Susan's Place Transgender Resources

It was mentioned recently in one of the posts that most TS are underemployed, so I was just wondering...

What our status is as far as our employment is concerned.  What do we do, are you in school, are you retired etc. and please indicate how you I dentify - TS, IS, CD, TV, female, male etc...

It would be interesting to see how our community here is faring.  I myself am fortunate enought to be employed.

Steph

No - I am financially secure  I wish..

Yes - Full time  unfortunately...

I have my own business, which is doing very well.

Even employ 5 staff now.

Rebecca

Quote from: Renate on January 16, 2008, 06:04:03 AM
It's too bad that this forum software doesn't allow multiple questions in a poll.

I guess I'd have to make a separate topics for:

"Have you ever lost a job by being transsexual?"
"Are you working a minimum wage job?"

Renate

To keep this one on topic go ahead and start new topics about your questions.

Steph

I'm part time because I'm semiretired.  Occasionally brought back to Virginia full time.

We could do reasonably well on Social Security, military retirement and investments if I weren't working.  My husband will have less income if I kick the bucket first.

Robyn

full time - minimum wage...very boring.

As of yesterday morning, I'm unemployed.  :(

My former employer has moved so much of their product to China that their domestic function has shrunk considerably.  Yesterday, I and 17 others were let go.  I'm certain the reasons I was picked were economic and that my transition had little to do with it.  For that I am grateful.

Nevertheless, I'm scared to death that I won't be able to find another place that can compare to the one I had.  I've only been working as my true self for 4½ months and I wonder if I can perform the way I need to during interviews.  That is, if I can even get to the interview stage because of my phone voice's incongruity with my female name.  I hope my fear is exaggerating my worries yet I can't stop wondering if I will have to settle for a lower paying and less skilled job because I'm a woman with a trans history.  And all of this worry is augmented by the question of coming out to the potential employer's HR departments.  If I don't, which would be my preference, and the Social Security Administration sends a "no match letter" I could be fired for misrepresentation.

I'm trying to stay positive and optimistic.  I hope the stresses of the inevitable feelings of rejection, as potential employers pick others over me, will not be so heavy that I sink into a severe depression.  A lot has changed in the ten years since I last had to look for a job and I wonder if my age, I'm over 50, will make things that much harder.  And I pray that the strain of unemployment on my relationship with my spouse will not destroy it.

On the up side, I have good intelligence, education and skills that many companies would find valuable.  I was able to present myself and interview well before so I should be able to develop the same now that I'm my true self, maybe even better.  With any luck, I'll find a place where they will support me and my medical needs fully, hopefully before the severance and unemployment income run out.  Maybe moving to another job will be the best thing for me, as it was the as time I had to do this.

hugs & smiles
Emelye

Fulltime, transitioned within same job (I owe them my life actually, they've been wonderfully nurturing for me).

I'm really worried about the recession rumours though, as they tend to hit my company really hard. The last one hit back in 1990ish right after they'd hired me, and we had to let go of maybe half the employees. Shudder.

~Kate~

Disabled MtF TS

I'm self employed, I guess I can call it full time although one place I work at has let me know that they're closing at the end of Jan. So currently scrambling a bit to replace that situation.

I have also been fired in the past for being trans.

y2g

Don't currently work. On welfare. Would have been suicide to transition where I worked 2 years and a half ago.

I never got fired for being trans specifically, because I haven't worked since transition.

I've been fired for being too weak (physically) more than once, but when I was hired they would insist on giving me a physically demanding job...

I've been discriminated against (not hired or even had a trial) for being too feminine-looking (not long before transition). And for being male (7 years ago) - as retail stores prefer females, it seems.

The last place I worked at retained me because I was very productive and dependable. Co-workers didn't get along with me (mainly the young 18-25 guys), but I was switched to an evening shift with only 2 other workers later on (my last 6 months there). That last arrangement was better, but transitioning on the job there would have been a bad idea still. The day and evening shifts overlapped by 1:30 hour, so I still saw them, just less. And comments about my hair, body and such were common.

i'm an mtf non-op ts currently. i am employed part time currently by choice as my so likes to work, which i so enjoy as i get to stay home and take care of the kids like i have always wanted. i haven't fully come out on the job, i just present as female, people see me how they see me. most of the customers see me as female and i am definitely fine with that.

