How to Explain Racy Work Experience on a Resume

Do you work as a stripper or are thinking of being an exotic dancer? If so, learn how you can highlight this experience on your resume.

There are many stereotypes when it comes to the profession of exotic dancing. People may think that an exotic dancer is addicted to drugs and dancing to get money to pay for her habit or that she lacks self-esteem and is doing it to get attention. The truth is that most of the stereotypes about strippers are completely false.

There are a lot of reasons why women choose exotic dancing as a line of work. There are also a lot of different women who work as dancers. Some are doing it to pay for college. Others are doing it part time to supplement professional careers. Here are some interesting facts about exotic dancers.

Most Strippers Are Happy With Their Jobs

A study by the University of Leeds in London found that very high levels of job satisfaction are reported among strippers. Most of the women interviewed for the study were stripping because of the high earnings that go along with the career, rather than because of coercion or drug addiction.

One in Four Are College Graduates

Although they are traditionally viewed as uneducated young women who are coerced into the lap dancing industry, the University of Leeds found that one in four lap dancers have a college degree. Most are working as exotic dancers to boost their income. Some are aspiring models, artists and actresses who hope to use exotic dancing as a way of breaking into their desired career. Others are unemployed new graduates that cannot find jobs. Many of those that cannot find jobs have degrees in English, art or a similar field.

Many Are Making as Much as Lawyers

You would be surprised at how much strippers usually make. Researchers from the University of Leeds found that strippers earn, on average, around $74,000 a year. This is just about the same amount of money that a lawyer makes in a year.

A Surprising Number of College Students Strip to Pay for School

According to The Telegraph, an increasing number of middle-class students strip to pay their way through college. Stripping helps students make ends meet and pay for school. In fact, many strip clubs actively target college students, sending out leaflets to undergraduate during freshman week to recruit students. ABC’s 20/20 did a news program that talked about how a number of college students that pay for college by stripping. “Maggie” is a straight-A student who is studying to become a lawyer. She strips every other weekend to graduate debt-free. Maggie is very unapologetic about her choice to perform as an exotic dancer. She says that she works just a couple of hours a month to pay for her tuition.

While these stereotypes are not true, unfortunately, there are people that still believe them. As a result, many strippers grapple with how to best highlight their experience on their resume. So, what should you put on your resume if you are a stripper or thinking about working as an exotic dancer? Here are a few ideas.

Use Another Word for Your Experience

Use a generic term to describe your experience. Many strippers are self-employed so it is fine to say that you are a “contractor” or “freelancer”. When asked for more details, you can talk more about the customer service experience that you provided. Alternative titles might be “actor”, “dancer” or even “entertainer”.

Highlight Your Skills

Exotic dancers tend to be motivated, positive, dependable and hard-working. If you look through job postings, you will notice that many employers are searching for these same skills. Therefore, highlight your strengths and skills. They will look great on your resume.