by being a dominant female in my professional life.

I'm also pretty dominant in my social life, I like men who are my equal and are loving and caring. I'm into men and I like strong personalities in my men, but I'm not submissive to them in any way.

I'm a woman and I demand to be treated as one.

I like men and I treat them as men.

But the world is wide and we all have our preferences and none are wrong.

Hugs

Cindy

[big kim]

Pre transition Chemical factory worker, fork lift truck driver/warehouse clerk.
Post transition Clerical worker,landscape gardener,tram conductor,tram driver, bus driver, cleaner,guest house manager.

[John Smith]

I was a teacher, and remained a teacher.

[twit]

Pre-transition, mostly male dominated jobs like assistant golf course superintendent, vp of a small service company and when I was working as a stevedore at the port was when I started transition. Then unemployed for almost 5 years after the company I worked for closed down and my father was ill and needed me at home more than I needed a job. Now though I work as a store clerk in a local store here in town. I didn't think I could work in such a public job after transition, but its actually gone pretty well overall and the commute is less than a mile one way and with the scarcity of jobs in the area, I'm not complaining, lol.

[Rena-san]

Pre? I actually had quite a feminine job with a bank. I was the only one presenting as male in my department. It was data entry all day on the computer. Very boring. Before that another feminine job working the cash at a pharmacy. Not many males there, other than the actual pharmacists. Before that I bussed tables and worked at a cafe. I guess that was masculine-ish.

Now im a full time student, unemployed :p

Holy crap! That sounds just like me. I'm a data entry clerk too! So I know what it is like to be the only male presenting person in an all female office. I'm currently an unemployed nondegree seeking student--I already earned my degree. I'm looking for a job now and having a really hard time. Next week I will actually be returning to my job in data entry and will be forced to present male again. I need another job that will accept me as female. I just don't have any paperwork that says I am female; don't even have my name changed yet. I can't afford it. So any background check done by an employer pretty much disqualifies me instantly. Which sucks.

[Shantel]

I ran a lumber company, finally got tired of the occasional macho guy punches in the chest, quit and finished up my working life as an independent property claims adjuster where I was able to be me and work by myself.

[pretty pauline]

It wasn't a question of pre and post transition with me as I transition over 25years ago, but it was ''jobs before and after marriage''
I worked in IT accountancy and finance, but when I got married in August 2010, then in January 2011 I gave all that up to be a fulltime housewife, its been completely different to what I was use to, before I couldnd cook a sausage, now I have done cookery courses and now I do all the cooking. I surpose my new job role now is very feminine and womanly, now being a housewife has been very fullfilling for me as a woman, I do the cooking, laundry, cleaning and dusting, I hate ironing but I do it, no woman likes ironing but we do it, it gives me a chance to daydream, hubby does all the heavy chores and guy stuff. But my life now since marriage is totally feminine and submissive, maybe because hubby takes the lead and makes all the major decisions, but I have less stress, I go with the flow, he's a good husband Im a supportive wife, he treats me very much as a woman and a lady, my life now as a woman is completely changed since I got married.
p

[Brooke777]

Pre HRT - Federal Agent
During transition - Engineer
Post tansition - Not there yet. Hopefully I will still be an engineer.

I did these jobs because I like them. Sure they were very male dominated, and where I work, it still is. I just follow the path that seems right for me. I don't believe there are any femminine or masculine jobs. Just ones that society typically associates with a particular gender. Just my opinion, I know others disagree.

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

Pre-transition: Auto mechanic, Truck driver, Auto Parts.
During Transition: cashier (Retail), student (Veterinary Technician )
Post-transition (when I am completely done): Veterinary Technician.

[Kitteh Engimeer]

Pre HRT - Federal Agent
During transition - Engineer
Post tansition - Not there yet. Hopefully I will still be an engineer.

I did these jobs because I like them. Sure they were very male dominated, and where I work, it still is. I just follow the path that seems right for me. I don't believe there are any femminine or masculine jobs. Just ones that society typically associates with a particular gender. Just my opinion, I know others disagree.

Are you transitioning at your job? I find that many engineers tend to be a bit more conservative, so I'm still in decision of leaving before transition... I really don't do well with conflict, even if I have a small sense of support (i.e. I don't like stepping on toes ).

[Brooke777]

Are you transitioning at your job? I find that many engineers tend to be a bit more conservative, so I'm still in decision of leaving before transition... I really don't do well with conflict, even if I have a small sense of support (i.e. I don't like stepping on toes ).

