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Thread: Life After Stripping

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    Default Life After Stripping

    So I was wondering....... I graduate in June with a BA degree and I don't want to work in the field I studied all these years. I don't regret getting a degree, but I don't understand what to do next in life...... Dancing is great, but I can't imagine being a dancer 20 years from now. I know it's possible and all, but I don't see myself doing that.
    I know some of you may suggest I go work in my field of study, but I had two long term internships both paid and the more I did the job, the more I realized it is not for me....... Kinda sad now and confused...... What do I do?
    Go get another degree? Save enough and buy a business? Save enough and buy a couple of properties to rent out for supplemental income?
    So confused...... Anyone been in my shoes?

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    Featured Member Tourdefranzia's Avatar
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    Default Re: Life After Stripping

    Been there, done that. I'm back to stripping. I don't regret my degree, but I just don't want to work in the field I studied. I plan on going to beauty college and applying my knowledge of business and HR toward owning my own business eventually. In the mean time, I'm happy dancing.

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    Featured Member kaninchen's Avatar
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    Default Re: Life After Stripping

    Well, what else can you do with your degree besides the type of work you did during your internship? I don't know what your degree is in, but for example if it's a BSN, maybe instead of working in healthcare, you could do science writing. If it's an engineering degree, maybe instead of working for an engineering firm, you could apply for the Peace Corps to do development work overseas.

    Do you want to join the military as an officer? Do you want to get any type of corporate office job that just requires a degree, and has nothing to do with your specific field of study?

    Don't be sad or confused. You have tons of options! But I would suggest you think first of what you could do with what you already have (and what you have undoubtedly invested a lot of time and money into) before you start another degree or invest in a business.

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    Moderator charlie61's Avatar
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    Default Re: Life After Stripping

    I would get a job in your field now (to avoid resume gaps, get some real-world experience, and to buy yourself time), and wait to make any big decisions until you have some epiphanies about what you do want to do. It's normal to graduate with a certain amount of apathy about one's field - you just kind of get sick of it after studying it for so long!

    I know one thing stripping killed for me was my patience (specifically in regards to long-term goals) and ability to delay gratification (specifically in regards to money), especially when it comes to working normal hours for normal pay. I'm working on building those qualities back up. Vanilla jobs aren't just about the money...it's about quality of life, resume building, life experience, consistent money and work environment, etc. Since you're planning on eventually leaving stripping behind, I think it's important to solidify those core skills to ensure your work ethic stays intact. Otherwise you'll turn into yet another one of those strippers who forgets that there's more to life than how much money you've made and how early you can retire. If you're still enjoying dancing, then keep dancing once a week and save that money for the future. But I highly encourage you to keep in contact with the straight world - whether it's a job, an internship in a different field, or volunteer work.

    In the meantime, try to figure out if there are any fields that do interest you. Yes, you may have to go back to school. But as long as you're working towards something about which you're passionate, then that should be enjoyable time for you. Life is mostly about the journey. So take your time doing some soul searching and career research, read some personal development books, and try to figure out if you have any major strengths / interests that you could turn into a career.

    I'm giving this advice based on the fact that you said you don't want to be dancing for the next 20 years.

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    Default Re: Life After Stripping

    Kaninchen beat me to the suggestion of the military. Even w/o a degree there are a fair amt of options, having the degree just opens up the rest of the possibilities for you. It can't hurt to do a little research in that direction -- read up online, go meet w/ a recruiter & really get a more solid idea of both what would be required of you from joining the military & what they can do for you in return.

    My field is not one that I chose for myself. I got into it by accident & altho I enjoyed what I was doing, if I am to be truly honest, I only continued into it deeper bc of a lot of family pressure ('You need to do this now & I am telling you this for your own good, bc I know better' kind of attitude) that was piled on at the same time I experienced a devastating breakup. I went along w/ it bc at the time I really didn't know which way was up in any area of my life, much less my job/career. While I have gained sm phenomenal experiences (both positive & very informatively negative) & this path brought me to my bf who is also one of my truest friends, I can relate to the feeling of 'Is this really all there is for me?'

