Several years ago I became a Microsoft MVP, third year in (you are evaluated each year to see if you are still worthy) I went to an annual event for MVP's where I was asked to speak in regards to woman in tech. I did not tell them I had physically transitioned but did so about thirty minutes into the talk and then talked about transgender people for a bit. Well this lead to the next year being asked to be part of a panel to speak at Microsoft on the topic "Diversion and inclusion" where about 800 people attended. The people who invited me knew I had transitioned but not the audience and as in the first interview did not tell them I was transgender until about twenty minutes into the show. I was pleasantly surprised to get most of the audience to clap for me and what I had done.
This then presented me the opportunity to become a member of several groups who support woman in technology and advocate for LGBT community.
Then last month I was contacted by Microsoft to have me answer several questions for posting on a Microsoft blog which just came out this week.
Q&A: MVP Karen Payne Talks With Us About Being A Transgender Woman In Tech
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/mvpawardprogram/2017/11/22/qa-mvp-karen-payne/?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referralWell I could had just blended into the background of life but felt it was important to assist others in the LGBT community to know they too can with hard work have a large company like Microsoft consider them for employment (and there are other companies that will too).
What does it take for someone in the LGBT community to get a decent or above decent salary in tech field?
Let's say you want to be a developer who writes code to create web applications. Turn towards Microsoft, they provide a no cost version of Visual Studio (used to create web applications) named "Visual Studio Community Edition 2017". If you can afford to take some online courses then do so, at least learn the basics. Sign up for free lessons at Microsoft Virtual Academy. Join up to Microsoft's
ASP.NET community if you decide to go this route. Learn to use jQuery controls or look at Kendo UI Core (40+ great controls at no cost ever).
Tip: Did you know that many developer positions allows full or part time work from home? You know where that can do for the not out LGBT person right!
Microsoft Virtual Academy
https://mva.microsoft.com/ .
Microsoft's
ASP.NET community
https://www.asp.net/Kendo UI Core
https://www.telerik.com/kendo-ui/open-source-coreLearn jQuery (free)
https://learn.jquery.com/Plural site (great all around paid lessons)
https://www.pluralsight.com/The above is just to get your interest peeked. People are people, we who are cross-dressers, transgender or non-binary all deserve a decent way of life but you have to go out and get it. I did, started off reading books, spending countless hours honing skills and in less than three years was making a decent salary while in five years was making way above average income for college educated people, don't think you can't because you can do this!
