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by dc_guy
Many people in your position look for work in the non-profit sector. The downside is that they don't pay as nearly as well as profit-making enterprises, but the upside is that because of this, the competition for their jobs is not as severe. Charities, environmental groups, wildlife and other animal rescue outfits, church-related endeavors, community-oriented science researh projects -- these are good places to look.
Civil service is also a possibility. After all, the government is charged with the responsibility of putting its money where its mouth is. It's their own contention that by the time you've been through their engine of rehabilitation, you are once again a respectable citizen. They are honor-bound to set an example for the rest of us.
Finally, there are organizations dedicated to helping people in your predicament. I can't name one or even point you to the right section in the Yellow Pages, but you can test your patience, dedication, and computer skills by finding them by yourself on the internet. This exercise will boost your self confidence and help you do well in an interview.
If you have any true friends and/or loving family, now is the time to beg them to prove it and stand up for you. You'll owe them a huge favor, but proving yourself worthy of their support and trust will go a long way toward paying it off.
Whatever you do, be honest. If an application form asks you about your criminal background (and there's usually a time limit on this), answer the question. If it comes up in an interview, use the opportunity to show off your ambition and your people skills by convincing them (assertively but not aggressively) that it's not an issue. The person interviewing you will already know your record, so even if they don't bring it up, try to read them and decide whether you should.
Good luck.
by jamesrl
It depends on the type of job.
As someone who worked at a government agency which involved nuclear materials, I and everyone who worked there had extensive background checks. But any agency where privacy of data is concerned would also have extensive checks. Any agency that dealt with security, law enforcemnent etc., would have extensive checks. These days school boards do background checks - I had to have one to volunteer at my kids school, even though I had done one for work, and was cleared to Secret.
I would agree non profits would be something to look at. Many small businesses don't do background checks.
James Linn
by admin
Having worked for Non-Profits, many of them work with vulnerable populations or PHI like hospitals and require extensive background checks.
One bit of advice though, although they might not hire you right off, depending on your situation, there are many non-profits that offer employment services to people in your position usually in conjunction with State programs. If you are asking for a job and declined, ask them if they offer job placement services and see if you qualify.
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If anyone has trouble finding a job, regardless of the reason or reasons, there's always the option to start your own business. It may or may not be a business doing the thing for which you're job hunting, but sometimes circumstances dictate that people need to be flexible.
Can anyone start a business? Sure they can.
Does it necessarily require a large investment? Not necessarily.
I found myself in a position about 13 years ago when I was having trouble finding an acceptable job in my field of expertise. I had a stay-at-home-mom wife with a 3 month old baby, and no job and very little money. I started a business for twenty bucks - yes $20 - the cost of business cards from the local office supply company. I earned a couple thousand dollars a month for about six months until I finally found an acceptable job in my field. And I was really working only part time, because I was traveling to different cities looking for that "ideal" job.
And the funny thing is, I could have, if I wanted, continued to do my business on a full time basis, work on growing the business, and probably made just as much - OR MORE - money than my job paid.
It's something you might consider.
by garion11
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My business cards said, ACME (not the real name) contracting: Painting - Remodeling - Decks - And I forgot what all I put on it.
I painted houses, remodeled bathrooms, installed windows, built decks, etc. I went door to door to hand out my business cards and chat with home owners asking if they needed any work done.
One of the first houses I stopped at was that of a lady who was having a garage sale. She said, "Sure, now that I have all this stuff out of my garage, I need the walls in the garage painted. How much?" I think I said $200 plus materials for the painting the inside of the garage. (It also involved moving a lot of stuff back and forth.) Before she was through with me, I had painted her whole house, inside and out, and built a deck in her backyard. I think I made several thousand dollars just off her - and more from her neighbors.
I was turning down work so I could "go to work" when I eventually found a job (about 6-9 months later) in a city 700 miles away. (The same job I have now, by the way.)
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The point is that if a person waits around for "someone to hire me", or for the government to do something, or for something to fall into their lap, they may as well wait for hell to freeze over. Just go out a do what you need to do. Take 100 percent personal responsibility, and just do it.
And although my "business" may not have sounded like much of a real business, it was - and could have turned into something rather significant. If I had not eventually landed a job, I was busy enough to consider hiring others to help me, and move out of my own "garage".
by johann2_2
I am curious about just one thing! How can anyone accuratley reply to that question? You give absolutley no detail about yourself, the type of work you are looking for or anything else for that matter. We are not looking for details here but some sort of information could be of assistance.
