Anyone here in Naples FL?

[JaneDoe]

I know there's not many of us around, but I'm hoping there's someone else here in or near Naples, or Ft. Meyers. I really need to connect with some support. I'm 59, post-op for a long time, looking for work for over a year now and being shut out because a former employer has been outing me when called for references, and life is not fun at all. I didn't know I was being outed by my former employer until a year ago, I transitioned there, then they outsourced my job. Now they seem to be doing all they can to destroy my life.

I'm sure I'm not the only one dealing with this.

[Christine167]

Jane, what are your skills and previous job title?
Also are you willing to move?

If I hear of anything in your career choice I'll let you know. I live SC now but I am trying to start a network with others like ourselves.

[JaneDoe]

Skills and job title? Well since 2004 I don't think I've really had what could be called a job title. Back then I was a systems administrator. Since then I've done jobs like dishwasher, laundry slave, grocery stocker, and cleaning horse stalls. The last job I had was line worker in a production shop, where I was viciously bullied and harassed until I quit. Since then I've applied for over 600 jobs with no results. It's as though I'm blacklisted.

You mention career choice, as though I'm just starting out. I'm pushing 60, pushing it rather hard in fact, so I'm not just starting out in life. If that's your pic you are a lot younger than I am. At this point in life I'll be happy if I can get a minimum wage job where I'm not bullied and harassed as I have been on every job I've had in the last ten years.

Oh yes, I'm certainly willing to move, I just don't have the money to move on, or anywhere to go.

BTW, it's a real hassle to post here, with the captcha and two questions. I've never seen that on any forum, what's the deal?

[VickyMI]

We have a winter home in Bonita Springs.  Which is between Naples and Ft. Myers. There are job opportunities all around this area. Hertz is opening up their new HQ here in Q4.  They are looking for 400 employees.  Check it out.

[JaneDoe]

Hertz? I heard about that some time back, went to their job fair, went through the line and the whole routine they had set up for hundred of people, got to the end of it all, and was told to apply online. So I went online and looked for Hertz jobs in Florida, and there were basically none anywhere near me. I have no idea why they put on a job fair for non-existent jobs. A friend of mine also went to their bogus job fair, and was also told to apply online. The link we were given was a dead end.

It's not just the scarcity of jobs here that's the problem, it's that the job I transitioned at has been outing me when called for my reference. I found this out for certain at my last job. They had already hired me by the time they checked my references, or they would not have hired me. I was bullied, tormented, and harassed in that shop until I could take no more and quit a year later.

It has since become obvious that all of my former employers know I'm TS, and all my job references are poisoned. Unless I can somehow create a fake job history I don't know how I will ever get another job.

Anyway, that's not why I started this thread. I started it hoping to find someone locally I have something in common with for basic human contact. For the last 4 years here I have spent almost all of my time alone with no one to even talk to. It's been very hard.

[Dina DAngelo]

Hi Jane I'm in Ft. Myers area and I just got hired as a girl. The company I worked for is very LGBT friendly. If you wanna talk you can E-mail me here or through savage989@hotmail.com

             Dina

[justpat]

  Hi Jane,
I am about 60 miles east of you by Lake okeechobee my emails on my profile.  Pat

[JaneDoe]

Hi Pat, thanks for the reply. I've been over there a few times. How's life over there? I'd love to get out on that lake fishing.

Apparently I'm not yet allowed to access profiles.

[justpat]

   justpat1213@yahoo.com 

[JaneDoe]

Hi Jane I'm in Ft. Myers area and I just got hired as a girl. The company I worked for is very LGBT friendly. If you wanna talk you can E-mail me here or through savage989@hotmail.com

             Dina

Thank you Dina, and thanks for sending me your phone number, but your phone's been off the hook all day.

[Christine167]

The response here has been really awesome.

Jane it's only been a few days but let us know how it's turning out.


Yes I am younger, and thank you for that compliment  , but I do not descriminate. You worked as a systems admin and there are still employers looking for that kind of work experience. You might try a contracting firm if you're okay with travel. I've interviewed with many companies so far and most of them would rather speak to coworkers and immediate management not bosses and directors. Unless they were your next step in management.

I am a EMR clinical analyst and former x-ray tech myself. We run the Epic product where I work and it's essentially a Unix/Linux box broadcast over a Citrix client. Many facilities are using a similar setup and system admins and server guys are in demand. I'd like to help as much as I can because I too need help finding a new job. I am currently employed but my work environment is not very LGBT friendly. In fact when it comes to transgender my coworkers are as ignorant and hate mongering as it can come. It doesn't help that the facility where I work used to perform SRS and recovery stays. I work with a nurse who used to take care of them. I think that she's the most warm about it but even then she views it as a disease instead of as freedom.

[Christine167]

I should add that I think that the challenge Qs and captcha go away after your reach a certain number of posts here.

Also I use Indeed and Linked In to find potential employers. If say some of your coworkers were LGBT friendly maybe they would give you an endorsement for Linked In. Indeed is pretty much a resume referral site with a job search. You have to filter out potential ID thieves like any online social site but that's easy enough if you were in the industry before. It took me about a month and I started to receive offers and interviews from those sites. Now I just need a client to hire me from one of my handlers or if someone knows of a permanent position somewhere in the south east looking for an fairly well experienced Epic guy that would be great.