Jobs that hire Sex Offenders

Just the thought of the term "Sex Offender" brings to mind the worst crimes imaginable. There are varying degrees of sex-offenses but they are all looked at by the average person as the worst case. For example, I had a student many years ago who was 15 at the time. He had gotten his fourteen year old girlfriend pregnant. The girl's family decided to terminate the pregnancy. The boy's DNA was tested against the fetal tissue and he was arrested, convicted and be came what is known as a sex offender. In my state, this kid has to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. By being registered, he has to report to the state police his address, place of employment and must be photographed every year for the state sex offender registry which includes him on a website for the world to see. For the rest of his life, he will be listed on this website as having sex with an underage female regardless of the circumstance.

Jobs that hire Sex Offenders

Often the same reaction that the sex-offender gets from the public at large is the same reaction that the average employers have. So what a person with a sex offense do to earn a living? I have to admit, the students that post the biggest challenge in terms of getting hired are the convicted sex offenders. The very first suggestion I make is to begin to look for jobs that have limited contact with other people. Not that they are apt to harm others but employers may be more willing to hire someone with a sex offense who would be in no way be a liability.

I have been helping ex-offenders and felons get jobs for many years and in my experience, sex offenders are more like likely to get hired in the following areas:

Warehousing

Construction

Building Trades

Animal Shelters

Temporary Agencies

Janitorial Services

Automotive Services

Assembly/Manufacturing

Trucking

As I often suggest to all ex-offenders and felons looking for jobs, that smaller businesses are more likely to hire those with criminal records. Often you will get a chance to speak directly with the business owner or the person who makes hiring decisions.

When applying to small businesses, you will find that they use generic applications that you may find at your local office supply store. On these applications, you may find the standard question "Have you been convicted of a crime.............?" I commonly urge sex offenders to leave the question blank. Hopefully, the person who gets the application will overlook this and you can get an interview. If the question comes up on the interview, don't spend a lot of time answering or explaining. Offer a brief explanation that may begin with something like this, "I'm glad you asked because I want you to feel comfortable about hiring me..........."

You may also want to go check with your local United Way office. The United Way works with many agencies that assists people with all types of situations. Your local office may have resources or contacts to resources that can assist someone in your situation.

Another option is to speak to your parole or probation officer. The PO may know of employers who have hired registered sex offenders.

Finding a job as a sex offender will not be easy but there are employers who are willing to give you a chance. Your challenge is to find them.

Best of luck.