Past employment in a strip club....can i lie?

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Hello Everyone. My question is concerning past employment. When I was in College I worked as a cocktail waitress in a strip club, I worked for tips only and did not receive a paycheck, thus the IRS never knew i was working during that time. I worked at that particular club for about a year. Before I moved to college I worked as a cocktail waitress in another adult club for about 6 monthes and did recieve 2 paychecks before the management decided to cut waitress salaries to tips only also. In this club I also had to be cleared through the police department in order to obtain a "work card" which is a requirment for all adult entertainment employees in that particular city. Here is my question. I am applying for a law enforcement job in a different state and DO NOT want to divulge this information. I kept very much a secret of my employment during college and drove 60 miles away from campus to this job. Can I not divulge this information now? If I do not put the first club on my application can they find out i worked there through tax records? Please help! Im not ashamed because it paid for college but I dont want it hurting my chances of a LE career.

[GlennS]

In my book the lying would hurt you more...

Though I am not qualified to tell you what will actually happen or if they can find out about your past, but I wouldn't count on them not finding out...  This IS what these guys do best.

GlennS

[fuzzydad1254]

Here's the deal-- BE HONEST!!!!  If you can't be honest about this job in which you didn't even violate any real rules of morality, let alone any laws, how do you ever expect to be completely honest on the job??

I experimented with some pot and one other minor thing before I started applying to different PDs.  I was ashamed of it and tried to fib about it to several police departments.  Fact is, I didn't get hired anywhere until I started to tell the truth.  It took 3 years, but I learned my lesson the hard way.  

So the bottom line is-- TELL THE TRUTH!!!  Especially if this department administers a polygraph....If you feel guilty about it, it'll set those needles spinning and you won't get any further.

Just some advice from someone who learned the hard way.  Feel free to send me an email response.

P.S.  The previous post was entirely correct--these people do this for a living.  They take their time and they will find out.

[junior]

carrie,

i can't agree with glenn and patrick more...be honest!!  don't divulge any info that you don't have to, but if it comes up explain yourself .  as long as you stayed away from the "dark side" of the adult entertainment business, drugs, etc. then you should have nothing to worry about.  obviously you are trying to better yourself, so let them know that ;D.  as was aforementioned, pd's can and will find out anything that they want about your past!!  good luck.

junior  8)

['Guest']

(1) Question- do you have any extra photos!!!! ;D-No, really, what matters now is what you are doing now! adult entertainment is among those "morally questionable" lifestyles that get hypocritically judged( believe me , alot of cops have been to "gentlements clubs", but some actually have the nerve to look down on the employees!).As long as you are honest, you can list being a waitress and describe the job as a club /bar/restuarant if indeed they serve liquor,food or host "dancing", but you must at least list it on the prior work history part of your application.Now that lack of tax paying could come as an issue-talk to the background investigator(s), if it does come up and work out the issue. Right now though, what have you done to prepare yourself for a career in Law enforcement- the step is quite a BIG one, and being 11yrs in this career, I can tell you that it is restrictive and hard in some aspects.either way work hard, be honest and prepare(including research the agency(ies) you are interested in,qet in shape, check and set up your references-if you don't want someone to say something about you that you won't like, don't use them-study via passbook/arco police exams books, and ,lastly, good luck......www.lawa.org/police/

[Charlie]

Carrie--Ditto to all the advice that has been rendered concerning your questions about this.

I don't think you'd have a choice. You're going to have to divulge this information about your past employment. Why? Do you honestly think they're not going to find out?

If it is discovered that you lied about your employment, you'll be eliminated from further consideration. Once again, as everyone else has said already, tell it like it is and be honest about it. You may have to do some explaining but if you really want to get into the profession, I think we both know what you'll have to do. ;D

Good Luck!

Charlie