How to Find Work After an Arrest

Finding work is difficult under the best circumstances. There are a number of factors that can make a job search take longer than usual, though. For a large portion of people, a criminal record is one of those factors.

Fortunately, there is growing recognition that people should not be judged on previous incarcerations or records. Many states and localities have implemented "Ban the Box" laws, which generally prevent employers from asking about an applicant's criminal record until later in the hiring process. The hope is that the delay will give people time to be judged on their skills and talent —?not on their records.

An increasing number of organizations are also dedicated to helping people when reentering the workforce. Dr. Genevieve Rimer , who is the director of inclusive hiring at the Center for Employment Opportunities , is one of the people trying to move that needle. In addition to launching a new LinkedIn Learning course about the subject , Dr. Rimer recently sat down with LinkedIn News Editor Andrew Seaman on his weekly podcast to discuss how people can find work after incarceration.?

You can read a transcript of the conversation below. You can also listen to the podcast above or by clicking here .

BONUS: Dr. Rimer will be answering your questions about finding work after incarceration on an upcoming episode of #GetHired Live. You can RSVP for the show by clicking here .

TRANSCRIPT: How to Find Work After an Arrest

Andrew Seaman: Finding a job is hard for some people. It's even more difficult because of one reason or another. That's especially true for people who have criminal records or who are returning to the workforce after incarceration. We're talking all about it on today's episode from LinkedIn News. This is Get Hired, a podcast for the ups and downs and the ever-changing landscape of our professional lives. I'm Andrew Seaman, LinkedIn's managing editor for Jobs and Career Development.

It's well known that people with criminal records face an uphill battle finding employment. The issue has gained such recognition that many states and municipalities have enacted Ban the Box laws, which prohibit employers from looking into a job applicant's records until later in the hiring process. The hope is that employers will judge a person first on their skills, not on a criminal record. Dr. Genevieve Reimer, who is director of Inclusive Hiring at the Center for Employment Opportunities, draws from her own experience and advocates for fair chance hiring. She is also a LinkedIn learning instructor for a new course focused on helping people with criminal records find jobs. She joined me to chat about how people with criminal records can overcome obstacles, external and internal to find work. Before we get to today's conversation though, I wanna let you know that Dr. Reimer will join me on Monday, February 6th at noon Eastern time on Get Hired Live. To go deeper into this topic and answer your questions, you can find the RSVP link. Forget Hired live in the show notes. Now, back to today's conversation. I first wanted to know why people with criminal records face such challenges finding work. I'll let Dr. Rimer take it from here.

Dr. Genevieve Rimer: You know, I think one of the reasons why that's such a huge stumbling block is not only because of like the external factors that we face, like background checks and all of the other collateral consequences, 45,000 of them to be specific. But, you know, I feel like what's really difficult beyond those, you know, kind of external barriers that we have to overcome. It's the internal stigma that we've internalized really through our involvement with the criminal legal system at many different stages. We've been taught, if you will, or we've been, uh, we've internalized at not only are we felons, but really were failures.

Andrew: Yeah, and would you say it's getting easier for people, because I know there's been so much progress over the past few years about sort of block the box legislation, which prevents employers from asking about criminal histories until later in the interview process. So would you say it's getting easier and people are catching onto the fact that, you know, they're excluding a huge portion of talent because of this?

Dr. Rimer: It has changed. You know, there's tons of reentry organizations like the Center for Employment Opportunities where I work that specifically exist to support people as they're reentering, uh, from incarceration back into the community. And we prepare and equip them with the skills that they need to find employment. You know, the other side of the work that I do at the Center for Employment Opportunities is I help employers, uh, change their hiring practices to hire folks with past convictions. And so, you know, there's a lot of organizations like us that are out here doing really incredible work and providing the tools to employers that they need to not only change their practices, but also to, you know, help them sort through their biases and think differently about this really skilled population of folks that have been locked out of the workforce for far too long, simply because of a passport choice or mistake that they've made that they cannot change.

But now, kind of answering your question more directly, you know, there's tons of different approaches that are happening now. They have like clean slate and Ban the Box and all of these other things that exist to help people find employment. So they're judged on their skills first before their criminal record is even considered. I think it's so important, but I don't think we're where we need to be. I envision the world as a place where people are only judged on their skills when they're seeking employment and their criminal background isn't considered at all. I think about a place where people are able to talk freely about who they are, including their past choices or their past mistakes. Because if I think about myself, I am who I am today and I'm really proud of who I am is also a result of the things that I've learned along this journey, you know, so allowing people to embrace their whole selves and thinking about a world where people will only be considered based upon their skills and qualifications and not on their past choices or mistakes.

Andrew: And like you said, there's that internalization of stigma. So what is the first step for people who are facing these challenges?