    I am looking at the Navy right now myself. I come from a military family & it has always been smtg I was interested in but, you know, life has a way of just getting in the way. Plus I am still pretty burnt out dancing & since my club is closed indefinitely, my dancing options are also limited right now & I am not getting any younger. Say you do join the military, & just do one minimum enlistment period -- no one is gonna put a gun to your head & say you have to jump in for the full 20 yrs -- it will open you up to many more experiences, & may set you on a career path (military or civilian) that you otherwise would nvr have been exposed to. Plus it looks smashing on a resumé once you get out.

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    Default Re: Life After Stripping

    Some food for thought in case you want to switch careers:
    http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagou...college-grads/

    At least in case you decide to go back and do something different. I met a lot of people with a bachelors who went on for their second degree in a technical field. Maybe you need a break once you're done to figure things out.

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    Featured Member kaninchen's Avatar
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    Default Re: Life After Stripping

    Also, just to clarify on the military thing: if you get commissioned as an officer (which requires a degree, as you have) you 1) can do as short or as long a period as you want, since getting a commission is on your terms time-wise and 2) would get paid comparably to what a dancer earns. I would imagine that any woman who is used to the freedom, income, and autonomy of the club is NOT going to be happy as an enlisted person, so I do not recommend that path!

    Plus there's the added social benefit of having a few years of "honorable military service" on your resume in case you're planning on working in fields where "former stripper" might carry a stigma. As stupid as that stigma is.

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    Default Re: Life After Stripping

    thanks for the responses ladies! No offense to anyone in here, I think military is great, but there's no way on earth I would ever even consider military. It's just not me and not something I could ever do. I definitely respect the people who do though.

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    Default Re: Life After Stripping

    I'm in the exact same position as you. I graduated in December and my plan has been for as long as I can remember to do two years of vanilla work in my field and then apply to graduate school and then get the job I want.

    Except now I don't really want to do that... like you I know I don't want to be stripping forever, honestly I wouldn't even want to be stripping in five years. I'm 100% sure that I want to go to graduate school, I'm just really starting to re-evaluate what I want to do. Ironically stripping is what has pushed my to change my mind. My degree is in theatre and psychology and I went back and forth between the two but was very settled in theatre towards the end. I had always planned to do an MFA, but now I'm thinking I would rather do a Phd in psych, because I love interacting with people daily (yes I'm one of those weirdos who love speaking to customers about their problems). And, at the moment, I'm really enjoying dancing. I honestly haven't had the time to really throw out resumes, but a lot of the entry-level jobs in my field (theatre) just sounded incredibly unappetizing.

    The good news is that a lot of people struggle out of college-- they travel, they can't find jobs so they work shitty pub or office jobs, etc, so a resume gap at this period isn't the end of the world and won't look too strange to an employee. I would say enjoy dancing for a while and just take some time to think. See where you are in six months, which is when people might start to wonder what you're doing. Work a bunch of different vanilla jobs if you like to see what else is out there and get a taste for something new. Audit some classes in other fields you're interested in.

    Teach For America and the Peace Corps are also good, I have a few friends doing both those programs while they debate on whether or not they want to apply to grad school or just go straight into work.

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    Default Re: Life After Stripping

    Solely having a degree is no longer enough to get accepted into a military OCS, especially when more and more enlistees are joining with degrees.





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    Default Re: Life After Stripping

    ...or go to law school.


    j/k





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    Default Re: Life After Stripping

    It also might be a good idea to give yourself a month or two off from doing any sort of work after you graduate (if you can swing that financially). Take some time to breathe post-school and meditate a bit on your direction. School is all go-go-go, so it can be tough to go straight from college into a job. Take a month or so off and use that for things you enjoy (i.e. don't spend the whole time on Netflix) - exercise, reading, breathing, walks in nature, re-connecting with family / friends, etc.

