Legal stuff and jobs as a trans guy

Since you're still a minor, your options are somewhat limited--especially if you're looking for something that would avoid the need for a uniform and possibly a name tag. Given the hours you'd be able to work for your age, the most you'd probably be able to do is something in food service or retail. If that ends up being the case and you end up working at say, a department store, you could always say you have anxiety issues--so being around lots of people makes you nervous. They could very well find something for you to do in the back, like doing inventory or anything where you have as little involvement with other people as possible.

If you're in an area where people still get newspapers sent to them, you can see if you could do something under the table like that. While I was doing this when I was 21, I did a seasonal gig as an actor at a local haunt that not only paid handsomely, but allowed me to be stealth on the job. So the only people who knew I was trans were my bosses, and they were super cool about it and never gave me problems. Now if you were 18, I'd say you could push your luck with working the graveyard shift at a place like Wamart or a warehouse stocking shelves; which is what I've considered doing for a while now myself.

If you're still feeling hesitant about the idea, how about something that takes advantage of the seasons changing. Do you think something like dog walking, babysitting, mowing lawns, or cleaning pools is on the table for you? It might be small, but if you do something like...six hours of babysitting at eight bucks an hour 3-4 times a week; you'd be looking at $144-$192 a week. If you hit pay dirt and you do that for six weeks, you'd have over $1150 by the end of that time period. It adds up over time, and if you did odd jobs like that from say May to September, you'd make a lot of cash.

 

Then you can forget basically any job. You might sell drugs, you can even get a cool male alias and I bet the chicks would love a bad boy.

Seriously, there a jobs which require you to have a name tag but it's only the surname on it. About woman clothing: Stay away from mirrors. Then it's not that bad. Maybe go into construction, as there are mostly men you might have a chance that they don't have female uniforms.

Other options could be freelancing. But registration requires you to check your birth gender on apps that offer microjobs. You can try to build a company yourself which is gonna be a hell of a bunch of work considering you're going to school or write a book, that could create passive income for a while.

When you don't have a degree, you're screwed and only the shittiest of shittiest jobs are open for you. Reality is, you're lucky if you get one no matter how fucked up it is.

The best shot you got at getting money fast for necessities is take 2 years to go to the gym, get fit, go to the army and kill some terrorists. They pay well.

 

...

 

Hahaha trash can licking indeed.

I'm kind of in the same predicament where I identify as male but I'm closeted. A lot of laws say that organizations cannot discriminate based on gender identity, though it still happens. But you know what? A lot of people these days don't care if you're trans or not. Even if you obviously do not pass.

If you plan on working while in college, chances are you'll be getting an entry level job. Food service, working in sales, etc--all that doesn't really matter about how you present yourself, as long as you look and are CLEAN and polished and friendly.

I know the trans experience can be unsettling and leave you behaving more depressed than you truly are, but try to put your best face forward. If you can show that you are confident--and I mean that you rock your true personality (don't think about confidence in terms of appearance or your discomfort with your own skin)--then it really shows. Have heart, be bold. And just apply to jobs.

 

Aside from the name tag part, most retail uniforms (at least in my experience) are pretty unisex. In my younger years I worked at Osco (drug store) where we had to wear black pants and a blue polo they provided (I wore mine baggy and could choose the pants I wore). Although back then I hadn't realized I may have a different gender identity, I never liked wearing particularly female style clothing. I also worked at walmart, I think it was khaki or black pants and a blue top? Again it was left pretty much to my discretion. Then in college i worked at kmart and it was black pants and a red or navy shirt, which I usually wore polos. What foxfeather said is true, I think as long as you are clean and presentable, most places aren't going to care what you dress like. The name tag could be a little trickier, but I feel like asking to be called another name or at least have it on your name tag could be an option, or perhaps there's a nickname you could go by? I feel like a gym might not be a bad place, were dressing masculinely is more accepted as athletic females are often more masculine. Hope that helps, good luck with all of it!

 

Do you see yourself continuing to do manual work in the long run? I'm sure it'd be easier for you to hide yourself if it's just you and the horses and animals, but you might want to try for something at an office, just to pull yourself into something beyond your comfort zone.

---------- Post added 19th Apr 2017 at 12:32 AM ----------

I'd say maybe take a more subtle approach for being out. You don't have to explicitly out yourself at the office. If you present as male, people'll pick it up right away and there's no need for you to say it out loud, 'I'm trans, will that be a problem?' unless you feel there's a chance on the job that your rights will not be protected. if they want to discriminate, they'll do it right away off the bat and you won't get the job even if you're qualified. but then you already know and you can move on. straight and cis folks don't have to out themselves at interviews explicitely, 'oh by the way, i'm straight,' so I don't see why we should do anything so explicitly unless there's a genuine risk of discrimination othe job by someone other than the hiring manager, say, your coworkers.

I really, really hope that I don't sound like I"m saying HIDE YOURSELF. BE CLOSETED. If anything, I'm telling you to do the opposite. Instead of saying who or what you are, just be who or what you are. Gaydar and Transdar be strong with the straight, cis folk, too.

 

Most of the labour intensive jobs where I live don't require you to wear a uniform. Just a high visibility vest if its for something like road works or forestry work. Theres a big recycling and rubbish centre near where I live and people my age have gotten jobs there pretty easy. Dog walking and animal feeding can actually pay pretty well if you find a lot of clients. Labour intensive jobs often need you to wear pretty tough clothing which hide your body pretty well. I've recently started a job working in a team of landscape gardeners, so lots of pruning trees, mowing lawns and weeding rich people's gardens it pays really well and it's good satisfying work. We can wear whatever we like so long as we've got good shoes and work in all weather. I don't know if its any different in your country, but over here they're pretty slack about what people look like, the only thing that really matters is how well you work. Gotta be enthusiastic and either skilled or ready to learn on the job.

 

Taco bell no longer requires you to wear name tags and the crew uniforms for men and women are nearly identical. The manager uniforms are different only in fit and I asked for a men's uniform even though my boss doesn't know.

I've also worked in warehouses where they don't make you wear a uniform or name tag. I imagine most don't.

And I've worked at offices and call centers neither of which required a uniform beyond dressing business casual. I always wore men's clothes. Call centers will most likely require you to say your legal name at the beginning of each call however.

 

I work at a warehouse. Warehouses are very accepting of trans. You could also try a factory job.

 

Sounds like you should be good then hope it goes well