Dr. Rimer: You know, in the LinkedIn learning course, one of the first activities that I have the learners participate in is identifying their strengths and their skills and what makes them them, what makes you you, you know? And so I think it's so important and so critical to do some like internal reflection and to really write out and articulate, you know, the strengths that you have as a person, the skills that you have, the offerings that you can provide to an employer. You know, and I don't like to call myself a risk. I'm not a risk. I am resourceful, I am resilient, I am skilled, and I feel like employers are the lucky ones that have the opportunity to work for me as, as I'm working for them as an employee, right? So I think it's like that shift in the mindset. And so when I, when I, I serve as a caseworker for many years, uh, supporting people that were returning back from incarceration and I spent tons of time just encouraging them to think about who they are as a person first, and then who they want to become as a job seeker and as an employee.

Andrew: Well, and also I, I think the data has shown that actually people who are hired when they do like a return to work program or something like that, they actually tend to be better employees when it comes to staying at the job, being attendance, things like that. So the data's also there, right?

Dr. Rimer: So speaking of data, the Society for Human Resource Management on their Getting Talent back to work webpage, they have some of the most up-to-date and kind of compelling data on why HR folks and business owners and leaders should consider hiring folks with past convictions. And one of the survey questions that, you know, some HR folks responded to was, how likely do you think that your current employees would be to work with people with past convictions? And the majority of the folks did not have any apprehension to work alongside of a colleague with a past conviction. So again, like these I think, are beliefs that have been kind of historical in nature, but the reality is, is that in our current landscape, people are be, are more progressive, people are willing or wanting to give people a second chance or a third chance or a fifth chance or a fair opportunity to work.

Andrew: We're going to take a quick break when we get back. Dr. Rimer talks about an added challenge people face when returning to work after incarceration.?

Andrew: And we're back with Dr. Genevieve Reimer. So we've already established that people with criminal histories, face obstacles, finding work, but there is an added challenge when people are trying to get a job right after incarceration. Here's Dr. Reimer.

Dr. Rimer: I feel like one of the biggest needs is usually people that are coming back from incarceration have a gap in employment, right? And so if they're applying to an employer and an employer asks, then sometimes they'll fill the necessity to disclose that that time was spent incarcerated. But you know, I think something else that people can do in order to close that gap or to fill that gap is to seek out assistance from a re-entry program. Like I mentioned before, at the Center for Employment Opportunities, we provide immediate employment to people that are recently released from incarceration. So it fills that gap. Not only does it fill that gap, but we provide daily pay so folks are able to receive the money that they need to sustain themselves, build skills, and then ultimately close that gap in their resume. So first I think it's so important, like you just mentioned, that you have to build up who you are as a person. Second, I think it's acquiring the skills that you need to start your career to start your journey. And oftentimes that can be done at a re-entry organization.

Andrew: Got it. And, and I assume that, you know, because I dunno, I'm a big believer in networking that, you know, reach out to your friends and family and say, listen, you know, I'm looking for work. I'm having a little bit of trouble. I assume that, you know, activating your network and actually talking to people is also a powerful way to, to sort of get the ball moving, right?

Dr. Rimer: I think it's so critical that people talk to people and ask about the job market and ask about employers that would potentially be interested in hiring them. And especially as people continue to move along in their career journey, you know, starting creating a LinkedIn profile and networking with people that are like-minded and that also are not like-minded, right? That you don't have those similarities or you don't share that common interest because you have the opportunity to learn about each other, you know, frequently. Like I'll post something on my LinkedIn profile and I look at those that have viewed and it's people that are not even from my same industry, you know, that we don't even have what I would think is a lot in common, but at least I know that that post that they've read it and maybe it'll begin to, you know, it'll mean something to them.

And then secondly, I think this is also really important for employers, the whole networking piece. We always encourage employers to be proud that they are fair chance hires, that they are seeking talent that may have past convictions. Um, and to talk about it with pride and with boldness. And also to tell other employers in their network about the good work that they're doing. We have to spread the word oftentimes. We don't want it to be the best kept secret and it shouldn't be. It's nothing that you should be embarrassed about. So tell people within your network, this is for employers that you are hiring this population. Talk about it with pride and tell them why they should consider doing it as well.

Andrew: And I assume the next part in the process is sort of prepping for an interview. And I guess there are two things I want to ask here. And the first is, if they don't do a background check, which usually comes at the hiring stage, should a person bring up their past in the interview? You know, what is your advice for going into that situation and also addressing questions that pop up if you do mention it.

Dr. Rimer: That's a really great question. And I feel like I don't have the ability to really tell people what they should do, but I can provide insight based on my own personal experiences. When I first came back from incarceration, I felt like I needed to tell everyone immediately like, hi, my name is Jenna and I'm a felon. You know? And I felt like I needed to do that because of all of the rejection that I had faced. So if I was upfront about it, I would be less likely to be rejected on the back end, you know? Cause I'm just saying it right upfront. So you can make your choice in that moment. If you wanna continue the conversation, be my friend, hire me, whatever. Immediately, then I went through this stage where I realized that other people were embarrassed of my past, so therefore I should be embarrassed of it as well.