Contact.
Johann2_2@yahoo.ca
by tomsal
How can one give you an accurately (or at least reasonably accurate) answer to such a question with little or no information?
You know its kind of hard to ask because I don't want to bring up bad memories or seem like I'm prying but based on your question it does matter WHAT WAS YOUR CRIME?
Lets be honest, if I were an employer and found out lets say you were locked up for your ignorance to paying dozens upon dozens of parking tickets -- I could likely see past that if you seemed to have the skills and demonstrated yourself with sincerity and professionalism. However, if your crime was grand theft auto or say assaulting someone (I'll both pretend and hope its not that severe though in reality) there's no way I'd hire you AT ALL.
by guruofdos
Firstly, If you can't do the 'time', don't do the 'crime'!
Although the judicial system in (most) Westernised and democratic countries is generally tailored to allow the 'punishment' to fit the crime, this is never actually the case. Whether you have served your sentence, paid your fine or done your community service, you are still a 'marked man'. For the rest of your natural, you have the stigma attached to the crime and even if you have 'paid your dues' to society, in reality, your actions may have been 'forgiven' but they are not 'forgotten'. That, in essence, is what a 'criminal record' is all about.
Ask yourself a few basic questions. Does the crime (or crimes) on you record have any bearing on the position you are seeking. For example, a convicted child molester would (I sincerely trust)never be considered for a position in a day care centre or primary school!!! If your crime involved theft, for example, would you in the normal course of your duties be put in a position where you had temptation put in your way. If you've done it before, an employer has to reasonably assume that you may be inclined to do it again. If you were convicted of drugs offences, for example, you may be 'clean' and repentant and vow never to do it again, but you were'weak' enough to get into that once...and human nature bing what it is, it could likely happen again.
It may be that your 'crime(s)' have no bearing whatsoever on the job. Even so, they will have a detrimental effect as far as an employer is concerned.
There are ways round this though, and that leads me to my second saying...don't try to run before you can walk!
You may not be able to get the job you want, or you are qualified for, but there is one thing which in any employers perspective counts for more than paper qualifications and that is references. Your criminal record is not a very good reference, is it?!!! But, start to walk slowly...find a lowly (perhaps even menial) job. One where references are not so important. Stick at it and earn yourself a good reference from that employer. In due course, perhaps six months or a year, move on to something bigger and better. Make sure your current employer has no reason to give you a bad reference, and work from there. If you STILL can't get anywhere, then stick where you are at...something is better than nothing. Over the space of a few years, you will be able to build up your 'character' to a point where, hopefully, it will counter the negative of having a criminal record...and that itself will be further back in the past. I can't guarantee that this will work out for you, after all, we don't know the scale or nature of your 'past', but surely it has to be better than sitting there doing nothing in the vain hope that you can walk right into the job you want!
by admin
You can get charged with a crime and still get a job. When I was in college, I and some other people thought it would be really funny to make it appear as if our college was for sale when the Board of Regents came to town so we stole (at the impulsive time we thought "borrowed" but I now realize this was wrong) some signs from the local realitor and placed them all over the school.
We got caught the next morning when returning them and the value of them was quite a bit higher than we had imagined.
Now, every time I have started work in the field I do in a different State, I have to go through some sort of a hearing process, where I have to explain it all again. Looking back, it was really stupid. It has not barred me from employment that I have known of, but I believe it could. It has definately been a big hassle. If I have an application etc. and it asks, I put it down right away. The IT business involves a great deal of trust, and whatever you have done, your employer will have to know that you are trustworthy.
I have a good friend who, while underage, electronically broke into a large corporation and was caught. He got into an alternative sentencing program where he helped catch computer criminals. It was still very hard for him to get started. He had trouble getting school money together, at one point he was living in cars, then the street then a barn. He eventually worked his way through college mainly doing odd jobs and carpentry, all the time with some of the best computer skills I have ever seen. He worked his way up after getting a break in a low paying tech support position, and now finally after about a ten year climb has a very very good and trusted position with an international corporation doing programming. He is honestly never ever going to make that mistake again and everyone knows it. He is one of the most reliable and trustworthy people you'll ever meet.
I don't know your details, but getting a good job is possible, but it will require more work. I can tell you that when it happens 2 times, well, employers will see you in an entirely different way. Make a commitment to face it and keep trying. You can make it work.
by garion11
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