Where you stand while searching for a job as a felon.
If you are still under supervision in a release program, then your first step should be to solicit the advice, assistance and direction that is offered by your parole offer. At this stage, your primary concern should be to complete your parole or your probation, knowing that once this is done you can begin to rebuild your life. If you absolutely need to find a job before this happens, and you are incapable of marketing your previous skills, then it would be prudent to consider a temp agency that can employ you as a manual laborer, hiring you out and paying you on a daily basis.
If you have already passed this supervised release stage, then the next step is the rebuilding process.
Although it is disheartening to realize that some doors are permanently closed for you, there are some jobs that you will not be able to pursue because of your criminal record. Some of the job restrictions that you may encounter will be specific to the type of felony conviction that you have, while others are rather general in nature. For example, you will not be able to get any jobs that involve banking or the financial industry regardless of what type of conviction you have. If your felony conviction is a violence conviction, then jobs that involve the government, highly regulated jobs, licensed jobs, jobs involving explosives and firearms and jobs involving children will all be out of the question.
A good place for you to find a new career is with a small company, where your position would involve working closely with the owner of the company. Many small companies are struggling to survive, and have to depend heavily on each and every employee that they have working with them. For this reason, by getting a job with a smaller company, you could be working close to the owner, helping them to keep their company afloat even if it means working in the trenches with them.
Most medium to large companies are not going to be as willing to work with people who have felony convictions because there is a perceived amount of liability attached to hiring you. If this is the route that you are really, seriously interested in pursuing, then you need to plan to add a lot of positive factors into your cover letter, your resume and interview process between when your conviction occurred and when you are applying for the job.
You should absolutely never, ever lie on your job application or in your resume; because being discovered will seriously hamper your attempts to find a career.
Unskilled jobs and semi-skilled jobs should be high on the list of options for your consideration, because many employers have these revolving door jobs and are always looking to fill them. A good starter job for a felon who is looking to find work following a conviction is a residential construction labor job, because it will allow you to build upon your skill level as well as to increase your wages and to even find the potential for long term homes with contractors.
If will be wise for you to assume that you are going to have to discuss your conviction while applying for new jobs. You should also assume that the employers you apply to will perform a background investigation. What employers are going to want to know above all else is that you have managed to move on following your experience with the law. It usually only takes a simple statement to convey this, such as the following:
“I was convicted of [The exact charge]. I have fulfilled my obligations set by the court. I understand that the crime that I committed was wrong. I also realize that I am going to have to try harder and to be better than the average applicant. I am prepared to do what it takes to earn my place in your organization.”
You should not have to go into a long rant or tirade about how you have been done wrong by life, or that you are a victim of your circumstances. The statement mentioned above is concise, clear and accurate, and displays only the information that actually needs to be said.
What you need to focus on doing above all else is proving that you are in fact trying harder, and doing everything in your power to rebuild your life.
Education is an absolute must when it comes to proving yourself during your job search. If you do not have a high school diploma, then you need to take the necessary steps to secure a GED. You can enroll in local Community College courses and classes to enhance your education and pick up some additional skills as well. If you have a specific skill or a specific education, then one of the career paths that you may consider pursuing is to teach adult education classes. While enrolled in school, you can solicit the assistance of counselors with the college in order to help develop a new potential career path.
Another way to add benefits to your resume is to volunteer for community service. Volunteering for community service can work wonders for your resume by putting you in a solid networking position, exposing yourself to potential employers, exposing you to better crowds and also even making you feel better about yourself. The normal amount of community service that you should be aiming for in order to beef up your resume is the equivalent of two full days of community service per month. You can make use of peer support in order to explore a variety of new career opportunities as well.
You should also consider attending church, as this can have the same positive exposure that volunteering can offer, and it can also be a great source of support and guidance when it comes to rebuilding your life. Church leaders can offer a great amount of support and career guidance.
Another option that is available to you is to attempt expunging your conviction, or to try and apply for what is known as a certificate of rehabilitation. All types of felony convictions are capable of going away, although some are significantly harder than others. For example, federal convictions requiring a clemency or a pardon will be harder to expunge, and registrant crimes are also difficult to eliminate from your record.
Another important note worth mentioning is to prevent future convictions. This may be a bit of a no-brainer, but it bears repeating.
Here is the long and short of where you stand: You can have a second chance, despite having what is essentially a fairly permanent handicap. You should strive to earn what you need in order to live comfortably, but you also need to look for success in other aspects of life outside of monetary achievement.
