SAAFE forum
General Category => Questions and Answers => Topic started by: ladyofthemansion on 15 March 2012, 12:24:07 pm
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Applying for new jobs but don't know how to explain last seven years. Can anybody suggest anything x
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Tell them you worked as a self-employed masseuse or similar? Plenty of people support themselves doing that sort of thing independently.
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I agree with Juliette - self employment is probably the best idea (could be anything!) or else family commitments. So you could be a looking for a career change, or a return to work.
Good luck xx
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Take advantage of the stereotypes and say caring - kids or other relatives. You can put lots of escorting related skills (dealing tactfully with difficult behaviour, time management etc) down too.
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I think "Caring/carer" is a really good suggestion, maybe in conjunction with "self-employed". "Human resources" could also be a useful buzzword to use to describe your role in those years.
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Yeah, I'm in the same position.
Luckily I've been doing 'bit' work as I go along.
Nothing that could go into a CV really, but I'm planning on bolstering it up.
Just think of anything non-sex related that you've done, or ask someone to lie for you. I'm sure most CV's now only have to cover the last 5 years unless you're in a specific industry.
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I use personal assistant - well I am not lying am I! The issue is that people ask for references now so you need ot cover that angle also!
During my time in Escorting I have been PA to Legal Claims Lawyer, PA to Director of Clinical Services, PA to Sales Director!!!
To name but a few - take your pick!
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You could tell them you lived and worked overseas during this time.
Use a place that you know quite well and have visited on holiday.
I lived abroad for 15 years and would lengthen this and embellish it on a CV if I had to. :)
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Be careful, some interviewers may have had experience in whatever cover story you use!
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Hello
I'm currently looking for a full or part time 'civvy' job and planning on escorting around that, and I've just started filling out job application forms and realised I've got a bit of a problem on my hands...my last 'civvy' job was in 2007, eek! How the hell do I explain such a massive gap :o. Could I still get and would an employment reference still be valid from that long ago?
I'm at a loss as to what I should say I've done for the past 5 years ??? I thought about making something up as if I've been self employed (which I have!) but what if I get grilled about it in an interview (and I'm not the greatest at thinking on feet under pressure...) And surely if I did make a 'civvy' self employed job up they'd want to see some evidence of this and get a reference off one of my previous customers or something?
I'm just at a loss as to how I can get round this!? I'm just hoping this gap won't be a big sticking point for me - its hard enough and daunting enough trying to find work anyway! I need to think up something that sounds reasonable and stick to it. Has anyone got any ideas? Have you been in the same situation and what worked for you?
Also, are there any organisations/charities that help working girls get into 'normal' work? I'm sure I've heard of some but I've searched around and couldn't find anything.
Elle x
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I've been thinking about this recently while updating my CV actually as I left my civvy job last December and at the moment just do escorting. I've put on my CV that I work freelance for my last company (which isn't a lie but just haven't had much work with them). Could you also say you're freelance? what was the last civvy job you did? Or could you maybe say you've got your own business? Not sure what type of business you could say, perhaps a field you're familiar with and have worked in before. Getting references could be tricky, how about if a friend did a character reference for you?
Not sure if I've been much help, I don't know any charities, perhaps try googling it? or I'm sure someone else will be along to give more advice..
Best of luck.
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I say i have an ebay shop which i honestly do, i also say i worked abroad during the season
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Ebay is the one I would use too. If they ask why you stopped you could say you had problems with suppliers/prices/profit due to economic downturn. etc.
Or you could say you were a carer. If you have kids you could say you were a stay at home mum. Or you were a housewife, now you've split with your ultra rich husband/boyfriend and need to work ;D
I have no idea about the reference issue.
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Never leave gaps in your CV even if you dont want to tell them what you were doing you should put "career break"
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What have you said on tax form,wouldnt that be best option??
or have you not been earning enough?
i think ebay is the best bet,set up an account,maybe buy and sell a few items.so you know what your talking about if they ask...
just say you have been a sole trader and was doing well but now business has declined and you want something more secure and permanant,been self employed just isnt for you any longer..
And you would love for there, company to take you on board and join there team....
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Hi hun,
Do you know anyone who has their own business (possibly a regular client) who can say you worked for them as perhaps a P A, admin assistant or something and provide a reference. In our profession we come across lots of buisness gents of whom I'd sure there would be at least one willing to oblige.
Good luck
B x
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Employers might be tempted to ask for the eBay username if that was what someone had said they were doing for some time. (Would you want someone with an enormous number of eBay complaints working for you?)
Doing a search here for CV should find several other threads about this, but the classic ones are caring for someone / writing (make sure there is something you can talk in depth forever about) / travel (make sure there are places you can...) etc.
Yes there are such projects. Most of them are more used to street workers and expect you to renounce your past rather than carry on working, but the UKNSWP should have something where you can find one of its member projects.
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Say that you were a freelance photographer/writer.
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hi!! I have been thinking about a civil job for a while now too! And I figured it out! :D
Next time you go for an interview just say that you have been living with your boyfriend, you stayed at home and worked as a self employed make-up artist! You did people's make up for special occasions. Now you broke up with your boyfriend, you need a more secure source of income and a permanent job. So there! It's a good one I think.
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Never leave gaps in your CV even if you dont want to tell them what you were doing you should put "career break"
Some lies are hard to keep up with so I would I advise to go by what Friday wrote - "career break", I think this is more straight forward. Up to you though, I am not a very good liar so this woud work for me perfectly.
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I don't like the way my life has been going and I want to get back to normal life so I'm moving back in the parents and I'm going to try and get a regular job before going of to uni to do business and politics. I just don't know what to tell employers I've been doing for the last few years. I could tell them I've been self employed, but what to do after that?
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Now merged with two other threads asking the same thing :) There are more of them... one thing from one is:
You want something that you can talk about without getting caught out or something that no-one wants to talk about.
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Cleaning houses. Very boring. Respectable thing for someone to do in this economy.
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I suggest a career break is the best option. Either for family reasons, or for travel or a combination of both. Many women have children or other elderly relatives that they care for. If you can pass any of the past 7 years off as doing this it will help.
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I put carer for elderly relative on my cv. Seems to fit in with what most other posters are saying.
When i was pushed to explain further i just said that i had been helping my mother care for an elderly aunt who had dementia, but she died. No one asked any more questions! ;D
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I don't like the way my life has been going and I want to get back to normal life so I'm moving back in the parents and I'm going to try and get a regular job before going of to uni to do business and politics. I just don't know what to tell employers I've been doing for the last few years. I could tell them I've been self employed, but what to do after that?
I'm guessing perhaps at this stage in your life to say either you've been travelling (loads of people take a gap year before uni) if you can talk about particular places or caring for parents - had my own place but going to and fro to theirs took a lot of time so moving back with them for the moment to sort things out etc?
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I've decided to go with caring for a brother (because I technically was) as well as freelancing in fiction writing, sewing, telephone marketing, event organising and photography. I can blag most of it. :-)
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Take advantage of the stereotypes and say caring - kids or other relatives. You can put lots of escorting related skills (dealing tactfully with difficult behaviour, time management etc) down too.
I agree..such skills and the wisdom gained are invaluable and no doubtably complimentary if applied in any field...personal or occupational 8) ;D