I passed the Lane Bryant interview

[Sometimes Steffi]

I passed the Lane Bryant interview. I had the FtF interview with the (local) hiring manager. She's going to pass my application up to corporate HR for their approval. She said it's a new process, and she doesn't know how long it will take. They will also tell me my salary offer at that time.

All of my online retail therapy helped me show excellent knowledge of women's clothes and fashions. She talked about how we (the SAs) have to dress in seasonal appropriate clothing for work. I think I mentioned "mustard yellow", and how I didn't think it would look good on me. She said that it only works for certain skin tones. She also said I would be trained (like all SAs) on fitting a woman for a bra.

In addition, I have been attending an "Interview Practice" class, where the instructor asks everyone a question, many of them from the "Top Ten Interview Questions". She asked a number of questions from that list, and I had already practiced responses to them.

I'm very excited about the good possibility of getting the job. My wife has never been happy about my CDing, but she has tolerated it. I'm not sure if she will tolerate my working en femme. As someone said earlier, it's a "labor relations" problem that I'll have to resolve with my wife, and soon.

I'll provide more details on the interview process and how I prepared for it when I have more time.

Anyone have any suggestions for "The Talk, Version 2"? I hope I'm not the first person on the board with a DADT wife doing this (applying to work in a woman's retail store).

[Sallee]

congratulations on the first interview May the rest go as well

[mattea]

Congrat's Steffi! I could never work there, because I already spend too much money there as it is! I love their stuff. Hope the rest goes well and good luck on this adventure.

Mattea

[cdinmd206]

Congratulations. I have always liked Lane Bryant and they just went up a few more points with me

[nvlady]

Congratulations Steffi. I wish you were in my area so you could fit me for a bra and help me with some clothing choices.

[alwayshave]

Steffi, congratulations.

[Tracii G]

Congrats and I hope you do get the job.
Hope your wife is understanding about it.

[Joni T]

Congrats on the interview. Hope for your sake all goes well with HR. As for the talk--it's time to just do it.
Jon

[docrobbysherry]

"Fitting women for a bra!?":eek:

I felt nothing but fear reading that! But, if your heart's set on it, Steffi? I hope u get the job and have no issues with customers!:thumbsup:

You'll have to handle your wife, tho!:brolleyes:

[Lacey New]

Congratulations Steffi! I was pulling for you. I’m sure you will enjoy the work - if you can call it that! Just be careful with the bra fittings. I would hate to see you or the store in the headlines for something innocent going badly.

[Sometimes Steffi]

I was told that bra fittings were done over the clothes and that there always two SAs performing the bra fitting. But, I am still worried about it. It could be very embarrassing to have to determine if the breast completely fills the bra. But, I was told that the manager was friends with a male employee at another store does bra fittings. While there might be some initial concern, he is eventually lauded for his professional attitude and knowledge of bra fitting. I would also be fitted with a communication device to summon help from the manager.

Still, I'll be shaking in my pumps the first time I do a bra fitting.

[Rhonda Darling]

Steffie, I knew you could do it. I know it’s not over yet, but here’s an early CONGRATULATIONS!. :dance: :yippee:

I know you don’t want to upset the home front, but you need the job, your innate nature won’t change, and it’s time to take the bull by the tail and face the situation with your wife —- this move will bring in an income again. No one is harmed by your taking this job. NO ONE who knows the other you will possibly recognize you working at LB. It’s time that ”she who should not be obeyed” stops objecting and lets you dress at home so you present the best possible appearance when you get ready for work. IMHO.

Best,
Rhonda

[JaclynL61]

Congrats on passing the interview Steffi. Good luck the rest of the way. I'm sure it will be a learning experience. It should be a nice change from engineering (also an engineer here). I don't know what to say about the talk with the wife. I'm also in a DADT situation. I think working in public like that would be quite a stretch for her.

[NancySue]

Congratulations on your journey, so far. Just remember, nothing is final until the ink dries on the final home office approval. Hopefully, your wife issues will work out positively. It sounds like you might have a steep hill to climb. Best wishes on both.

[Leslie Mary S]

Congrads. I guess the thing that comes to my mind is; when dressed do you still look like a bull in a china shop or more like a hen in the chicken coupe. I hope you wear a big smile rather than that long face on you profile.