Employed full-time, not having come out at work or in public yet. But there are definite ... stirrings amongst the troops at the office about me. I suspect if it wasn't for the fact that I'm only there temporarily, I'd probably get marching orders soon enough. Might still happen, I suppose.

Part time coed, part time chef at a small resteraunt.

Im full time, and stealth at work (by accident, they just never noticed, and i forgot to mention it) oh yeah, and i2f ts...
R :police:

I work part time but that is what my classification is, I really put in about 40 hours a week. I do have a pension that I got from my previous job that I retired from, 35 yrs. I have not been out of work since I was 9 years old. I started transitioning at my previous job then retired, not forcibly but burned out, and got a job after my surgery as a bus driver for the school district. Was not question at all about my gender. I put down female and they said OK sooo, can you drive a bus? Then, they made sure I wasn't wanted by anyone, darn. I'm not a terrorist I found out. Then, they look at my driving record, I closed my eyes, they said clean, I guess I was dreamin when I thought I was pulled over for a DUI. Now, I have been there over 4 years now and they keep piling on these kids that they think I know where they go. Heaven forbid the find out the true Sheila.
Sheila

Post-op MTF TS. I had a good position in an intolerant company. Had my job position eliminated (Note I was listed as a different position/function then what I actually did) days prior to my surgery date. Eventually went to another job and was subsequently laid off. Am now unemployed again. To the point of am seriously contemplating bankruptcy. I am very frustrated by the question on almost every application I fill out for security purposes where they ask. "Have you ever had a different name? If so what was it and why did you change it?"
Rashelle

Rashelle,
  Usually there is a time limit on admitting that you had changed your name. I think it is three or five years. I would check it out.
Sheila

I'm really into the streams of income deal, so that I don't have to depend on one source alone.  Most of my money is from union work, but I do some freelance writing and research, and also take photos for real estate listings.  In truth I don't know what to do with myself if I'm not working.  And I've always had the idea that 'anything worth doing is worth doing for money.'  So I try to make everything pay off in some way.

Ummmm...yeah?  fulltime, overworked and stressed out...

Post-op woman as well.

tink :icon_chick:

Full time employment.


*Huggles Emelye - I hope it all goes well.

Alice

I voted part time, although I'm in school too haha.  So I'm confused as to what one to answer.

employed. fulltime.  post-op.

financially secure... don't need job for money but for social reasons.  i'm unemployed.

My office hours are January through December.

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fganjataz.com%2F01smileys%2Fimages%2Fsmileys%2FloopyBlonde-blinking.gif&hash=4545ddf8251cf9c32ae6074d56e48bc34a755857)

Yep I work FT.  I just got my health insurance.  3 months on the job. whoo hoo

Yep fulltime as a CNA.  Just applied for a job at the hospital as a limited permit x-ray tech in orthopedics and sports medicine.  I hope I get the job.  Just imagine xraying buff athletes.  Wish me luck.

Audrey

damn you sneaky mare... :P nice tactics i must admit ;)
Once i graduate, i plan on heading stateside, and getting a job in law enforcement, where the gender devide is well and truely in my favour :D (god i love men in uniform *giggle*)
R >:D

I'm employed full time - as of just recently. I work in telecommunications, I was working the same job as a casual but now I'm moving up in the world :).

I started my transition in a different job, the office closed, and I used my, uh, "connections" (i.e being friends with my boss) to get a better job within the same company in a different office. If anyone at my job now knows I'm trans, they are either being very polite or their scared as hell of me 'cause no-one said a thing  ;D.

Megan

I'm on a DSP after a cycling accident and my g/friend is over worked and stressed but at least she has the option to work from home when she feels like.

Floritine

Employed full-time.  Make almost three times as much as I was making before transitioning.  Had about 7 or 8 Interviews before landing this job.  Not sure if I'm stealth or not.  It never comes up in casual conversation.

