My Queer CareerIntroduction to

Career Management

Question: Is a job the same as a career?

• A job is a specific position or work for which you get paid. Example: a registered nurse at XYZ hospital.

• A career is a journey that lasts your whole life. You build skills, knowledge, and experiences in school, work, volunteering, and hobbies.

This presentation is about thinking

about your career. Not just finding a

job.

The Queer community might be gaining more social equality but economic inequality is growing.

This doesn’t just affect us in the present, it will affect our futures.

The amount of social security benefits that a worker receives depends on his or her income during their working years.

Queer Income Inequality

•Since 2003, Arizona has prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in government employment and other public offices.•Discrimination in employment on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity is prohibited by the following Arizona cities:

•Chandler•Flagstaff•Phoenix•Scottsdale (public employment)•Tucson•Tempe (public employment)

•This means that you can still get fired in most of Arizona for being gender-variant, queer, LGBTQ, etc in the private sector.

The Law in Arizona

LGBT SUPPORTING COMPANIES• There are many LGBT supporting

companies from Apple to Raytheon.

• The HRC has a database of LGBT-friendly employers

• ONE Community is a statewide organization that promotes LGBT-friendly companies

• Check to see if they are an Equal Opportunity Employer

• Go to LGBTQ job fairs and events to see which companies sponsor and participate.

• LGBT-themed job sites like OutforWorkor Tucson LGBTQ Job Leads on Facebook

• Word of mouth

What is Career management?

• Career management is more than just what you do to find a job. It’s about lifestyle design.

• Think about the skills that you can get in industries that best suit your personality, skills, and your life goals.

• EX. If you want to be location independent, learn skills/trades that travel.

• EX. Sales is a bad career choice if you are an introvert that finds heavy socializing draining.

Skill Sets

How can you manage your career?

• You learn to flow with the changes that occur in your career.

• You commit to adding to your skill set.

• You balance career goals with your lifestyle design.

• You OWN your career.

Reminder

• You can, will, and should change your mind about your career path throughout your life.

– You may gain interesting skills along the way.

Think About It

• How do you learn?

• Do you like being indoors or outdoors?

• How much socializing do you want on the job?

• What skills do you like to do (ex. Writing, building, nurturing, etc)?

Google This Later

• Pick five people that you think have really cool jobs.– These are people who

are doing what you wish you were doing.

• Go to their LinkedIn pages, and trace their career paths backwards. – Maybe they're founder

of their startup now, but what were they doing before that?

Netwerk Activity

• This activity is to practice networking and professional socializing.– Split up into pairs or trios– Professionally introduce

yourself, including pronoun, and shake hands with comfortable eye contact.

– Ask or answer at least 2 easy/breezy ice breakers:• Choose your own or ask:• What kind of career are you

interested in?• What kind of projects are you

doing right now?

– Then find another conversation partner.

How it used to be: How it is today:

1. Earn a high school diploma; more school or job training was not required.

2. Most people rarely needed to use job search skills.

3. Compete for jobs only with local job seekers.

1. More jobs call for a degree or training past high school.

2. Everyone needs to keep his or her job search skills sharp.

3. Job seekers compete for jobs with people all over the world. Employers can move to another country. More workers can live away from their work. They use a computer to check in with their employer.

Today’s Job Market

Relationship Between Employers and Employees

How it used to be: How it is today:

1. Employees did not plan to change jobs or companies too often. Employers did not trust those who change jobs every few years.

2. Employer = Caretaker. Companies laid off workers only when things were really bad. Workers planned to be in one full-time job long term.

3. Employees stayed with one employer for a long time to get good benefits. Employers paid benefits based on how long you worked and your wage.

1. Employees tend to change jobs every few years. Each move brings more skills and opportunities.

2. Layoffs are more common. Workers see employers as customers. Full time employees act as contractors. Part-time positions are more common.

3. Employees take their retirement plans with them when they change jobs. Workers are in charge of their own retirement plans.

Employment Realities

How it used to be: How it is today:

• Workers had one career their whole

life. They worked for one company

long term.

• Employees could predict how and when their pay and work duties would increase.

