How Can You Grow Your Career After a Felony Conviction?

?By Lora Korpar

In Brief: (1) People with felony convictions come from all backgrounds, but many struggle to find work or become boxed into a career that does not suit them upon release. (2) Search for felon-friendly job sites or find companies that signed the Fair Chance Business Pledge. (3) If traditional job search techniques fail you, consider entrepreneurship. (4) Recidivism rates decrease when a person has steady work.

People with criminal records face many difficulties upon release from prison, including finding work. Prison Policy Initiative data says about 5 million Americans were once incarcerated. The unemployment rate for this population is 27%. For context, the U.S. unemployment rate during the Great Depression was just under 25%.

Challenges Felons Face Reentering the Workforce

The stigma against hiring felons is not the only factor keeping them from employment. Prison time can interrupt education and cause inmates to lose connections that could have helped them find work.??

The Penny Hoarder added that issues like having no other identification than a prison ID, not having a permanent address and adhering to parole requirements can also limit employment options.?

Though “second chance” jobs are available to felons, they are typically in lower-paying fields. This leaves little room for growth.

"You have people [with felony convictions] from all kinds of backgrounds — people that were former business owners, people that worked in government, so many different varieties of skills. I worked in production before I was incarcerated… I think the default is ‘You can only work these kinds of jobs’ [once you’re released], but some people will come home at 50-60 years old and they have all these job skills [they can’t use anymore because no one will hire them]. And now you're re-punishing me, so that is definitely a big pitfall.”?

— Musa Kamara is the founder and CEO of Deen Entertainment.

Resources for Second-Chance Jobs

In 2015, the Obama administration created the Fair Chance Business Pledge to encourage companies to sign a pledge saying they will “establish second chance hiring practices,” according to Jails to Jobs.?

Large employers who signed the pledge include American Airlines, Target, Starbucks, LinkedIn, Coca-Cola and Uber. Online resources like Felony Record Hub aggregate felon-friendly jobs based on your location.

Kamara also recommends volunteering and joining local organizations. In addition to helping your community, you could meet someone who will give you a future career opportunity.

“I did a lot of volunteering and opportunities came from there where individuals came up to me and asked me ‘Do you want to do this? What are you getting into?’ So that also created conversation. So engage in your community. You never know who can give you an opportunity. Be vigilant and ask a lot of questions. ‘There is no dumb question’ is a policy for me personally. There are so many people that are willing to help. Be open to that.”

— Musa Kamara

Job Search Tips for People with a Criminal Record

Kamara said to build a resume that is “undeniable” and “speaks for itself” to show you are the strongest candidate. And networking with people in your field is as important as any job seeker.

Also, be as upfront as possible about your criminal history. It will appear in a background check, so trying to hide or minimize it is useless. Minnesota State CAREERwise recommends disclosing yourself so the employer can see your sincerity. Don’t go into more detail than necessary, then return the conversation to the position.

Unfortunately, candidates can lose job offers even if they disclosed criminal history upfront and the employer said before that it wasn’t an issue. Kamara says those struggling with this pattern of rejection could benefit from entrepreneurship.

“If you have a skill, create something around that, and then see in that time who might give you an opportunity to come work in a company… Have resilience, patience, continue to seek information, be open to new information and be open to nos. I had to be open to somebody telling me no. That concept came in quick. So I just looked at it like failure is a part of the process. We need to learn new things. Entrepreneurship is not easy, but it is yours. As long as you have the patience and resilience, I think any individual would be fine.”?

— Musa Kamara?

The Business Side of Hiring Felons

The decision not to hire felons also costs businesses. The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) reported in 2016 that a refusal to hire people with felony convictions costs a $78 to $87 billion loss in GDP each year.

So employers must set aside biases and fears that the employee will re-offend. A study by America Works and the Manhattan Institute found that employment reduced recidivism in non-violent offenders by 20%. It also found that “the sooner ex-offenders are employed, the less likely they will commit future crimes resulting in further jail and prison time.”

“When you give somebody with a criminal history a chance, particularly someone who’s been in prison a long time, they’re far more likely to be successful and loyal. It’s really about challenging those perceptions both on paper, but also in person. If you cannot make those connections, we’re never going to get through this. So a really big piece of this is ‘let’s bring some people together and see we’re all human beings’ and that there are enormous numbers of people who were locked up in prison who are coming out who bring talent and just want to do well if they’re given a chance.”?

— Andrew Glazier is the president and CEO of Defy Ventures. This quote is from September 2020’s LinkedIn News Live episode “Jobs for Ex-Felons.”

Explore more

• How To Overcome Obstacles and Get a Job With a Felony by Robert Bruce for The Penny Hoarder
• A Criminal Record May Not Be an Obstacle to Employment by Mack Gelber for Monster
• How to Disclose | Career Planning for People with a Criminal Conviction by Minnesota State CAREERwise
• Jobs for Felons on Felony Record Hub
• High Paying Jobs for Felons by Help for Felons

Meet the experts

Musa Kamara is the founder and CEO of Deen Entertainment, which helps community-driven nonprofits with branding, event production and strategic partnering.??

Andrew Glazier is the president and CEO of Defy Ventures, a nonprofit to cut recidivism rates in half through entrepreneurship, career readiness and personal development training programs.?

Uncover more great insights to help navigate your career in our workplace content hub.