Last semester, part time student, part time worker with full time hours.
This semester, full time student, part time worker.

My coworkers don't really know what the hell. Where I work is pretty firmly split teenagers and middle age/beyond. I've always gotten long better with people from older generations, but I don't really have a negative relationship with the kids younger than me. Mostly I'm just very weird but I've gotten non-chalant enough about it that it's easy to brush off.

Just yesterday a (significantly older) friend of mine noticed that I shave my arms and found that to be weird. I've recommended several hair products to her, we talk about our highlights, i have the longest natural fingernails in the store, she knows I get my brows waxed, yet she found it odd that I shave my arms.

What the christ, girl  :laugh:

And in all honesty, working with a few teenage girls has made me wonder if it wasn't a good thing that I wasn't a girl those years...

On the phone I'm always ma'amed, in person less frequently but just yesterday I had a customer wish me a good day, ma'am after talking face to face for 5 minutes, times like that are nice.

I will be starting a new job next week, probably everyone already knows by now.
I am going to be running a support center for TS's to meet and also for those looking for employment and looking for apartments. I have worked in the capacity of a social worker for twenty years and then I was retired two years ago and all this sitting around the apartment doing nothing I really couldn't handle anymore, So I am quite happy and looking forward to starting this job and being useful once more.

Cindy 

i work full time in a cubicle, proof-reading labels, for vitamins. i have a plant on my desk that i water every day. it's one of those hydroponic bamboo groves that drinks water like a camel.
my boss is really sweet; by far the best boss i have ever had. she also has a plant on her desk, and i water it for her when she's on vacation. another girl is out because her mom died, and i'm watering her plant, too. it's one of the most beautiful potted plants i have ever seen. the leaves are so perfect that they look like they're made of wax.

most of the people at my job are terrific. i'm not officially out, but i'm very out. people were really shocked at first, but now most of them have gotten used to it. we've had some layoffs in the past year, and are expecting more in the near future. i'm an MTF, and started HRT in the summer.

-ellie

Yes, I work....full  time, at the same job where I transitioned.  It was really tough, and this past year I made a lot less than usual in this commission job.  I am ts, and spent all kinds of energy protecting Beverly, and her place in the sales 'team' this year.  Now, I've finally reached a point where my income is recovering almost to pre-transition levels, and still increasing slowly.  Instead of protecting Beverly, I finally can just BE Beverly.

Some people call it a sucess.....I call it a pisser.  It could have been so much better if I hadn't been impacted by bigots and clods.  To be fair, there were many people who treated me very well, and others who have accepted me as female.



Bev

Full time high school science teacher.  Fortunately, I have tenure.

Chaunte

Work full time about $20k a year so above poverty but still low income level.

I am gender variant.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, I'm off for four days with LA punk music.  Social Distortion, could be worse, it could be Air Supply or some American Idol person.

Quote from: tekla on January 31, 2008, 09:15:10 AM
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, I'm off for four days with LA punk music.  Social Distortion, could be worse, it could be Air Supply or some American Idol person.

Brittney Spears...

Nah, BS is back in the rubber room at the wacky ward again, and again, and again.

Employed full time at a travel agency. Great job for practicing my new voice!

ok, now laid off.

injured at work, then laid off/put on temporary disability.
 

"Hi Ell hon!!" sorry to hear about your being unemployed and on temp disability. I will certainly send prayers for you. Well you know where I am if you should find a need to talk.

Re: Are you employed?

I was fortunate that I qualified  for Provincial disability  but when my job of twenty years as a Social Worker came to an end, "aaaaaaaaag!!!" To much idle time. Boy does one rather quickly find ones life  becomes restricted. I was OK financially and now Wing Walker and I are on her disability pension. But money is not everything, It was the idle time that was driving me insane.

My present work  is as doing social work at a woman's shelter a couple of days per month and Wing Walker and I also continue keeping the doors open for the Drop in and Support group for TS all is volunteer
work. Having twenty years as a Social Worker was what cinched the two volunteer jobs.

Cindy

Quote from: ell on April 13, 2008, 07:02:06 PM
ok, now laid off.

injured at work, then laid off/put on temporary disability.
 

