Hey all,

I was hoping to get to know you all more by asking what you do to put food on your tables!

Has your chosen profession(s) been affected at all by you being TG??

For example, I'm a university student...and I work part time as a grocery store supervisor. I did get a summer job as an HR admin assistant and even though I liked it I got the vibe that that place would not be very accepting of a transperson. I'm not living as a woman yet, b/c I'm still at home and I need my parents to help me get through school. I realize that college/university is a great place to transition but it just can't happen for me...esp. since I go to a small university and I pretty much know all the people in my program. I couldn't just show up in a dress one day, thats for sure.

I'm studying management, and I'm in my 3rd out of 4 years. I know that business isn't the best choice in my situation, as business is still relatively conservative, but it is getting better. But one of my professors that I am out to said that I may have trouble and that worries me. I don't want to have a hard time w/ the working world, esp. since once I start transition, I'll be on my own and I will def need as much money as possible.

So has anyone ran into these problems w/ their careers? Any suggestions about what/where I should and shouldn't do/go? Thank you.

Chrissi

I'm a network administrator and engineer.

I'm not transitioning but I let some people know about me. Not only do they seem to not care, but they forget after 5 minutes.

When I was of an age to begin to make those decisions there was no transition, just CDs and not CDs.  So I was weird and sought out people who were also weird.  So I hung out with hippies and began to work with bands.  Though I have tried several paths out of that, going so far as to get a PhD and teach at a university or two, I always came back to my first love, which is live shows.  Which I still do.  And the people I work with give me no more crap about my taste in clothing than they give anyone else about anything else.  It pays well, its union work, so I get good health care, and I can do it or not as I see fit, so I don't have to do some 9-5, I can work a whole lot all at once and then take a week off, or a month here or there.  That however is after 30 years work in the industry, so its not like I'm some overnight wonderkid or something.

Not only do they seem to not care, but they forget after 5 minutes.
That happens a lot in my work too but I think it's that 'short term/long term memory loss' deal that comes with the wacky weed they all smoke.

i work at a local sonic.  lol im in a fairly conservative state (kansas) but have manage to land at the most liberal sonic any of my fellow employees have ever been to.  not sure how it happenes being out in bum funk nowhere, but im not complaining!  so in this case, no it hasnt affected me at all.

I'm a programmer. It seems that this industry is full of liberal, forward-thinking people as I have transitioned at work and have had no problems whatsoever, even with some of my co-workers that I thought were going to freak. But everyone accepts it and treats me the same, well except they treat me more like a girl now, but that's good I went full time and by the end of the first day it was already normal. So I'd have to say that no, me being TS has not affected my career at all.

I'm in computer databases and am transitioning on the job.  So far it's a non-issue.

Jay

Hi Chrissi,

I work retail.  Cashier actually for Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse.  And I am transitioning on the job.  Just another girl cashier. 

I still have not obtained my first job, but I do not think my transsexualism is the reason for me not being hired.

I'm a a material handling specialist for a seat belt manufacturer. I will be transitioning on the job. I don't anticipate any problems because there is already a MTF where i work.

Sole programmer and general all-'round IT person for a smallish construction company. I transitioned on the job. It hasn't affected anything other than they don't let me carry heavy stuff anymore, lol. Customers, vendors, contacts, coworkers... no one cared. I sometimes wonder if I DID transition, as it's had such little impact on people in general.

~Kate~

Quote from: Kate on November 13, 2008, 11:08:09 AM
Sole programmer and general all-'round IT person for a smallish construction company. I transitioned on the job. It hasn't affected anything other than they don't let me carry heavy stuff anymore, lol. Customers, vendors, contacts, coworkers... no one cared. I sometimes wonder if I DID transition, as it's had such little impact on people in general.

~Kate~

You're disappointed you did not face retaliation from your coworkers?

Quote from: Gracie FAISE on November 13, 2008, 11:28:54 AM

Quote from: Kate on November 13, 2008, 11:08:09 AM
Sole programmer and general all-'round IT person for a smallish construction company. I transitioned on the job. It hasn't affected anything other than they don't let me carry heavy stuff anymore, lol. Customers, vendors, contacts, coworkers... no one cared. I sometimes wonder if I DID transition, as it's had such little impact on people in general.
~Kate~

You're disappointed you did not face retaliation from your coworkers?

LOL, no, of course not. I just feel that calling my experience a "transition" seems kinda misleading, as my life BEFORE and AFTER really aren't all that different. I'm just shocked overall in how uneventful "transitioning" was. 42 years of terror, fearing so many horrible outcomes... and it was just... boring, aside from my own personal melodramatic freakouts.

I've always felt a bit like a poser here, unintentionally melodramaticisizing (new word!) my worries and fears just to feel I belonged and had a "trauma" to share and bond with. Maybe I did, I dunno anymore. I'm miserable when I don't have something to obsessively worry about.

~Kate~

Quote from: Gracie FAISE on November 13, 2008, 11:28:54 AM

Quote from: Kate on November 13, 2008, 11:08:09 AM
Sole programmer and general all-'round IT person for a smallish construction company. I transitioned on the job. It hasn't affected anything other than they don't let me carry heavy stuff anymore, lol. Customers, vendors, contacts, coworkers... no one cared. I sometimes wonder if I DID transition, as it's had such little impact on people in general.

~Kate~

You're disappointed you did not face retaliation from your coworkers?

I don't think that she means that, Gracie.  I understand what Kate is saying because I am having the same kind of transition.  I am full time at work and so far customers, vendor, felloe co-workers are all like it isn't a big deal.  I even have a Catholic Father that comes in sometimes and he is very nice to me, treatingme like the woman I am.

But after hearing horror stories of others, it may sound like we are disappointed that things don't go bad.  But I hope that my transition will continue to be a joy.

 I did fibergalss and boat repaire in Hawaii. I could not transion and do that job. Why too bigoted. I also worked on a drag boat team in California.  I`m thinking of going into handywoman or just do tile. I would love to afford school and be a vet tech.

I transitioned in 1974 and built my career in engineering after. It was a lot harder being part of "a minority" but I didn't have much choice.

When I first started my transition I worked as a meatcutter (manager). I know I could have stayed on the job but I had been in that business for over 35 years. I don't know what it was but I just got burned out and in the middle of transition I retired with full benifits. I still work but as a school bus driver. I have been driving for 5 years now. I do like it. I did have a little problem when I first started but it was worked out in the first month of my employment.

Jack of all trades, and some trouble with employers/ work places. The good always outweighed the bad.

->-bleeped-<-boy

I currently work on an assembly line, and will soon begin night school for engineering. (On a side note: Is it just me, or are there a lot of engineers here?) I'm not out at work, but I get lumped with the guys by most people just the same.

Once I have a few years of an engineering degree under my belt, I may transfer to a tech job at another site or field service and begin medical transition. While most of the guys I work with are pretty decent sorts, I still hear about five "you so gay" jokes per hour. Transition is likely to be very awkward in my current environment.

I'm a professional loser with a good 22 years of experience.

I am also (well i am going to be, i have not yet finished my studies) in
IT/softwere engineering...
And i am glad to hear that things seem to be good for us in IT, and that
there are also girls and boys on this site who are my colleagues