People who are arrested for and eventually convicted of criminal offenses know that their futures will likely be impacted by the experience. However, they also deserve to believe that they can successfully move beyond their criminal past and rebuild their lives. Integral to doing this is getting a job so they can support themselves and their families. People who have spent time in jail or even in prison should not automatically assume they have no hope of doing this as it is very possible to find employment even with a criminal law background.
According to PrisonFellowship.org, the United States Department of Labor indicates that more than nine out of every 10 employers will consider hiring a candidate who has previously been convicted of a crime.
Job seekers should delve into the process of finding a job and put a lot of effort into providing a good image of themselves on applications and resumes. It is important to provide detailed and relevant work experience and to highlight skills that will help them be successful in the future. When it comes time to discuss a criminal past, honesty is always a must. That said, candidates should not feel that they must tell every little detail of their lives.
Glassdoor recommends that people keep the details about their arrests and convictions to a minimum and instead focus on what they learned from the experience. The discussion can provide a good opportunity to reassure a potential employer that the experience is not something that will be repeated.
