Jobs for Felons: Be Honest on Applications

Hello,

This is a question that I get all the time. For ex-offenders and felons looking for jobs, properly completing applications will be the difference between getting interviews and not getting them. The problem comes with the dreaded “Have you ever been convicted……” question. I speak to many felons who have had employability classes who have been taught to reply “Will discuss at interview.” This answer does not satisfy the question and therefore the application will be incomplete.

Let’s understand that in most cases applications are legal documents known as disclosures. The application is asking that the applicant disclose certain information. At the end of the application is usually a request that the applicant signs and date it. In most cases, right before the signature is a paragraph that states that by signing that application, the applicant is certifying that all the information on the application is true and also grants the employer permission to verify any information given.

I teach my students to include the following information:

Name of the conviction, date, location, and the disposition (time served, fine and/or probation.) A response may look like this:

Larceny 7/16/2012 Baltimore, MD, Time served (11 mos.)

A lot of ex-offenders and felons looking for jobs opt not to list their convictions feeling it may hurt their chances to get an interview. I have spoken with ex-offenders and felons who have lied on applications and even were able to get jobs, only to lose them afterwards when background checks were done. They were not fired for having criminal records, rather they were let go for not being honest during the application process.

When you get an interview, the question will probably come up. You may want to answer it like this:

I’m happy you asked because I want you to feel comfortable hiring me. In the past I’ve done some things that I’m not very proud of. I had to learn the hard way that there are no shortcuts in life. To put this behind me and to be successful is going to take a lot of hard work. I have been working very hard to turn things around. I’m just looking for a chance.

I hope this helps.

Are you an ex-offender or felon who has a question about finding a job with a criminal record? You could have your question answered right here. Email your question to: BelievePublications@comcast.net.