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Thread: What can I put on my resume to mask my dancing career while applying for a day job?

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    Default What can I put on my resume to mask my dancing career while applying for a day job?

    Hello everyone! I am thinking of applying for a day job at a local whole foods grocery store and I am stumped about what is the best way to go about making my resume. I don't know if its really wise to put that I have been working at strip clubs all across the country for 4 years. I have a business license under my own name that lists me as an "entertainer". I do perform at festivals and parties with my hula hoops and fire dancing but I have definitely made the majority of my money stripping. I was traveling for a few months and spent two of those months volunteering at an intentional community at their smoothie/raw cacao bar so I figure I can include this on my resume, but other than that the last "job" that I had was close to 4 years ago working at a starbucks and before that I was involved in working as youth crew leader for a conservation corps for a few years. There is a huge gap in my work history now and I'm not sure what to say Ive been doing for employment all those years. Should I lie? I need to list work references and right now all my reliable work references are way back from 2010 and 2011.

    I really want to get a day job for maybe 20 hours a week and keep dancing but I am pretty certain I should keep it a secret during the job interview. My friend told me its best to come clean about dancing but I disagree. This is a whole foods-esque organic grocery store and I doubt that hiring an exotic dancer isn't their first choice because there is such a stigma around it. But i know that once you are hired its against the law to be fired for something like that right?

    If anyone has any tips on how to go about applying for a vanilla job or resume advice or anything of that nature, I would be so grateful!

    Thank you!

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    God/dess Selina M's Avatar
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    Default Re: What can I put on my resume to mask my dancing career while applying for a day jo

    I would certainly put your fire dancing. They won't know that it isn't the bulk of your income.

    I've said I was working at a family business, teaching various kinds of lessons, traveling, taking care of an ill family member... you name it.
    "People jack off with the left hand and point with the right."

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    Default Re: What can I put on my resume to mask my dancing career while applying for a day jo

    Indeed, these days, verification of past employment / income is becoming a big deal. Thus putting anything on a resume that can't be verified constitutes a risk.

    However, as Selina points out, it isn't expected that tutoring, taking care of a family member, or 'entrepreneurial' business ventures, or many kinds of 'volunteer' work, can be verified ... since there is no previous employer to call for verification and a reference. But this can also serve as a negative compared to other job applicants whose previous straight job employers can tell the prospective employer the person was a good worker, was reliable, etc.

    The one thing you do NOT want to do is to include something on your resume that can easily be 'disproven' by a prospective employer if they are inclined to investigate. Being caught lying on a resume is typically grounds for immediate dismissal.

    As to 'omitting' past and/or current dancing history from a resume, this is a calculated risk. It obviously keeps the topic of 'stripping' out of the minds of those making hiring decisions. However, once hired, if past and/or current dancing history is brought to the attention of the ( new ) employer, that employer is well within their rights to fire the ( new ) employee based on a 'lie of omission' on their resume. This can be a potential problem - even for girls who quit dancing after being hired by the employer - but probably a minor one.

    Similarly, most states allow employers to include 'requirements' in their employee handbooks which establishes the employer's right to discipline / fire employees who engage in any number of activities which might negatively affect the employer's business / reputation. Such clauses could also be a problem if you continue exotic dancing after being hired by the employer.

    Bottom line seems to be that a past history of exotic dancing constitutes a minor risk for girls seeking 'straight' job employment. Continuing to dance after being hired as a 'straight' job employee constitutes a greater risk. In both cases, the degree of risk probably depends most on the 'attitude' of the employer - the degree to which the employer values a 'squeaky clean' business reputation - whether the employer's line of business involves the 'public trust' ( other people's money, other people's bodies, other people's children ) - whether or not the employee position involves daily interaction with members of the public where being recognized by a ( former ) strip club customer could be problematic, etc.
    Last edited by Melonie; 05-19-2015 at 01:20 AM.

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    Default Re: What can I put on my resume to mask my dancing career while applying for a day jo

    Are you on good enough terms with any of your club managers to ask if they could serve as a reference for you and say you've been a door girl, shooter girl, server, etc.? In addition to filling up your employment gap, it'll give you a more recent reference.

    Quote Originally Posted by Novabynight View Post
    This is a whole foods-esque organic grocery store and I doubt that hiring an exotic dancer isn't their first choice because there is such a stigma around it. But i know that once you are hired its against the law to be fired for something like that right?
    That is false. You can get fired for anything as long as it isn't due to discrimination (race, gender, religion, etc.), retaliation, or a couple of other, non-relevant to your situation, instances, as outlined here: http://www.nolo.com/legal-encycloped...ees-30209.html

    You can absolutely get fired for past employment (or even something as ridiculous as wearing yellow or looking at your boss funny), though most likely they would paint it as having lied on your application and misrepresentation. That's NOT to say that I think you should come clean about dancing (I also disagree with your friend), but you're not protected if the truth does come out.

