When an individual has a criminal record, they might find it difficult to find a job. Although they might have served their time or paid any debt or fine that they had, they still might find it difficult to get hired. This is why it is important for them to learn and understand how a criminal report can affect your employment opportunities.
If you are in this situation, you might find this article to be quite helpful. The text below is going to feature a list of 5 effects that a criminal record might have on your job hunting, but, it will also feature some of the things that you should know, most of which can help you get hired. Let’s take a look:
1. What And When It Happened Will Be Questioned
Your job hunting will be influenced by what the crime was & when it occurred, as well as what job you are applying for. For example, there is a big difference between one crime, let’s say you stole a car 15 years ago compared to having several convictions for stealing vehicles in the last 5 years.
2. The Job Your Applying Can Influence Your Chances as Well
In most situations, the business owner will look at the crime you committed, as well as the position you are applying for. For example, if you were sentenced for embezzling money, your chances of getting a job in the financial sector might be extremely low. Hence, companies also consider what the crime was, as well as the job and/or position you are applying for.
3. The Laws Vary From State to State
You should know that the laws and regulations are different from state to state. Hence, what might be legal or allowed in one state does not have to apply for a different one. This means that you’ll need to do some digging and ask around in order to learn what crimes might influence your job opportunities.
4. Being Bonded Will Not Help You
You might apply for a job that requires bonding. Now, you might be wondering – what does this mean? Well, it means that an employer will need to pay insurance that will protect them against the possibility of workers committing a crime. Usually, this is not a problem, but, when someone has a criminal record on sites like lookupinmate, there is a difference.
A wide range of insurance companies usually asks for a higher payment if an employee has a criminal report. This means that your potential employer might not want to pay or they might not be able to pay for the premium that is asked from them. Hence, you might not get hired, even if the employer is willing to hire you.
5. Self-Employment Might Not Be an Option
If you are thinking about self-employment, you should know that that might not be an option for you. Why you might wonder? Well, most businesses, as well as government offices that hire people or companies now need to do a background check for the person who owns a particular business.
This is particularly true where an independent contractor might have access to personal information or if they’ll be working with individuals that are, in a way, vulnerable, for example, kids. Hence, if you are planning on being an accountant, babysitter, or programmer, you might not be able to self-employ yourself.
What Can You Do For Improving Your Chances of Getting Hired
There are various things that you can do in order to increase your chances of getting hired. But, before looking at that, let’s first see some of the jobs that require employers to do background checks, including:
1. Know What Jobs Require Background Checks
if you are applying for a job at a bank, government, insurance, real estate, taxi or personal drivers, police offices, private investigators, volunteers, as well as restaurant owners will need to be checked before applying for a job. And, by knowing this, you can search for a job that does not require the employer to ask for a background check.
2. Understand Your Report
Most convictions do stay on record until an individual reaches 100-years old, however, the information does not have to be disclosed always. Most individuals do not know anything about their criminal report, which is why you need to learn everything about it before coming clean in front of your potential boss.
3. You Can Seal Your Record
There is a wide range of companies such as recordpurge.com that can seal your record. What does this mean for you? Well, it means that you can pass a background check, you might be eligible for a better position, you can get access to the possibility of renting an apartment and/or home, and you’ll need to pay lower insurance fees.
4. Be Ready to Come Clean
If a business owner wants to learn more about whether or not you had a criminal record, they might ask you to come clean. Now, this can either be while they are interviewing you or after they have made an initial offer. Some company owners might even ask you to disclose such information on your application form.
When and if possible, it might be best for you to tell them about it face-to-face. Why? Well, first of all, they will appreciate the honesty, and second, it is usually most effective. You can also opt for creating a self-disclosure form that will definitely assist you in the entire application process.
5. Never Let Your Criminal Record Discourage You
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, it can be hard to get a job if you have a criminal record. But, you should never get discouraged. There are a lot of good employers out there, most of whom are willing to give you a chance, however, it might work best if you are totally honest. Hence, explain your circumstances and you might end up getting hired.
Conclusion
As you can see, there is a wide range of things that can influence your employment opportunities when you have a criminal record. But, there are aforementioned things that you can do, all of which will increase your chances of getting hired. So, now that you know this information, you should not lose hope. Instead, start digging about what you chances are, as well as where you can get hired even though you have a criminal record.
