Will educated felons be able to get corporate jobs?

Taking a lawbreaking past out of college applications

Hello,

I am a 25 year old college student currently working on my M.S. in Information and Communication Science. When I was 20 I was convicted of "Accessory to a felony after the fact" in Texas (the crime actually happened just 6 months after turning 18). I have not been in trouble with the law since and finished my 5 year probation with no problems. I am smart, attractive, and one of the only women in my program at school. My advisors keep telling me how easy it will be for me to get a job in computer science as a woman due to the lack of diversity amongst gender in many corporations. I am very fearful that I will not be able to get any job after graduation due to my felony record. I have contacted two lawyers in Texas about expungement but they have told me to quit dreaming and that felony expungements are far and few between in the state of Texas (I live in Michigan now). Is this true? Is there no chance for me to get this off my record ever? I am afraid that I have put all of this money into my education and still will not be able to get a successful job because of a stupid decision I made 7 years ago. What are my options? What is some general advice on this issue? Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

KN

Will educated felons be able to get corporate jobs?

Hello,

Expungement may not be an option for many ex-offenders and felons looking for jobs, but don not give up. Layers are going to hate my next suggestion because there are attorneys who make their livings by helping people with the expungement process. My suggestion is to contact your local legal aid office. There, you will get valuable advice and you can find out if it is a a viable option for you. If it is an option, you may be able to get low cost or even free assistance and if it can help your career.

I know of ex-offenders and convicted felons with far worse charges than yours who have gone on to have great careers. Companies hire people with criminal records everyday. A bit of advice is whenever possible, apply for jobs using your resume and well written cover letters. Often by using this method, the criminal record question may never come up. If the question arises, always be honest while letting the person know the event in your life was an isolated incident and you are fortunate to have put it behind you. Also talk about how hard you have worked to overcome your past.

I'm sure you will make out just fine. In the meantime, take a look at the article linked here:

Jobs for Felons: Companies Pledge Second Chance Opportunities