Hello fellow unicorns! I have been silent for a very long time, but I have been lurking. I wanted to keep up with things even though I wasn't in a good position to join the conversation. I have been amazed at the progress of some of the people on this site (Nicky!--wow, you have really blossomed!). Anyway, I always felt like this site was a safe place. So I just wanted to say: Hello again!
So, quick question. What are some jobs you would consider androgynous? Or uniquely suited to androgynes? i ask because i am trying for a certain job, and also going to classes for compTIA certs in A+ and networking. I know that a lot of people on this site are heavy into IT-- is it a TG or AG thing?
Just pondering....
I think it's more an issue of the atmosphere of the workplace that determines an andro's comfort level, rather than the job itself: How comfortable your co-workers are with someone who is neither here nor there or both here and there.
Though an IT skill set can make you valuable enough that they'll put up with some discomfort. I think that's how it is for me.
Im prety anfrogynous looking, i work in admin at a really relaxed little company renting out mopeds and doing copising
good times
At least in the old days doing something 'behind' the scenes tended to be a more employable skill than having to deal with the public or customers. And a skill, one that was needed - but not exactly the gravy train (like IT, companies need it, but it's not what they do) - also tended to work out better.
But a lot of that is falling by the wayside, Macy's have an obvious TS on a cosmetic counter, which is maximum viability, and she seemed to be doing great.
Thanks guys! I was wondering if androgynes were particularly well-suited for certain types of jobs over others. Before I finally broke down and "came out" to myself, I had super-macho jobs (firefighting/ bricklaying). But I also had some smaller time in jobs such as Zoo keeper and glamour photographer. I found that I loved those jobs- was really well suited to them- but wound up going back to the macho jobs--A. to "get back to being a man" and B. because the pay was ever so much better.
But I ask the question about jobs because back when I started to explore the concept of androgyny and whether that was an accurate description of me, I stumbled upon some kind of essay that I haven't been able to find since. It was basically an essay about what kind of jobs androgynes gravitate towards and what jobs they wouldn't be caught dead in. Nursing was listed as a major job for androgynes. Construction was not. While I disagreed with the black and white view of the writer (ie anyone in construction could not be an androgyne), I liked the attempt to define what kind of value(s) an androgyne brings to the table.
I'm not sure we are that particulalry suited for anything. I think some industries are hard for openly gender queers to find a place in because of the culture e.g. construction, but as for what we are most suited too I think that just comes down to personal preference and ability.
A lot of us here are probably more likely to have office type jobs considering the amount of time we spend on our computers.
I work for my government, I'm a qualitative researcher, and product and service designer. I'm comfortable with computers but don't work in IT, I work in publishing and dissemination. I like working with people, and I talk with all sorts both internally and externaly. My appearance has not created any issues and it makes me recognisable about the organisation which I think is a bonus.
I definitly find that being openly trans makes it permissive for those around me to talk about and explore their 'queer' sides. I actually do think we are well suited to counselling type roles, spritual guides, mediators, leaders, teachers, artists, musicians, because we tend to encompass or stradle the human condition. This still depends on aptitude off course.
I think some industries are hard for openly gender queers to find a place in because of the culture e.g. construction,
True, but its very, very, very hard for women to find a place in there, and its pretty hard even for most average regular guys to find a place and fit in. Its a very old and weird - well, cult. Think Masons, who came out of the construction deal. They are pretty picky about who they let near it, and partly for good reason. Its one of the last jobs where if you suck, your sucking can get your co-workers seriously injured and/or dead.
I agree with you Nicky--about being suited for the roles you mentioned. But I wonder if maybe we can do anything we decide to do. Of course,some jobs frown harder on obvious gender variance than others.
But a couple of months ago, I went home to do a small brick job with a friend. I spent most of the day working the trowel, making mortar, and everything that goes with that. Then, I got home and my sister was going out for the night. So I wound up doing her makeup for her, having girly talk the whole time.
I didn't think about it till later, but I think that sums up my life between genders. :)
I've been it IT for a long time, and i've seen many, many people that exhibited androgynous traits in the industry, mainly men with pony tails, but there have been other markers as well.
Plus, I think that we exhibit a "balanced" viewpoint, drawing from both the masculine and the feminine, and we work well in a team setting. Also, IT work appeals to a lot of us that have solitary work habits and logical mindsets.
And I know that there are quite a few on this board that have been, or are involved with, IT work.
Just my casual observation of doing 22+ years of IT work.
Interesting. I've been in management or a long time, specifically property management. I've have been exposed to a lot of management education and philosophies and it seems that most of these programs hold in high the androgynous form of management and hold it up as an example.
I work with property owners who are 90+% white and my entire staff is black so I have to be in the middle as well and appreciate the values of my customers but again appreciate and understand the culture of my workers, again, like being in the middle.
I would think that androgynes in general would be good managers