Felons must be honest when applying for jobs

Hello,

I'm from Texas. I have a Felony/Theft charge on my background from 2008 and been on a 5yr probation about 3 years now. After about 3 weeks of job search, this past week I was hired on the spot as a sales associate at Academy. Then today, I was let go because of the felony charge, which i lied about on the application. Should I try talking to the manager and explain my situation? I know, i should just be upfront and put it down on the application, but not sure how to word it properly. What are some things to put on applications, when asked about criminal history? My degree is in Teaching and so have not tried those type of jobs. I also, have experience in, retail, food service, office. If you have other suggestions, please feel free to, share them. I'm glad I found your website. It helps having someone to share this with. Sometimes it gets very depressing. I just want to get my life moving in a positive direction. Anyway, thanks for your help. I look forward to hearing back from you.

Sue

Felons must be honest when applying for jobs

Hello Sue,

That is a common mistake by ex-offenders and felons looking for jobs. Some believe by being honest they don’t have a chance at getting a job. The fact is an employer cannot legally refuse to hire you because you have a criminal record unless the conviction is directly related to the job for which you are applying. I have spoken with former inmates who have lied on applications and gotten jobs, only to lose them later when background checks were done. Some have been encouraged to use the response “Will discuss at interview.” For ex-offenders and felons looking for jobs, applications present a dilemma. Lie or not to lie. I advise job seekers to always be honest. If you are dishonest about your past, you risk having the truth exposed later. You may get a job only to lose it after the employer finds out the truth through a background check. You will be fired for being deceitful, not because you have a criminal record.In my opinion, these are not good practices. The best advice I can give is BE HONEST! Employers have a responsibility to know as much as possible about prospective employees.

As for applying for other jobs, you should always apply for any job you feel you qualify for. Never talk yourself out of a job.

If you chosen profession is teaching, public schools aren't you only option. You may not be eligible to teach in public schools but there are other options. Community colleges, adult learning annexes, private and charter schools are great places to start. They usually have fewer regulatory restrictions than public school systems.

I hope this helps.