10 Recommendations for Job Seekers With Criminal Records was originally published on College Recruiter.
While having a run-in with the law can have long-term repercussions for job hunting, a new study from CareerBuilder shows organizations are open to giving people second chances. Fifty-one percent of human resource managers reported that their organizations have hired someone with a criminal record.
The study, which was conducted by Harris Interactive© and included more than 2,000 hiring managers nationwide, also looked at what job seekers with criminal records can do to help their chances of getting hired.
“The number one recommendation hiring managers have is to own your past and focus on what you learned from it to grow professionally and personally,” said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. “You also want to stay active. Taking classes, volunteering and tapping into social networks can be good ways to help overcome obstacles associated with job hunting with a criminal past.”
What can job seekers with criminal records do to make themselves more marketable to employers? Hiring managers recommend:
- Be up front and honest about the conviction and stress what you learned from it – 68 percent
- Be willing to work your way up – 48 percent
- Stay positive – 46 percent
- Prepare while you’re in prison (take classes, get a degree or vocational training) – 39 percent
- Don’t apply to jobs where your record would automatically disqualify you – 31 percent
- Volunteer – 31 percent
- Take freelance or temporary assignments – 26 percent
- Consider joining the military – 18 percent
- Start your own business – 16 percent
- Monitor what is said on social media – 13 percent
