I had a good friend who worked in the banking industry till he retired. Total suit and tie guy, but the ties...oooh the ties. He hated them, and he so loved "casual Fridays" but because of being in management he couldn't enjoy, till he found his Hawaii ties. From then forward (mid 90's), everyday he wore a very professional suit and...Hawaii tie. Loud, colorful, almost to the obnoxious side, but those dang ties got him more business and opened more doors that any business card ever did.
Step 1: get the job. That means a completely professional presentation and attitude. Be confident and assure them that you can do this job well for them.
Step 2: make sure you are completely up to date on harassment issues, policies, and procedures. You'll probably need them, and you will need to expect to use those policies, especially in the first few months.
Step 3: as time passes you will understand how to show your interests slowly, and only to management, not to those working for you.
Have the best of luck and skill in your interview!!!
It might sound like a "kid in the candy store" job, but it won't turn out that way.
As a teen, I had a warehouse job one summer as a shipping clerk for an upscale women's store.
My main duty was shipping returns back to the manufacturer by packing them up neatly. So, I had to hamdle *everything*, fold it neatly, pack it neatly, and wrap it in brown paper. At that time, I wasn't even out to myself, never mind anyone else. So my main job was acting as if I was titally uninterested in all the chick stuff I was packing up.
I don't know how you would get to use your discount. Bu a job it a job.
Suit and tie for the interview, but with a little fashion flair. Colored shirt and non-traditional tie. I have some wonderful Jerry Garcia ties, and a number of other portrait ties, typically World Wildlife Fund ties with pictures of animals.
Hi, I'm Steffi and I'm a crossdresser... And I accept and celebrate both sides of me. Or, maybe I'm gender fluid.
Dark blue suit with red tie! That is the top power suit. In the north east around DC black is good too. I know management in a couple different clothing store chains. Today the store managers in one are pretty casual in the other coat and tie is expected. You can always become more casual later, but it doesn't go the other way as easily.
You want to look like a store manager. Better to go with a dress shirt, tie, jacket, and slacks for the initial interview. This shows that you are taking the job seriously.
It may be appropriate for you to share that you are transgendered, but don't be too specific unless she asks. Depending on the state, you may be worth EEOC credits.
The more important thing is for you to share the experience and skills that you have that make you qualified for the job. Telling her you are transgendered helps her to understand that you actually DO know a bit about fashion. It also tells her that you can help customers who want a man's opinion on their outfit. Of course, you would not to only give your opinion when asked.
If you have prior retail experience in other stores, you want to share that. You also want to share your experience of managing and supporting your team, and especially any work you have done with teams of women. For reasons you aren't even aware of, you are probably an excellent fit for the position.
Worst case, you don't get the job and continue to qualify for unemployment.
Facebook - Debbie Lawrence
Web - [URL="http://www.debbieballard.org"]DebbieBallard.org{/URL]
See also:
Open4Success
Well, I will be going in on Monday for the face to face interview... I was starting to wonder if they had decided against me, but I got the call yesterday afternoon. Wish me luck, and if anyone can think of good questions I should be asking, please send them my way!
I wish you good luck with the interview. go in and ace it!
First, GO FOR IT.
1) How would I dress for this job (in drab, as I alluded)- dress shirt and tie, or polo shirt, what would be acceptable attire?
Ask the manager about the scope of acceptable attire....but wear a tie to the interview unless it's a casual attire store.
2) What other advice can you give? I know she is looking to bring someone in who will make a difference in loss prevention, specifically with regard to employee theft and holding people accountable.
For LP ... be ready to make enemies. If you need a friend, get a dog. Dishonest WOMEN are horrid to work with ... they will form the CLIQUE to get rid of you and claim all sorts of sexual harassment issues against you. So you need to MENTION this fact to the manager so that she will be prepared for the string of complaints of that nature BEFORE they happen so that you don't end up on legal trouble. Look, these women are stealing ... so be assured they WILL lie.
DAY ONE ... go in and enforce new policies (pre-approved by manager ) including ...
1) All store product purchased is to be paid for as soon as it is selected ( no holding/layaway things for days until pay day ) and it is to be bagged, taped-up & signed by manager on duty
Do a google search for retail loss prevention methods.
Do "surprise" purse inpections at store close ... but have TWO OTHERS ( NEVER YOU ) be the ones to inspect for earrings, other small products.etc
Just the other day, I stumbled upon a page with some very valuable info about how to respond to the interview question: "Do you have any questions for me?"
This page
http://www.thedailymuse.com/job-sear...uld-be-asking/
should help you knock someone's socks off and land you the job. Best of luck , sister!
GREAT advice MonctonGirl, and that link from Suzanne was VERY helpful also.