• Employees would do exactly the work

an employer told them to do — and

no more.

• There were many manual labor jobs

in the production industries.

• Most people worked full time for one

employer.

• Employees who worked hard and

were loyal got good pay and job

security in return.

• Workers have many careers and jobs in their

lifetime.

• Workers create their own career paths within one or many employers. They have more say in their own pay raises or change in duties.

• Job duties change more often or match

projects. Employers want workers who think

for themselves.

• More jobs are in the service or knowledge

industries. Workers need to be creative.

They need to provide good customer

service. They also need technical skills.

• Employees might work full time or part

time. They might be short-term or contract

workers. They may work for more than one

company at once.

• Employees need to work hard and take

charge of their own career goals. They get

pay and training from many employers.

How Do You Pursue A Career?

• Jump Into It!

– Volunteer

– Find entry level position

– Take classes

– Entrepreneurship

– What else?

College or Work?

• You have options:– Traditional University– Community College– Americorp– The Workforce

• And you don’t have to do one then the other.– EX. Get an entry level

job in your field while going part/full-time at UA.

Take Care of Yourself

• Successful people know the importance of taking care of themselves.

• Self care means being prepared to work– Do you have transportation ready?– Do you have child care arranged?– Do you have health care resources?– Do you have stable housing?

• People new to managing their careers may need help. Don't be afraid to ask for it. Your community has programs to help.

LGBT Professional Wear

•Think of it as building your professional brand and developing your style.

Essence of Professional

Wear• There has been a tried and

true masculine fashion

choice for the office for

centuries.

• There is no such office

default for feminine or

androgynous clothing and

masculinization of fashion

is the norm.

• Neutral colors and a

reserved style of

dressing has had the

longest staying power of

office wear trends.

Professional Style By Industry•Finance/Banking:

•Conservative and formal

•Sales•Should correspond with the trendiness of your product and customer base.

•Government•Don’t be flashy or fancy

•Hospitality/Medical/Manufacturing–Unisex uniforms common

•Architecture /Advertising/ Media/Publishing/ PR

–Business casual with lots of personality

•Non-Profits/Academia–Varies by region but generally business casual to casual

Career Style Brainstorming!

•Take cues from your industry’s style standards.

–Pick 2 industries that you would comfortable dressing in their style:

•Ex. Fashionistas might be more comfortable with dress codes in Architecture, Advertising, Media, Publishing, or PR.

• Corporate dress codes are usually pretty standard along binary lines so binary cis and trans people have a clear guide to their work

wardrobes.

• Non-binary transgender folks and gender-nonconforming people sometimes have to experiment more to find where they feel comfortable and look professional.

• Here are some quotes and examples to inspire you…

Before my transition, I purchased all of my "male" attire (with the exception of neck ties) in "women's" clothing stores or in the "women's" department of a department store. It IS entirely possible to get a really good, masculine and tailored look entirely comprised of women's button down collared shirts, dress slacks, trouser socks and dress flats... No one else ever noticed that the buttons buttoned on the "wrong side" or that the fly was backward, but I did and it made me feel comfortable in at least having some sort of feminine expression, even though I was the only person who knew anything about it.

- Gina H., Association of Transgender Professionals

“My personal approach to

dress at GT Inc was to stick

strictly to the “male” dress

code, making sure to stay with

traditional slacks, button down

dress shirts and ties. So what I

was wearing were acceptable

business garments but not

“female” business dress.”

First Boi In – Dressing Queer in the Corporate

World by Carolyn Wysinger

-mediadiversified.org

This is a great look because of:• Quarter-Length Sleeved

Cardigan• Complimentary Scarf• Well-Coiffed Hair

-Picture of, Trav Mamone,

a Non-Binary Reddit User

• Find the intersection where your comfort level and your company’s dress code intersect.

• Style Resources:• Gigi Gorgeous (Youtube)• ftmguide.rassaku.net• JacobTobia.com• Autostraddle.com

Fashion Blog• Qwearfashion.com

Final word

Thank you!

• Go Forth And Look Fabulous, Professional, and Queerly You!