[kimdl93]

That’s great. I’m really curious about how this will all play out with your wife. Good luck with that!

[Jean 103]

I just want to say it is great , all of what you are doing.

And I applaud you

It is just all my friends are GGs. We go shopping all the time. It's just me but I have no interest in being an SA. Especially in a dress shop. I would starve to death, I would spend my paycheck on dresses.

I wish you the best of luck

[bridget thronton]

Fingers crossed - you have done well so far

[Joyce Swindell]

What would be even more awesome is if you have lots of CD friends shop there because of you working there!

I would if I were close enough.

[Stephanie47]

I'd love to be the fly on the wall when you have "The Talk, Version 2." Any of your neighbors have the body type to venture into Lane Bryant?

[mykell]

ok not wanting to be a wet blanket :devil: devils advocate perhaps, ive been rooting for you but, i think you would have had a better shot keeping the position if you had consulted your wife at the inception of this quest, when you came out to her did you promise "no more lies or deceptions", most of those stories seem to have that common denominator.

i had started with a DADT position when i came out in the beginning but did not want to assume all was good because she did not want to know....so i had hard conversations and were at a pretty good place right now, i go to social outings, support groups and even have my own volunteer gig at a LGBT club. you do not give that impression of your relationship so im worried for you.

SO im not judging and hope it works out for you but what is the end game....if after all this you get the job and cant take it because of the Mrs. concerns it would certainly suck for you. but im thinking that it would suck for the next CD or trans person that applies to that type of position. the person has a bad taste from the experience will most likely pick a non CD/trans person the next time, again not judging but some important details are missing.

[Lynn Sealy]

Outstanding news. Let us know which store once you're hired.

[BTWimRobin]

Steffi, this is such wonderful news. Congratulations!!!

[JulesLynne]

Congrats!!!! I’m also in the DC area and might have to swing by to say hello.

[Shelly Preston]

Congratulations Steffi

I would suggest you talk to your wife and soon.

Carefully explain that you have had an interview and you are hopeful of getting the job.
I hope she agrees that working as a woman is better than not working at all.

Good Luck

[AndreaCalifCD]

Congratulations Steffi, that's fantastic!

:)

[Michelle Crossfire]

Outstanding. I would love to hear how everything turns out.

[Crissy 107]

Steffi, Congratulations! That is wonderful and it looks like you will get the job. Please get the wife talk behind you soon, you will be ok but you just need to do it.

[Mary Lawrence]

Wonderful! Looking forward to hearing more about your journey.

[abbiedrake]

A cautious congrats, Steffi.

That talk though? I'm not sure this is great advice, especially since I believe in being honest even though my wife disapproves... Maybe stick to the DT part of DADT.

There, I've said it. Of course you'll need to tell her about the job, but I'd strongly suspect she'll put 2 and 2 together very rapidly then it's up to her if she wants to ask.

Granted that then entails her breaking the DA part and you may prefer to not put her in that position. Perfectly understandable. But you're kinda already doing that. You don't need THIS job. But you sure do want it. So ultimately your desires are what's stretching the bounds of the contract you and your wife have struck, however reluctant you might have been in acceding.

So that brings me to a place I can very much sympathise with. My wife doesn't care for me dressing, at all, as noted. But I want to go to a Non-binary social. For me, my position as her carer renders moot any choice about telling her. I have to. But I would anyway, frankly.

This is your call, Steffi. Which is going to weigh on you more in the long run? Potentially deceiving your wife, rationalising to yourself that what she doesn't know can't hurt? Or missing out on this opportunity (I would still consider the income an ancillary benefit, given the potential downsides. I doubt it's a significant enough bargaining chip for your wife.)?

You asked for advice on 'The Talk 2.0'. I'm really not sure that the way you approach this is at all important compared with the decision over whether you do indeed have the talk at all. Put another way, this is a situation where there's fewer ways to lessen the blow and probably fewer questions, since those are typically dealt with in 'The Talk 1.0'. But the pitfalls remain potentially as huge. Is this something that could cause an irreparable rift? Only you know, Steffi.

Keep us posted. We're all rooting for you.