Advice for felons seeking employment!!!

Bigdogpile,

I'm the original OP, I'm not a boy, and the story I wrote was not about myself. The felon in that story was completely fictional.

People with felonies who are trying to re-enter the work force just happens to be a topic that is dear to my heart. I have spent the past year mentoring new hires (most of whom have felonies on their records) for my employer.

I agree with you that nobody should have to work for free. Unfortunately being underpaid, or not paid at all, is a daily reality for ex-offenders. There are a few companies who are known for giving "second chances" to ex-offenders, and those who do are equally known for their ill treatment of employees and shady employment practices.

Companies know they can "ripoff" ex-offenders because they know ex-offenders have so few employment options.That's why removing barriers to employment for ex-offenders is so important!

If a felon has an equal chance at any job for which they are qualified, they won't be concentrated at the "bad" companies and the"bad" companies won't have an endless pool of low-wage or under-paid workers who are only there because they can't get a job somewhere else due to their felonies.

"Bad" companies will have to start treating their employees better (or risk having no employees), and the increased competition at "good" companies will raise wages.

I commend the FedEx driver who overcame 8 years of incarceration and went to work as an Independent Contractor for FedEx Custom Critical! Way to go!!!! That's awesome!

I'm familiar with FedEx and their stringent hiring practices. and working for them is an honor! FedEx is also one of the better paying employers for felons and non-felons, alike! That FedEx driver is proof of what former felons are capable of achieving when given a chance! I thank him for sharing his story!

Bigdogpile, I ask that you not suggest that felons lie on their applications. People with felony records are often faced with long job searches and loads of rejection. They usually have more than a family to feed... they are saddled in debt (back child support, ect), living in unstable housing (couch surfing or half-way houses), and their conditions of parole often demand they find a job within x-months or be returned to prison.

Add to that the sheer pressure of a family who is hoping for the best, but braced for the worst; the loss of all your friends (because you can't go back to your old neighborhood if you really want to change yourself}; increased "stop and frisks" by police who keep seeing you roaming the neighborhoods (even though you are looking for work); the hard-nosed parole officer who sees all the "stop and frisks" and thinks you are casing small businesses....

In other words, people with felonies tend to get desperate due to their circumstances, and that desperation can cause them to try anything suggested if they think it will land them a job. Bigdogpile, your suggestion that ex-offenders lie about their background on job applications is criminal. You know, if you have really been a trucker for ??? years you claim, that the lie will be discovered and the felon fired instantly (and probably never get another job, driving or otherwise) as a result.

I beg anyone with a felony record NOT to lie on their application!!! There are honest ways to address your background that may even set you apart as the better applicant during the interview! YES! The BETTER applicant BECAUSE you have a FELONY RECORD!

How does your incarceration, and subsequent felony record, make you the better applicant? Because you have a proven tract record for enduring extreme stress, living in confined spaces, dealing with all sorts of people (a guy being a jerk at a loading dock is nothing compared to a guy who wants to shank you because he thinks you didn't "respect" him).

You've learned a life of conformity while in prison, you respect the rules, even if you don't agree with them... you value freedom... you understand hard work and the need for clear, concise communication... you are not a whiner... you don't challenge authority...

As an ex-offender, you bring proven attributes to the table that a whiny, snot faced college kid who has never held a "real" job cannot. And, these attributes are the attributes that hiring managers value!

No hiring manager wants to hire the whiny guy whose hand he may have to hold for the next six months. They want to hire the competent, capable guy who they can trust to get the job done. What more proof do they need than the person you present? Your background is a living testament to your capability and endurance!

The trick is not to dwell on your past... don't grovel about it or address it at length in an interview. You take the negative, the fact you've been to prison, and turn it into a positive by presenting all the ways it has made you the more competent and responsible hire... Use your prison experience to show case your respect for the law and conformity to the rules, for example...

Again, I recommend the book Jail to Jobs by Eric Mayo. The book provides practice scripts and addresses topics I have not covered, such as how to list time spent in prison on the Residential History portion of the application.

This thread got really heated, really fast. I don't want to fan the flames. However, I do want to ask Bigdogpile why he is so threatened by felons in the workplace? I understand there are some members of TTR report who have, for instance, been the victims of violent crime and therefore have reason to be a bit hostile about the topic. But, from what I've read, Bigdogpile does not fall into the "crime victims" classification.

Bigdog, if you are as competent and successful as you present yourself, and don't have personal cause to dislike felons (such as being a crime victim), then why are you so hostile towards ex-offenders? Why would you knowingly give out bad advice and tell people to lie when you know it will get them fired? Are you really that insecure about your own job or capabilities that you feel threatened by a convicted felon competing EQUALLY for your job??

I care deeply about the topic of ex-offenders and removing barriers to their employment. And, the TTR is a reputable forum. People come here seeking advise from experienced professionals in the industry.

Please refrain from hijacking my thread with childish antics and games that distract from the topic I raised. And, don't diminish this conversation with wild accusations, bad advise, or by degrading people and their companies. Comments such as those you have made are personally offensive and make the whole industry look bad.

Thank you.

 

I want to emphasize that barriers to employment for ex-offenders hurt everybody in the industry! Just like illegal immigration lowers wages because it creates an endless supply of people willing to do the work for less, barriers to employment for ex-offenders lowers wages by (again) creating an endless pool of people willing to do the work for less!

Removing the barriers to employment for ex-offenders and allowing them to compete EQUALLY for jobs creates a larger, and stronger, pool of candidates, which increases competition, which forces companies to pay more for top talent. Hiring ex-offenders eliminates the pool of cheap labor companies are currently utilizing and raises wages for everybody!

I was so distracted by the offensive comments Bigdogpile made in his posts, I lost tract of the main point of my response. I apologize for the confusing progression of my thoughts!

 

Bigdogpile rubbed a nerve raw this morning! I don't usually get that irritated at people's comments... and Lord knows I've read more offensive ones than his! And yes, it is funny!!!

Hey, I learned how to insert a smiley face! Hee hee hee!!!