Q: I was out of work and out of luck two years ago and out of desperation took a job that paid good money.  Unfortunately, it was one I couldn't tell my friends or family about because I was ashamed of it.  I took a job as an exotic dancer and have even posed for some adult-themed websites.  This has been my only source of income for the past two years but now I want to get out of it and get a job I can be proud of.  How do I handle this job on my resume and in interviews?

A: This is a tough situation, to be sure.  While you earned good money, you can't exactly brag about the job to potential mainstream employers.

There are a few ways, however, that you can use this emergency job to help you acquire a job you can even tell your mom about.  And you can do it without omitting the job, thus creating a two year gap between jobs. Here are a few ideas:

Transferable skills.  First, focus on the skills you gained during your tenure.  Even the worst jobs provide a new skill or two.  As an exotic dancer, for instance, you provided customer service, entertainment, and learned how to deal with the public.  You also most likely learned how to remain composed in front of large groups.  These are valuable marketable assets.

Functional resume.  Now that you've discovered your transferable skills, you should seriously consider using a functional resume.  On functional resumes, you highlight what you've done, while diminishing your job title and place of employment.  Here, you focus on your accomplishments.

Reshape the job title.  Instead of using the title "exotic dancer" or "topless dancer," you might simply use the title "customer care representative" or "entertainer" or even "independant contractor."  It comes down to conotation: "independant contractor" sounds much more businesslike than "exotic dancer."

Parent company. Many adult-themed establishments are owned by larger, non-descript sounding parent companies.  Listing the parent company "XYZ Inc." will sound better to potential employers than "Bob's Busty Babes." 

Dress against the type.  When interviewing (and working on your new job), dress conservative - very conservative.  You'll carry yourself in the manner in which you dress.  When you danced, you acted like a dancer because you wore (or didn't wear) a dancer's outfit.  When you dress like a professional in the business world, you are more likely to carry yourself as such.

IN THE CARAVAN: If you've worked a shady or adult-themed job and want to go mainstream, concentrate on your transferable skills, develop a functional resume, use a job title synonym, list the parent company and dress conservatively.

NEXT FRIDAY: Breaking Out of Seasonal Employment

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