Aw Ell honey, I'm sorry! Are you okay?

~Simone.

With the way the economy is I might as well be unemployed these days.

Quote from: ell on April 13, 2008, 07:02:06 PM
ok, now laid off.

injured at work, then laid off/put on temporary disability.
 

Ell,

Sorry to hear that!

Z

Quote from: ell on April 13, 2008, 07:02:06 PM
ok, now laid off.

injured at work, then laid off/put on temporary disability.

I am very glad you didn't land on your head.  Just when was your accident, dearest?

Steph, I like an ongoing survey so that I can see larger samples of statistics.

About five years there was a downturn in the energy business and I was let go.  I was a project manager for  Enterprise Resource Planning for Oracle sourcing.  After the downturn I removed myself from society and lost total confidence in myself.

I had an opportunity to spend a half a day with a well know significant-other (Ann) of a TG person a few days ago and I expressed my feelings that I feel rejected from the TG community. (I have developed severe paranoia.) Then I mentioned I do not know how to do my hair and she told me that I need a half wig to cover male pattern baldness. It was a pleasant conversation and I bought her lunch during our conversations.

She told me to try to be happy with my uniqueness and not worry what category I am. She said I appeared to be a gender bender.  I have not visited a medical doctor in five years and I have been taking an agressive regiment of hormones for three years which does make me feel somewhat better when I get the right mixture for me.  I have lost 50 pounds, one inch of height (that was surprising) and have grown my hair for 9 months without a haircut.  People make fun of my hair since I have male pattern baldness at 53 years of age.  I got tired of the insults and cut four inches off my hair yesterday April 13th and my hair is now above my ears.  Kerri/Wendy was very depressed last night and feels I am failing.

I do pretty much everything and look like a hooker when I transform myself.  I only go outside as a male,  and would tell you I am a male if asked.  I do have severe mental illness and at times fit or don't fit any TG category.  Ann (the significant other mentioned above) had very strong feelings that I should seek some professional help.  I am tired of being removed (by my choice) from society.  I only pass as male no matter what I do. I seem to be interested in being a high school math teacher but I do need to jump through a number of hoops.  I have signed up to be a substitute teacher and I passed the high school teacher math exams. I have no excuses for my behavior.

I do feel my lack of confidence at job interviews hurts my chances to be hired.  After a small amount of rejection I go back into seclusion.  Since no one views me as a female, except me in private, I will have to blame my issues on myself.  I am ashamed, self-centered, and disappointed with myself.  I appear to be unwilling to stop what I am doing and blame my lack of employment on myself not my TG issues.

Steph thanks for this thread.  It was difficult for me to answer.

Quote from: cindybc on April 13, 2008, 07:59:06 PM
"Hi Ell hon!!" sorry to hear about your being unemployed and on temp disability. I will certainly send prayers for you. Well you know where I am if you should find a need to talk.

Re: Are you employed?

I was fortunate that I qualified  for Provincial disability  but when my job of twenty years as a Social Worker came to an end, "aaaaaaaaag!!!" To much idle time. Boy does one rather quickly find ones life  becomes restricted. I was OK financially and now Wing Walker and I are on her disability pension. But money is not everything, It was the idle time that was driving me insane.

My present work  is as doing social work at a woman's shelter a couple of days per month and Wing Walker and I also continue keeping the doors open for the Drop in and Support group for TS all is volunteer
work. Having twenty years as a Social Worker was what cinched the two volunteer jobs.

Cindy

Thank you, Cindy.


Posted on: April 14, 2008, 11:31:38 AM

---

Quote from: lady amarant on April 14, 2008, 04:18:23 AM

Quote from: ell on April 13, 2008, 07:02:06 PM
ok, now laid off.

injured at work, then laid off/put on temporary disability.
 

Aw Ell honey, I'm sorry! Are you okay?

~Simone.

Thank you, sweetie. well, i still have a ways to go before my hand functions properly.

Granted there are few things more important than confidence in the job interview.  Its right up there with wear clean clothes and try not to reek of whiskey or green bud.  How is someone who hires you going to have confidence in your work if you don't? 

