Felon is trying hard to find jobs
Hello Mr. Mayo.
After doing my usual Google search to help my fiancé find employment I came by your article & decided to write to you. I have been searching and searching to find some employment or assistance with getting employment for my fiancé. He has 2 felonies (possession of a controlled substance & possession of a fire arm,) which he served his time and was released in 2009. In another state around September, October 2010 he was in a car that was pulled over and drugs was found in the car, no one claimed it so all parties were arrested. The last job he had was from 20012-2017 and has not been in able to get employment since. He’s had two interviews and both wanted to hire him until…the record came up. He’s getting discouraged and it hurts me to see him feeling hurt and less than.
He said to me once that he was preparing himself for me to leave him to be with someone who can provide for us (myself & his daughter) and that hurt me so bad inside. He is a great man with a strong work ethic and only wants to be able to provide for not just his family but himself. We have bills & he has court fees that he needs to pay to get his license back and other things that life brings and it’s like a revolving door. He has to get a job to pay the fees, but no one will give him a job to pay the fees. Is there any advice you can give of a direction that you can point us in? Any help or advice you can give will be greatly appreciated.
Kelly
Felon is trying hard to find jobs
Hello Kelly,
A few things stand out here. Firstly, you noted that when your fiance was considered for jobs, “the record came up.” This leads me to believe that he was not straight forward about his criminal background. It is important for ex-offenders and felons to be honest whenever asked about criminal records both on applications and in interviews. I know there may be a temptation to hold back important information for fear of not being considered for jobs. I have seen too many people not answer truthfully on applications, get hired and later fired when background checks are done. In most cases, they were fired for falsifying applications rather that having criminal records.
Secondly, it seems that he needs to chose his friends more carefully. That brings me to finding jobs. I encourage my students to use three really good methods to find jobs. The first being networking. Networking is the single best way to find a job. Employers are more willing to hire someone who is referred to them rather that sort though piles of applications and boring interviews. The both of you have to tell everyone you know that he is looking for work. Between the two of you, how many family members, friends, acquaintances, church members, neighbors, teachers, barbers, hairstylists and classmates to you know? Each one is a potential lead for a job. Simply ask if they know anyone who is hiring.
The second best source of jobs is your local One-stop Career Center. This used to be known as the “employment office.” Local One-stops offer a long list of services that can help a felon get a job. If he needs a resume, he can get help putting one together. He can get interviewing skills. There are lists of open positions in your area. He can even get one-on-one assistance with his job search from a trained counselor. Many counselors have experience working with those that have criminal records. Often they know of felon friendly employers. You can find the One-stop nearest you at:
Thirdly, I encourage every felon to try temporary employment as a way to getting a permanent job. Temp agencies are a good way for ex-offenders and felons to get work quickly. Many temporary employees are hired on a permanent basis if they are good workers. He will probably have greater success applying at smaller independent agencies rather that large, nation-wide agencies. The larger companies may have policies that forbid the hiring a felon. Make a list of temporary agencies from your local telephone book and start applying just like you would any other job.
One suggestion that I have is when he list his criminal convictions, always write “Can be Bonded” afterward. Take a look at the two videos below for information on finding job leads and the Federal Bonding Program
Lastly, take a look at this list of companies that hire ex-offenders and felons. On this list are companies that have pledged to have fair hiring practiced when it comes to ex-offenders and felons: Click Here!
Best of Luck to you!
Where can a felon find jobs?
The Federal Bonding Program can help a felon get jobs
Are you a felon or ex-offender 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.
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