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    Default Re: Life After Stripping

    Quote Originally Posted by Jay12 View Post
    ...or go to law school.


    j/k
    Actually it might be a very good idea for me. Make enough money to afford it by dancing and then go!! Thank you! I might just do that!

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    Default Re: Life After Stripping

    I am also in the same boat! I just got my BS degree and have NO interest in working in my field.

    I found another career that interests me more... what I did was kind of identify WHAT about my BS degree field bothers me and then checked against this new field to make sure I wouldn't end up in the same position after another degree. Sooo, I am going back to community college to get an associates in that area.
    I would advise you do the same sort of "analysis" if you do more school, so you have a better chance of getting into something you really like.

    If you go immediately back to school, it won't look like too much of a resume gap. Even if you just dance for a few months to build up some capital for more school, it's not uncommon for grads to take time off after school to just chill.
    "People jack off with the left hand and point with the right."

    "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave."

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    Default Re: Life After Stripping

    Quote Originally Posted by charlie61 View Post
    I would get a job in your field now (to avoid resume gaps, get some real-world experience, and to buy yourself time), and wait to make any big decisions until you have some epiphanies about what you do want to do. It's normal to graduate with a certain amount of apathy about one's field - you just kind of get sick of it after studying it for so long!
    I think this is a bad idea. The more you work on resume building in one field, the harder it will be to change fields later on. The further you move down a particular road, the harder it is to get back to a starting point.

    Just like people find themselves trapped in a strip club career (managers, bouncers, and other male employees also find it hard to get out after working in clubs for a few years), you can also find yourself trapped in a career you don't enjoy. I just re-wrote a resume for a customer who has been an electrical engineer all his life and pretty much hates the job. His company recently moved and he was left without a job, but knows 100% that he does not want to be an electrical engineer anymore. The really sad thing is that he has been working at a job he hates for 30 years! I got him hooked up with the extras casting agency I belong to, and he got his first job as a movie extra this week. He couldn't be happier with the change of career and wonders what took him so long to change jobs?

    Anyway, my point was that doing something you don't enjoy is likely to bring more of that career into your life. I felt exactly like the OP when I first started dancing. I loved the career, but assumed that doing this job long term was not a viable option. Here I am, 16 years later, still dancing. Most people switch careers every 5-6 years, so I guess as far as longevity, I'm doing ok. It is possible to make a career and retire from dancing.

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    Default Re: Life After Stripping

    Quote Originally Posted by Tourdefranzia View Post
    I think this is a bad idea.
    You and I have entirely different backgrounds and different prospects, and therefore different opinions. Your opinion isn't better than mine, and mine isn't better than yours. Only the OP can decide which path is right for her particular situation.

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    Veteran Member Warped's Avatar
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    Default Re: Life After Stripping

    I have two degrees (bachelors and masters). Still stripping I'm too spoiled to hold a 9-5. Going for my doctorate next year.

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    Default Re: Life After Stripping

    I quit dancing about a week before I graduated from college. But, I was very happy with my B.Sc. No regrets there. I took a couple of months off, traveled with some friends, had a totally meaningless affair and then settled down to my job. So, I think the advice to take some time off between school and stripping and the career world is very good advice.

    Law school, not a great option unless you get a full ride scholarship. Otherwise, it's over priced. And, there are too many lawyers for the work to be done. So, lots of lawyers will work cheap and other lawyers over bill to try and keep fancy firm overhead paid. It's a bad - bad - very bad time to be a lawyer.

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    Default Re: Life After Stripping

    I've always juggled both the vanilla degree job and part-time dancing. Could not fully commit to either of the lifestyles, and wanted to keep my options open while I still could. This has it's challenges (pm if curious) but on the other hand its allowed me to have my cake and eat it too. I guess you just need to know what you want or don't want, and it seems like you do.
    Good luck!

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