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    Default Re: What can I put on my resume to mask my dancing career while applying for a day jo

    If it comes down to me applying for a vanilla job, I'm going to say I've been modeling, since that's what I've been doing the past 8 years now. Would it be within their rights to request examples, or what?

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    Default Re: What can I put on my resume to mask my dancing career while applying for a day jo

    Quote Originally Posted by iamthefox View Post
    If it comes down to me applying for a vanilla job, I'm going to say I've been modeling, since that's what I've been doing the past 8 years now. Would it be within their rights to request examples, or what?
    I mean, they could, but why would they? Your work as a model would be irrelevant to almost any vanilla job you'd be applying for, so they'd have no reason to want to see your portfolio or comp card.

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    Default Re: What can I put on my resume to mask my dancing career while applying for a day jo

    I'd just fib and say I was a cocktail waitress.

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    Default Re: What can I put on my resume to mask my dancing career while applying for a day jo

    Self employed/consultant/owned a business. List any relevant skills (eg. handling large sums of money, dealing with difficult customers, etc.), and the dates.





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    Default Re: What can I put on my resume to mask my dancing career while applying for a day jo

    A close friend of mine just landed a vanilla job a month ago.She loves it and is making so much, she's not dancing anymore. She is also working so much that she doesn't have time.

    She had an 8 YEAR gap on her resume! Luckily, (and her stage name is Lucky) she has a naturally great personality which = good friends OTC. One of the was willing to lie for her and said she was her assistant. (Brokerage firm I think. And Lucky was a day trader with her license for two years).

    I have a 14 month gap on my res. But I did some networking and have come up with a cover that is mostly the truth: I've been sitting for old animals (mainly cats) for upscale people OTC. It's not what I ultimately want to do, but it's pretty much true, I have references and it looks pretty wholesome on a res, methinks. (More so than exotic dancing or any club work...unless I was looking for club work).
    Last edited by DorienG; 05-24-2015 at 10:39 AM. Reason: Need to add more words

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    Default Re: What can I put on my resume to mask my dancing career while applying for a day jo

    If it's a Whole Foods-esque grocery on the west side of the country, they probably hire wandering hippies all the time. I would just tell them an edited version of your story, basically mention the international travel and say that you made a living in between that as a fire performer/hooper. You could probably even say you were a bud trimmer to explain how you got the funds to live outside the country. Lots of people really do manage to live that kind of lifestyle without the extra dancing money, it's totally believable and honestly I think you're probably not far off from their typical applicant profile. Inventing a whole fake career would look fishy IMO. It would be necessary if you were trying to get a job in an office or something but not for this kind of work.

    ETA-just re-read and saw you need references. Definitely use the cacao bar peeps (that sounds amazeballs btw, I'm jealous of your life) if they can be reached by phone. Other than do some thinking about friends with connections to your scene that could say they've hired you for gigs and what not. Or even just friends that are trustworthy enough to lie for you. You could maybe even ask a travel buddy to vouch for you if you decide to embellish how much time you spent outside the country. Have them talk about how reliable you were while traveling in a strange land. Get creative! I recently landed an internship that required references, and I used the owner of my yoga studio for one of the references. He said great things about how much character and integrity I have, and I think it probably scored me some points to show an interest in yoga since the internship is at a PT clininc.
    Last edited by lurkingtitties; 05-24-2015 at 11:06 AM.

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    Default Re: What can I put on my resume to mask my dancing career while applying for a day jo

    I don't even know what to advise you. If it's a good business, sooner or later they will find out about your activities and I don't know how they could react. So this is absolutely your decision. It seems to me that it is better to tell about this work. You can use the service of , they really know how to write a resume properly and can give a couple of tips on how to submit information about this type of activity. Or you can just discuss everything with them.

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    Default Re: What can I put on my resume to mask my dancing career while applying for a day jo

    delete

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    Default Re: What can I put on my resume to mask my dancing career while applying for a day jo

    Quote Originally Posted by AnthonyPetrin View Post
    I don't even know what to advise you. If it's a good business, sooner or later they will find out about your activities and I don't know how they could react. So this is absolutely your decision. It seems to me that it is better to tell about this work. You can use the service of top resume writing service, they really know how to write a resume properly and can give a couple of tips on how to submit information about this type of activity. Or you can just discuss everything with them.
    Not true. And negative and alarmist advice to the poster. This isn't accurate at all. Not everone has a trail in this biz. Are you in it? Or, are you in the resume business?? I'm curious where you're getting your information from.
    Last edited by Nyla19; 08-05-2018 at 12:36 PM.
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