I've lost jobs in fields during economic downturns, I bet most people here have.  Quite unlike my fathers generation, or most generations that went before us as a matter of fact, most of the people I know have done several very dispirit things in their lifetime.  There are people who taught college or were medical doctors who now drive over the road trucking.  There are people who drove big rigs who now teach college.  So it goes. 

So one job went away, the next one - which may not even be anywhere near what you've ever done, might be the one you really like. 

TG people do get hired.  Its hard.  Its a real problem in the community, but some do.  As for dressing like a hooker, buy different clothes.  Hooker is fashion statement, not a manner of dressing. 

And yeah, reach out and find help.  I have trouble with the statement that you feel 'rejected' by the TG community, when I know many in here who would argue that there is no such thing in the first place.  You can't be rejected by something that does not really exist.  So, ya've meet some pretty mean, low-down, self-centered girls out there?  Yup, there are plenty.  I know more than one myself.  But not all are that way. 

I don't feel some sort of vibrant personal experience at every TG event I go to.  Far from it.  Mostly I feel like "oh ->-bleeped-<-, they are setting up the big paper deals and pulling out markers and they are about to start drawing org charts and deciding who is going to be chiefs and who get to be the tribe."  Which is right about when Tekla skirts her little butt right on out of there.  Discussions of theory, philosophy, sharing life stories - all that I like.  Coming up with a way to accomplish something - I'm down with that.  Debates about organization and administration - count me out.  Dancing, now your talking.  There are lots of worlds to the greater TG experience, lots of different people, but I don't think there is one UBER community, not at all.

In fact, the TG community just mirrors, as most communities do, the greater society where some people will like you, others will not, most won't care one way or the other.  And where you like some, don't like others, and feel more or less indifferent toward the mass you don't know.  I've made good TG friends, and I've met others who don't like me so much either.  So it goes.

Quote from: Autumn on April 14, 2008, 05:14:13 AM
With the way the economy is I might as well be unemployed these days.

how come? thin ice you're on or something?

Posted on: April 14, 2008, 12:12:04 PM

---

Quote from: Zythyra on April 14, 2008, 07:44:08 AM
Ell,

Sorry to hear that!

Z

Thank you Z.

-L

Retired.

Quote from: tekla on April 14, 2008, 11:46:24 AM
As for dressing like a hooker, buy different clothes.  Hooker is fashion statement, not a manner of dressing. 

You mean if I go to interview dressed like a hooker for a financial position at a bank it might hurt my chances to be hired?   I never tight lace for an interview.  I do have my principles!   ;)
...........
Ell I am sorry to read you got hurt. If you enjoyed your prior work I hope you get a new job in that industry and that you recover quickly.

.................
Actually I will make an effort to meet more people that are TG.  It does help to talk to people that can relate to certain experiences.
...............

By the way I volunteered to tutor High School math for a semester for the students that were struggling with Algebra and Geometry.  I have also volunteered to help with the latest Habitat home for the church.  I do believe volunteer work is beneficial because it makes you feel useful and might open an opportunity or two.

Quote from: Lisbeth on April 14, 2008, 08:20:43 AM

Quote from: ell on April 13, 2008, 07:02:06 PM
ok, now laid off.

injured at work, then laid off/put on temporary disability.

I am very glad you didn't land on your head.  Just when was your accident, dearest?

Thank you Sweetheart. It happened in January.

Last place I worked for nearly 2 years went out of bussiness as of February, so I am currently unemployed :(

Looking on the bright side, I am making more on unemployment compensation than I was when I worked,...

Looking for Network Engineer type work in Bay Area, currently,...  :-\

Quote from: Wendy on April 14, 2008, 11:08:05 AM
Steph, I like an ongoing survey so that I can see larger samples of statistics.

About five years there was a downturn in the energy business and I was let go.  I was a project manager for  Enterprise Resource Planning for Oracle sourcing.  After the downturn I removed myself from society and lost total confidence in myself.

