Employment Discrimination For Felons Is Real
I got out of prison a month ago on First Step Act. I hit the ground running and on the way out of prison on my 27 hour Greyhound trip I started an Indeed.com account. I created a resume, uploaded it and started applying for jobs.
I made the decision to disclose my crime on my resume. I interview really well and didn’t want to create a scenario where I was offered a bunch of jobs and then denied because of my criminal record and a background check. My mother and my husband were concerned that I was being a little too transparent but both said I should go ahead and put it on there.
It took me three weeks to land a job. In that time I applied to 327 different jobs, I went on 11 interviews. I was officially hired on March 3rd and started March 8th. Of course once I got a job I was offered 4 more positions. So lets recap 327 applications led to 11 interviews and 4 offers. Those are miserable odds.
Fortunately for me I’m smart, articulate and have started several businesses myself. In this job hunt I primarily looked for jobs in wireless retail stores, marketing, social media and some food service positions. Ultimately it was a food service position that I went with. I actually liked the team there best and they are preparing to open now so it gives me the rush and excitement of starting up, something I had been missing in prison (except for that time we launched Razorwire from prison complete with a party including wraps, cheesecake and cheesy greasys). My entrepreneurial tendencies have already gotten me promoted and I will stay with this company through my probation (3 years).
The point of this is that I am fortunate in my background and my attitude, not everyone coming out of prison is like me. Even, still in my own skin with my own personality I applied to 327 jobs and was only interviewed for 10. Perhaps now we understand the need for Razor Wire and even 70 Million Jobs and Operation New Hope.
Kyle
Founder, Razorwire Media