When you're convicted of a crime, it can have long and far-reaching effects on your life, unfortunately.
There's a term for this-collateral consequences of a conviction.
One of the biggest collateral effects of criminal charges is related to employment. The reality is that employers often do discriminate against applicants with criminal records, and most employers conduct background checks.
If a potential employer does a fingerprint background check, they might even find non-public records.
There are implications of a criminal record for around one in four U.S. adults.
This isn't the only collateral effect of a criminal record. You may also have your driver's license suspended or revoked, or you could have a professional license taken away from you. If you're not a U.S. citizen, even if you're classified as a Lawful Permanent Resident, you may face immigration consequences which can include deportation.
The employment consequences can follow you throughout your life, but there are steps you can take to up your chances of getting a good job even with a record.
Understand the Legal Protections
Federal laws offer some level of protection for employees and applicants, and if you're doing a job search with a record, it's helpful to be familiar with these.
For example, there's the Fair Credit Reporting Act. This requires companies that provide reports on consumers including criminal background checks, to follow certain guidelines in how they provide these reports to employers.
For example, with criminal records, arrest records more than seven years old can't be included unless it's for a position paying more than $75,000. Conviction records don't have a time limit.
Many states have also implemented their own laws and guidelines as far as potential employers inquiring about criminal history.
Several states in recent years have passed what are called ban-the-box laws, prohibiting employers from asking about criminal history until the candidate is further in the application process.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) also enforces Title VII, which prevents discrimination in all areas of employment, including hiring practices.
The EEOC tells employers to consider the nature and gravity of the criminal offense, how much time has passed, and the nature of the job as they make hiring decisions when someone has a criminal record.
Work on Rebuilding Your Reputation and Your Resume
As soon as you can, do what you can. That may sound overly simple, but it's not. Work on learning what you can in the field or industry you're interested in. Become someone who's informed about the industry as a way to set yourself apart and show your dedication.
You also want to close the employment gap you may have as soon as possible, even if that means you don't start with a dream job.
There are other ways you could build your resume and show your potential as a great employee. You could take a class or go back to school. Maybe you attend workshops or participate in other educational opportunities.
You want the focus to be as much as possible on your present and future when you're looking for a job, rather than your past.
Know How Your Criminal Background May Affect Your Job Search
It's important if you do have a criminal record that you're prepared going into a job search, and a lot of that preparation relies on knowing as much as possible. While it may be hard to hear, you need to learn exactly how your background might affect your job search.
Be proactive and run a criminal background report on yourself so you'll know exactly what employers will see.
When you do that, check for any errors because they're more common than you might think.
If you see an error, you can file a complaint with the background check company or the FTC.
Once you know what your report looks like, think about how you can briefly explain what happened, but don't go into too much detail.
One of the primary reasons that companies conduct background checks is to ensure safety, so think about your background and how you can explain it within this context.
As you're filing an application, make sure you're not providing information that's not being asked for.
Make your focus if you are asked about your record the lessons you learned, and your commitment to offering value to your community and your employer.
Also, you don't have to disclose anything not on your formal criminal background check, which is another reason it's a good idea to run one on yourself.
Think About Career Fields Where You're Most Likely to Excel
If you have a criminal record, it may be tough to get a job in law enforcement, the financial field, or education, but there are certain fields where you're more likely to have a chance at getting hired.
First, some companies specifically work to hire what they call restored citizens, and they often offer recruitment and onboarding programs just for those candidates. Companies that fall into this category include Ace Hardware, PetSmart and Manpower.
Fields you might generally consider include sales and marketing, manufacturing, counseling, and logistics.
Certain programs work with job seekers who have a criminal record to help them find stable employment too.
Stay Positive
Don't get discouraged during your job search and do realize that not all companies do background checks.
Some businesses, even when they do checks, are only looking for certain types of offenses relevant to their company, and they're not necessarily screening out anyone with a record.
It would be potentially untrue to say that finding a job with a criminal record is easy, but it would also be untrue to say it's impossible.
Know your rights, be prepared for the questions you might be asked, and start to learn and grow as much as you can in the area you're interested in. Create a great resume and make yourself into a candidate that would be a true asset to any employer.
