I'm moving on to bigger an better things soon and I'm curious if I should tell my employer....

[SinnamonFairbanks]

I am moving on to different employment gradually. I am currently looking for a hairstyling apprenticeship and I'm wondering if I should be honest about what I've been doing for the past 20 years. I feel like there are a lot of transferrable skills. While I have maintained other employment there are huge gaps in my resume where I was doing sex work or holding multiple jobs in sex work. It is agonizing having to lie all the time and act like all I've done is some dead end job. Hairstyling isn't a glorious job but it's something I would love doing and something I am passionate about. I'm just not sure which is worse, huge gaps in my resume or just telling the truth. I'm not ashamed of it, but I'm supposed to act like I am to spare other people's feelings and so they dont get all worked up about it. I just think it's weird that I have to do that. I'll do it if I have to but it would be nice if I didn't have to. I'm not the first sex worker to leave sex work and I have a hard time believing I'll be the only person who ever engaged in sex work in a salon full of women lol.

I've been lucky where I have worked at a bunch of place where my bosses were generally the first to talk about their experiences in sex work. One admitted to being a madame, another in porn and a few dabbled in selling pics and having a sugar daddy. Those are my people lol. I just feel like it's really hard to have to pretend all the time that I'm something other than what I am. I feel like an imposter when I show up and have to hide everything about my life.

What would you do?

Also, if you have any leads on a place that would take on an apprentice ESPECIALLY if they're sex worker friendly or former sex workers, that would be amazing!

I've always wanted to do outreach and I really want to do work in old age homes and women's shelters and help vulnerable people feel good again. It's just a haircut but I know how some people will put themselves last and I want to help people feel good and prioritize themselves. A good haircut always makes people feel good and lifts their spirits.

I would honestly love to open my own place one day and always have my door open for people that want to leave sex work. I always found the people with the shadiest pasts made the best bosses and business owners. They know what it takes to succeed by any means necessary and I can respect that.

 

[Shaquille Oatmeal]

I would try it out with one prospective employer who isn't your first preference.
See how they react.
Otherwise generally, in my opinion, the civie world does not react well to sex workers or people who see sex workers.

 

[The Oracle]

Bury it...There's too may judgmental people out there.

If you have skills no one will who's worth nickle will care about your past.

 

[poorboy]

Employers are more accepting of women having large gaps in their employment as men are still by and large seen as the bread winners, so it will be easy to make up a plausible story.

Since you are in a military town, you can say your husband was in the RCAF and was posted to different bases where jobs were tight, but now you're divorced, or you took time off to raise your children, etc.

Sex work is not seen as legitimate employment in North America, so best to keep it quiet.

 

[xix]

I never had an Employer ask about my gaps. If they do I simply say on holidays or taking care myself or worked in a minimal job that not need to be mentioned.
They never check anyways.
I seen people lied on their resume in ways you cannot imagine.
Companies don't even check if you actually graduated from the University / College although any regular Joe / Jane can with out any permission from anyone.

Now unless you apply for management they make check social media, if they have a HR department. If mama / pops place and check it is not worth it.

I only list the last employer - which I fudge the time - they never check. If you are going to a small place like mom / pops place and they check, I ran. Those people have issues in ways you cannot imagine.


Quote
I've been lucky where I have worked at a bunch of place where my bosses were generally the first to talk about their experiences in sex work.

They are not smart.