So.......... I'm looking for full time work. It says there looking for 1-3 years sales experience.
I have worked at Target service desk for 10 months now & before that I ran my own eBay business for 5 years.
So would that be fudging if I said I did have 1-5 years experience??
I'm applying for entry level Customer Service and Sales Associates position. Hubby says everyone "fudges" on there application.. I'm just so nervous I'm gonna look like an idiot during the interview if "sales experience" isn't what I actually have.

Any thoughts on this????? TIA

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First, don't fudge anything. You won't like yourself afterward. Without knowing more about the position you are applying for, I would think your service desk experience lends itself to the customer service part of the position. Find out all you can about the company and the product or service you will be selling.

Then if you get asked an open ended question, where you can't say yes or no, you can work in points about their company that you feel confident you can build on and be a success. In the interview process, I do not appreciate my time being wasted by someone who hasn't read the job description (or many who probably couldn't understand it to start with) so be sure that you can handle the position. Practice in front of a mirror or with your dh or someone to be better prepared for the interview process.

While the ebay business gives you experience, it's not one on one with people interacting, which I think the job you are applying for will be. Good luck !

dl

I would never fudge any application.
But getting right down to it, you do have that sales experience -even with ebay. So I do not feel that saying you have 1-5 years experience would be a lie or stretch of the truth at all.

It's not fudging to say that you have over 5 years of sales experience if you do. I think you ought to tell them that you have sales experience and when they ask where, say you worked at Target service desk for 10 months and before that, you ran your own eBay business for 5 years. The worst that can happen is that they're looking for one on one sales experience and will only count the Target job. The 10 months might be enough for them by itself.

I don't think your example is fudging. I think you say you have the experience and you describe it. Let the employer decide whether its applicable and meets their qualifications or not. That's putting your best and honest foot forward.

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

More and more employers run a background check and if they find you are lying, you aren't given a second chance. Does the application have anyplace for you to specify where you've worked? If so, you could honestly fill out that part of the application as Target 10 mos, self-employed 5 years.

Having run an eBay biz myself, I think you absolutely have customer service experience under your belt. In fact, if your feedback is good, print it off and take it into your interview.

My dh being in a managment position would not count ebay as experience if applied for a job from him

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Never fudge on an application. Anyone who does is a fool (and you should tell your DH that!). With your example, I would say you DO have the experience they want. Be sure to note your Target experience AND your ebay biz on your application. If you don't note you were self employed on ebay during that time, it may appear you were unemployed or if they do a background check, they could see you were lying. I'm not sure if your ebay biz would show up on a credit check. I know mine did but I had a registered biz name and credit in biz name.

Don't lie. Be honest. Running your own business is hard even if you fail at it. If the job requires face to face customer service, note what experience you have with that but don't underestimate the value of 5 years of owning your own business

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

As long as you ran eBay biz as a biz (ie charging sales tax, claiming income tax, etc.), I'd say it's not fudging?!

If the ebay job was a "business" and not a "hobby", it should totally be considered. I ran a business on ebay for 5 years and now run it on Amazon and stand alone. I beg to differ with anyone who says it "doesn't count". Tell that to the federal government who takes my self employment taxes every year. If it doesn't count than I shouldn't have to pay taxes for doing it

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I agree wholeheartedly with smurf. If you have a real live eBay BUSINESS, you're in the position of having to make decisions that have the power to make you or break you. You have to be organized and figure out a system and be prompt and communicate well. Buying things to resell isn't for the faint of heart and then putting yourself on the line as you sell those items and have to make the people who end up with them happy even when they initially aren't happy at all sometimes... that takes skill!

Fudge? I don't think that's the work. I think your using the words that are used on app's.

Honesty is the best policy.

Exactly. I worked in Human Resources for many years and lying on an employment application is a really bad idea.

If your disception is discovered before you're hired, it would certainly disqualify you for employment.

And if it's discovered after you're hired, it could get you fired.