I had an opportunity to spend a half a day with a well know significant-other (Ann) of a TG person a few days ago and I expressed my feelings that I feel rejected from the TG community. (I have developed severe paranoia.) Then I mentioned I do not know how to do my hair and she told me that I need a half wig to cover male pattern baldness. It was a pleasant conversation and I bought her lunch during our conversations.

She told me to try to be happy with my uniqueness and not worry what category I am. She said I appeared to be a gender bender.  I have not visited a medical doctor in five years and I have been taking an agressive regiment of hormones for three years which does make me feel somewhat better when I get the right mixture for me.  I have lost 50 pounds, one inch of height (that was surprising) and have grown my hair for 9 months without a haircut.  People make fun of my hair since I have male pattern baldness at 53 years of age.  I got tired of the insults and cut four inches off my hair yesterday April 13th and my hair is now above my ears.  Kerri/Wendy was very depressed last night and feels I am failing.

I do pretty much everything and look like a hooker when I transform myself.  I only go outside as a male,  and would tell you I am a male if asked.  I do have severe mental illness and at times fit or don't fit any TG category.  Ann (the significant other mentioned above) had very strong feelings that I should seek some professional help.  I am tired of being removed (by my choice) from society.  I only pass as male no matter what I do. I seem to be interested in being a high school math teacher but I do need to jump through a number of hoops.  I have signed up to be a substitute teacher and I passed the high school teacher math exams. I have no excuses for my behavior.

I do feel my lack of confidence at job interviews hurts my chances to be hired.  After a small amount of rejection I go back into seclusion.  Since no one views me as a female, except me in private, I will have to blame my issues on myself.  I am ashamed, self-centered, and disappointed with myself.  I appear to be unwilling to stop what I am doing and blame my lack of employment on myself not my TG issues.

Steph thanks for this thread.  It was difficult for me to answer.

Aw, Wendy, that is so heart-wrenching.

i see what what you mean about feeling rejected by the TG "community". But that is only a small percentage of the people on this site, for instance. why worry about what someone says if they say it in a hurtful way? they obviously have their own issues to resolve.

but most others here are very supportive, i think, so i hope you were not including Susan's in that estimation. please do not be a stranger.

can you explain what you mean when you say you have no excuses for your behavior? i don't get that.

also, i have never regarded you as someone with "severe mental illness" or "paranoia". you've always been a very thoughtful and gentle person, and i have always regarded you as a worthy friend. please don't use those harsh terms about yourself. you may be under an extreme amount of stress, certainly, and that can make anyone seem a little nuts. but trust me, you are a real sweetheart.

Please PM me anytime if you need to talk. i miss hearing from you.

love,

-ellie

Quote from: ell on April 17, 2008, 08:17:33 PM

but most others here are very supportive, i think, so i hope you were not including Susan's in that estimation. please do not be a stranger.

can you explain what you mean when you say you have no excuses for your behavior? i don't get that.

also, i have never regarded you as someone with "severe mental illness" or "paranoia".

love,

-ellie

Dear Ell,

I love the people at Susan's and I consider you a friend.  My paranoia makes me "think" people are making fun of me.  They have their own lives and could care less what I do.  I can get away with more things than I thought... but not too many.  I tried to get "to female" and ate every bit of energy in my body.  Now I am trying to get back to male and eat every bit of my current energy.  I am very moody, have spills of depression, fits of anxiety, punish myself with extreme isolation for my unacceptable behavior and have absolutely no resiliency for the slightest rejection.

Most of the time I can do a good job at an interview and would be extremely competent and reliable for a job that would fit my skill set.  I also started a couple of businesses that did not pan out.  One business  made a little money and one lost a little money.  Even though three years of hormones have had dramatic effects on my body I still look like a man.  In fact I now look like an "old pretty boy".  In job interviews "pretty boys" have an advantage.  Therefore all my issues are in my head and I can't blame TG for my job difficulties since 100% of the general population views me as a male.

My behavior is unacceptable because TG stuff rules my life.  Susan's forum and my wife have been very good at helping me get back to reality.

Thanks Ell for your comments.  By the way I like your hair.  I like the curls in it.

W