I began to suppress my past history and you know, put it o far away as possible and I never wanted to talk about it. Now I'm in a place where I feel like I'm okay with who I am, which includes all of me, like I had mentioned before. And so I'm okay with talking about it during an interview because I draw strength from that period in my life, right? But someone that is new, um, they may not have had the time to do that work where they can talk about their past in a compelling way, you know? And so my suggestion is to never mention it upfront, if you were to go on a job interview, you wouldn't lead the conversation with your past mistakes, right? Like you would never wanna share, you know, something that you're deeply ashamed of with someone that you barely know. And then add onto that, that there's so much on the line, you know, it's potentially your livelihood that's on the line. And so why would we want or expect people with a past conviction to include that as part of the interview? You know? So I never suggest that someone includes it as in part of the interview.

Andrew: And also, and I think that goes to the idea of just job searching in general, where you want the hiring manager, you want the recruiter to sort of fall in love with you a little bit. So that way, you know, when they do find out that, oh, you don't have the skill or something, then they're like, you know what? You could learn on the job or something like that. So it's sort of like lead with your strengths.

Dr. Rimer: That's totally it. And now I'm in a place where, you know, if I'm in an interview, it's almost like if the employer doesn't hire me, then they're the ones missing out because I know what I bring to the table. But I've worked on myself for years, you know, it's taken me a really long time to get to this place.

Andrew: How does it work then with the background check? Because like you said, you had that box of rejection letters that would come. Do people just have to sort of be prepared for that or do you before, like as you're going through the hiring process, do you just say, listen, you know, do you eventually bring it up?

Dr. Rimer: I personally, I would not bring it up until I was asked. And then what I would do in the meantime on the interim is I would prepare a portfolio of evidence of rehabilitation that an employer should consider if they decide that they wanna, you know, withdraw my job offer based upon my criminal conviction. And um, you know, anything that shows stability, that shows change, um, that shows, you know, your skills as an employer, I would include my degrees. I would include a really nice and tight resume. I would include, you know, letters of recommendation from many different people in places. I would include potentially even like pictures of my family or a drawing of like my child or something like that. Because it begins to humanize people, you know? And then I would send it over to an employer and I would counteract, if you will, their desire to wanna withdraw my job offer.

Andrew: Is there anything else that you think people who find themselves in this situation that are really struggling should know when it comes to re-entry?

Dr. Rimer: The biggest advice that I would give to job seekers that are either newly searching for work or looking for opportunities to promote, it's to practice, practice interviewing, print out those interview questions and answer them. Write out your response. Practice looking at yourself in the mirror and responding, practice answering the conviction question. Internalize your skills and your strengths. Really get to that place where you feel confident in who you are. And I know I mentioned this before, but I think it's so critical. You have to practice, you have to prepare, and you have to present, practice, prepare, and present. You know, and you may get rejected the first time. You may get rejected the fifth time, but eventually you will get a break. But it's that persistence. You have to be persistence even in the face of rejection and disappointment. If you stay the course and you show up and you put your best foot forward, eventually an employer will be so lucky to have you as part of their workforce.

Andrew: Definitely. And you know, and I think the key also to remember is that job searches are, are marathons, not sprints. So I think everyone often goes into a job search thinking, oh, a few weeks. And the reality, even under the best circumstances, <laugh> are usually a few months. So I think the persistence part and the preparation and the practice is, is such a huge part of this.

Dr. Rimer: Absolutely. And then, you know, it's taken a step further, not only practice like with yourself, but ask people for feedback. Because we are often our own biggest critics, but in, in the sense that we won't include everything that we are, you know, we won't include all of our qualities because we'll discredit them. And so if you practice with other people, they can say, Hey, remember that one time that you actually did this. You know, don't forget to mention that when you talk about that question, you know, when you provided a response to that question. Or you also have these skills that you're missing out on and this is how I view you as a person, you know? So don't forget to also talk about this. I think that's also really important.

Andrew: Yes, definitely. Well, thank you so much, Jenna, for joining us. I hope everyone checks out your, uh, LinkedIn learning course.

Dr. Rimer: Yeah, I'm so excited. Thank you so much, Andrew, for having me as a guest and pleased, follow me on LinkedIn and check out my course.

Andrew: That was Dr. Genevieve Reimer, director of Inclusive Hiring at the Center for Employment Opportunities. She's also out with a new LinkedIn learning course, all about finding work after incarceration. Remember, it's up to you to put our advice into practice still. You always have a community backing you up and cheering you on. Connect with me in the Get Hired community on LinkedIn to continue the conversation. In fact, join Dr. Reimer and myself on Get Hired Live on Monday, February 6th at noon Eastern time with your questions. You can find the RSVP link in today's show notes. Also, if you like this episode, leave us a rating on Apple Podcast. It helps people like you find the show. And of course, we'll continue the conversation next week. Right here, wherever you like to listen. Get Hired is a production of LinkedIn News. The episode was produced by Franz Bowen, Joe DeGeorge mixed. Our show, Dave Pond is head of news production. Courtney Coop is head of original programming for LinkedIn. Dan Roth is the editor in chief of LinkedIn. And I'm Andrew Seman. Until next time, stay well and best of luck.