First of all, good luck in the interview Allison. Go in with confidence and I'm sure you'll do well. I have several thousand employees in my operation and a management team that helps oversee them. As you can imagine I sit in on a lot of interviews. Here's a few thoughts for you, and things I consider must have's for top interview performance:
- Dress professionally for the interview.
- Be prepared. Know the company, a bit about its history, sales record, stock rating, company culture, mission/vision, etc. Whatever you can dig up do so. Showing you know something about them says you care about getting the job and want to work there.
- When you're telling about yourself speak to specific results YOU delivered in past jobs. Try to do so without sounding narcissistic, and weave in examples of how you worked with teams to help drive success.
- Be confident. Prior to the interview day do things that help build up your self esteem. Run, walk, swim, shoot pool, whatever. Point is to exude a presence people want to have on their team, especially confidence in a leader (manager.) Trust me, you can't fake this.
- Remember the more interviews you do the more confidence you build. In the past I've went on throw away interviews -- jobs I would never take but just needed to practice interviewing. No harm if I didn't do well as I had no intent of taking the job anyway but I exposed my weak points to myself in the process.
- Get a current book on interview questions and how to answer them. Study it well.
In the end, getting the job requires you to demonstrate you have the skills and experience needed for the position and that you are a good fit for the culture and team. Again, good luck and keep us posted.
And as far as the step down. Do you know the CEO of Food Lion or Winn Dixie forget which started as a cashier!!! She just keep moving up. And that's right I said SHE is CEO.
Unless crossdressing came up in your conversation, she thinks you are an ordinary man who might provide the skills she needs in that position...I would go in as male, work as male if you get the job, then maybe gradually build trust and see if she could handle you being a CD, too.
Karren, they are probably complimenting you on the outline of your corset they see under your suit!!Originally Posted by Karren Hutton
I had the face to face interview today, and was told to expect a call on Thursday. It seemed that it went really, really well. Oddly enough, the store manager brought up crossdressing when she went over the company benefits and discount program, emphasizing that if I wanted to use certain discounts, they were for associates alone and not for family, so I could only buy things for myself with those. I also would apparently NOT be the only male working there, which surprised me a bit.
I appreciate the advice and input, it was quite helpful. Thanks everyone!
Well congrats, Allison! Glad it went well. Let us know what Thursday brings.
Update: I got the job and negotiated a better than usual starting wage. I start Tuesday!
Wow, congrats! If you're a manager, be prepared to hold people accountable. I'd recommend corralling the staff on day one and laying out expectations. Give people a clean slate, but if they break your trust or company rules, document it and throw them out. There is nothing worse than having a crummy employee work for you, you end up spending 90% of your time on them when you should be rewarding good employees. The only way to deal with those that can't meet your standard is to get rid of them. Considering how many people are hurting for jobs, you shouldn't have a problem removing the bad ones and hiring in people that want to be part of your team. Heck, I'd join you part time (although I doubt you live in Georgia).
Thanks Jennifer. I've hired and canned plenty of people in my day and the 90% rule is too true. One of the good things about this opportunity is that the company is affiliated under a retail group with several other women's retail companies, so there is some promotion opportunity without having to relocate.
Congrats Allison. So happy for you!! So, what specifically is the job?
Allison:
Excellent. You'll be a corporate star in no time. It is clear that your professionalism and business ethics came through loud and clear in the interview. Congratulations. The lower salary may be more than compensated for by the change of pace, the environment you'll be working in, the employee discount, and your strong interest in the subject matter.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Best,
Rhonda
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Be all the woman that you can be!
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. . . and now, On With The Show!
Congratulations! Always love a happy ending.
Assume you are starting as assistant manager as per your own post --- happy you got the job. You may have fired people in previous positions but that is certainly
no way to begin a new career so I take exception to what I KNOW iis bad advice. Kindly reread my first response and if you believe I'm full of it --- I'll butt out.
Good Luck
Julie
Terrific thread and listen to Julie she clearly knows. And please keep us posted!
I have an occasional CD friend who worked in the women's section at Uniqlo, she said the pay was lousy but she loved the clientele and being able to help thm find a good fit and color. She has moved back into her original career as a graphic designer now, but note this: it is much much easier to get a job when you have a job. So even if this position doesn't turn out to be perfect for you, your next job will be easier to get. Very tough to get back into the job market in this era, but you gotta get one foot onto the ladder before you can go up.
Jackie, you read my mind! I am hoping to find something full time soon, and if that doesn't happen, then I hope I can build something new with this opportunity. I am fortunate in that my wife works and makes pretty good money. Sadly, my choice of bachelor's degree has not helped me, but I am optimistic something will turn up soon.
Julie, your advice is spot on. I would not go into any situation trying to be the Terminator. I intend to learn all I can and go from there. During the face to face, it sounded to me like a lot of the bad apples have been weeded out already. I will be starting as an assistant manager, albeit part time until a full time role opens up. I am really excited to get started.
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