Yes, I am transitioning on the job. I work in the utility industry at the moment, and it is very, very conservative. Many of the men don't like to work with women who are not "secretaries". They really dislike the female engineers. At this point, only my manager, HR, and a couple of close friends know I am trans. I think everyone else thinks I am gay. I only wear androgynous women's clothes to work, so I don't look too feminine. I plan to go full time in the next couple of months. I have provided some handouts to HR for review. My manager is going to hold a department wide all hands meeting at my request. I will present myself as female, and try and educate the other employees on what it is to be transgender. I have no problem with confrontation, so I feel this will work rather well.

[Tristan]

for me it has been no big deal. doing paramedic and nursing work people tend to be a little more opened minded. even more so as paramedics because we are a family.

[MeghanAndrews]

I was in sales before transition. I worked my way up to Senior Vice President. I was good at sales. I still am. It's in my blood. I'm a very social, outgoing person.

I work for a non-profit health clinic now. It doesn't pay much but I love what I do. In a way, it's still sales, but convincing people why they need to take meds, why they need to wait a week for an appt, etc.

I find that work ethic, drive and determination are the same pre and post transition. I wondered how I would stay motivated if money wasn't motivating me like it did for so many years. When you dedicate your life to helping people, the money part kind of melts away and doesn't really mean much anymore. I've made over $3M in my lifetime so far, I'm 43. I have no money in savings and I make like an eight of what I was making pre-transition. I share a 2 bed/2 bath apartment with a friend in LA. I don't own my house by the ocean or have a Porsche 911 turbo anymore. I honestly have never been as happy as I am now. My career fits my whole life purpose and that feels good.

[Kevin Peña]

I'm a professional and I expect people to be so.

never liked being a complete professional. Life's too boring that way. 

for me it has been no big deal. doing paramedic and nursing work people tend to be a little more opened minded. even more so as paramedics because we are a family.

Oh, yes! I want to be a paramedic//firefighter! If only I could be sure about the firefighter half. 

I honestly have never been as happy as I am now. My career fits my whole life purpose and that feels good.

Never understood why people want so much, anyway. Why work yourself to misery to get a big house? So you can have a bigger place to sit around? 

[MeghanAndrews]

Never understood why people want so much, anyway. Why work yourself to misery to get a big house? So you can have a bigger place to sit around? 

Totes! The more the better...I used to think that way. I bought a 3,500 square foot house with a pool, 4 bed and 3 baths and a big yard. I was single. That got super old when I was there for like two months and realized I traveled 3-4 weeks a months and needed 1) a maid 2) a yard guy 3) a pool guy 4) a much, much smaller house so I didn't WASTE space. Sometimes you have to learn stuff like that from experience though.

[Brooke777]

After owning two homes of my own, I don't think I will buy again. I much prefer to just rent my condo. Less work.

[Cindy]

never liked being a complete professional. Life's too boring that way. 

Sorry, I meant it in the way I expect to be treated by my colleagues.

My life is far from boring Sometimes I wish it was.

Hugs

[Tristan]

never liked being a complete professional. Life's too boring that way. 

Oh, yes! I want to be a paramedic//firefighter! If only I could be sure about the firefighter half. 

Never understood why people want so much, anyway. Why work yourself to misery to get a big house? So you can have a bigger place to sit around? 

if you want to do a fire/medic job you so can. just make sure you get like at least your AS degree in one or another. along with like maybe a BS degree so you can move up.

[SarahM777]

Let's see,delivered newspapers,then worked as a shipping and receiving clerk at a place similar to Kmart,worked shipping and receiving at a factory,then a bunch of different types of jobs through Manpower,worked for a friend of mine as manager in his shop (retail),then as a dry cleaner,then as a shipping and receiving clerk at Kmart,worked for the PO part time,at the same time in a factory where we laminated furniture.

Two of them would have been OK to do so,less likely hood of major problems. (Kmart would have been OK but not great and my friend would have been OK with it but not thrilled with it because of the image)

Two would have been the best times at that point to do so. The PO because of the federal regs which would have allowed some protection and the insurance if I could have gone as a full time worker. The dry cleaners would also have been good but not ideal. In both of those jobs even though I was presenting as male I was accepted more as a female. In both cases I saw and heard the differences between how they reacted when I was the only male there and when other males were present. The sad part is that I missed an opportunity,I did have a real friend that would have helped me through it,she saw through all the masks,she knew I was a girl inside,she pierced my ears and was starting to work on fashion looks for me. Water under the bridge.

The last factory job,not a chance. Male only part of the plant,a number of hard core ex-cons,no way  I would even try it there. (One guy had been in prison for killing someone else so.....)

Present day if I do finally get the money together,it would be the most ideal of all. My boss knows me better than anyone else. Very laid back on the types of clothing I can come to work in. (My boss lets me come to work in pajamas if I want to) There is no chance of my boss ever firing me. The only problem with my boss is that my boss can be rather cheap some days. No problems with coworkers so that's not an issue. But it does help when one is the sole owner of the company and is the boss.