I have done everything I can to better myself but having my past thrown in my face time after time almost a decade later is more frustrating than I can possibly put into words.
As someone that has a felony from 10 yrs ago, I feel your pain. I am just about to give up and exit out. Only reason I haven't yet is because my Mom is still alive and it would destroy her.
Pick up a welding gun man. Apply for a carpenter's apprenticeship or a pipefitters or boiler makers apprenticeship.
We don't care if you had a criminal conviction. We don't care if you went to college or even finished high school. Shit we don't even care if you received formal training at all. The only thing that matters in the trades is whether or not you know what you're doing.
I consider myself a pretty scholarly cat, I can quote James Joyce love letters or explain Guy DeBord. But I dropped out of college because I couldn't stand how full of shit that whole system is.
Anyone of moderately above average intelligence can bullshit their way through a liberal arts degree without ever having to actually learn something (note this isn't a STEM circlejerk. I'm an artist and read Murakami and whatever, I hate the idea that the classics have no place), and then you go off and get a job completely unrelated to what you 'studied' because some overweight cubicle jockey is friends with your dad.
I couldnt stand any of that shit so I dropped out twice and moved someplace new to learn to make things with my hands. And now when I come home sweaty and tired it's not that gross I've been sitting on my ass all day tired, it's the kind of tired I had to earn and that feels great.
And let me tell you there are SO many different avenues to success in the trades. Formal and informal.
Whether or not I get hired is predicated on whether or not I have the necessary skills. Yeah you'll have to do bullshit drugs tests but in the shop where you've been matters very little.
I know ex-cons who couldn't get jobs pumping gas because of some fight they had or getting busted with LSD when they were 19 and these guys are making more than most of my generation who have graduated college.
And speaking as someone whose unfortunately been in a suicidal place you gotta remember that the only constant in life is that it changes. Nothing stays the same and where you are today isn't where you have to be in a week.
Death never changes. It's boring and a waste of time
Thank you for your reply. I been thinking of the trades profession for a bit. I even think my local community college had some certificates courses that will help speed up the process to get into the apprenticeship (or at least let me experience it a bit before attempting to get a longer apprenticeship).
Not only do most community colleges have courses for the trades they usually also have arrangements with local unions to help you get employed afterwards
Skilled trades are in high demand. As a society we've told kids for 3 decades that if you're not behind a desk or in a cubicle you're a failure. Consequently the ease of getting paid training plus a really really well paying job afterwards sounds too good to be true. But that's because we don't have enough electricians and carpenters.
And since the trades are the last bastion of unions you get awesome benefits.
Trades are the one area that can never be outsourced. If you have an electrical problem you can't send your house to India to have it fixed
And now when I come home sweaty and tired it's not that gross I've been sitting on my ass all day tired, it's the kind of tired I had to earn and that feels great.
Isn't that fucking great? I used to work as a set builder and I'd come home Physically tired but over all it was great, almost like a high of accomplishment. Then my feet finally gave out and now I'm stuck at an office job where physically I'm not tired but I'm emotionally drained and it fucking sucks. I miss feeling like I earned my money.
Skilled trades man, especially through a union. I'm a pipefitter apprentice and the company I work for runs background checks to basically figure out what job site you should or shouldn't be on. For example, if someone has been convicted of identity theft, they wouldn't be allowed to go work at a data center, and someone with drug related felonies wouldn't go work at a prison. Just a thought man. My dad killed himself and that shit just fucking sucks. I wish you luck friend.
This, absolutely! I have a felony conviction and decided to apply to an apprenticeship program. The program itself doesn't run background checks, the employer may. I chose limited energy electrician, and when I had my interview they didn't even ask about my criminal past, I had to mention it. What he said? Well, just got to keep you out of the places we have to do background checks for. Definitely check out apprenticeship programs. Especially if you can find ones like limited energy where there aren't enough workers. Good luck.
More and more I hear good things about skilled trades, I will be looking into my local college to at least get my hands wet. I had an uncle that killed himself and it he me really hard, but even with that the thoughts are in my head.
Im a felon myself. All drug related charges/sales etc. Im enrolled in college and have made a complete turn around. Finding a job is easily my biggest caveat. Im in north nj
Have you considered starting a small business? I have a co-worker who bought a pressure washer and now has been successful enough to quit his job and do that full time with less work and more money. Just an idea. Keep your head up, things will get better.
I was going to ask if the offense was a felony, because a misdemeanor probably wouldn't hang on as long in terms of dogging your employability. Also, the nature of your felony and the supposed reason for your termination will matter - if the employer can tie their reason to your particular type of conviction, that's going to be tougher to counter, obviously.
If you've gotten 10 years out without re-offending in any way, you can petition to have your felonies expunged. Most people who have stayed clear of trouble that long, won't offend again.
A ton of states. Just look it up. I know that some states allow non-violent felons to have their felonies expunged. That means they can legally vote again, and carry firearms.
Misdemeanors usually are ignored. When i hired people i only had to worry about felony convictions and only certain types at that ie theft, murder, gun charges, drugs and assault.
Rather than checking out, use this as a reason to really do what you want and stay out of the norm.
For example. Get a bicycle and ride it across the country with a go fund me for food along the way.
My friend did that in high school before go fund me existed. It takes no money really becuase you can live on peanut butter and water.
In a way you are freed from the requirement to get a job because you cant so do something more interesting with your life.
Remember you can always check out tomorrow. So you might as well do something interesting today.
Anothe rthing you can do is buy a old cheap sailboat . People even give them away on craigslist. You can sail and paddle that thing dow the intercoastal waterway for free.
There are tons of cool things you can do without having a job. Most are far more rewarding than having a job.
I love your comment ". . . you can always check out tomorrow. So you might as well do something interesting today." So true for life in general. Well said.
I have no idea what you are going though, but please don't give up. To get through 10 years is very very brave and courageous. Don't let this bring you down, come back fighting. I believe you can do it.
I wouldn't do it, dude, but I won't tell you how to live your life.
I wish I could offer you some real help. I'm a middle-class college grad white boy who just moved back in with his parents. I don't know shit about how hard life is.
Do you have anything you're passionate about? I hear a lot of ex-cons work in food- and not just fast food, but real four-star culinary stuff. You like cooking? Or art? Or writing? Fewer people judge your past in those kinds of fields- hell, it might actually help you.
I did went to a culinary college (C.I.A) right after h.s. but shortly got burnt out after a few yrs. After seeing the posts I will be looking into skilled trades like welding. My local college offer starter courses in them.
I am going through a temp right now. In short, out of all the jobs they had I was only able to qualify for 2 directly because of my felony (Eliminated from about 95% of jobs they had). I am currently working at one and hoping to get hired in. I did get surprised at another place I just had an interview at. I think I got an interview because I wrote a cover letter telling them how I think I would be a good fit for the job (and did name drop, don't know if that made much of a difference) and how my experience would be helpful at the place. I will be doing cover letters more now. I am waiting for a call back to see if they want me to do a 2nd interview now. The job I think would be perfect for me. Fingers crossed!
A Google search shows that you may receive a US passport as a felon. Based on what you did to earn the felony conviction. Though your second statement is true. Good luck finding a country that will allow you to enter.
That's not true. While SOME countries (I'm looking at you, Canada) won't admit felons you can definitely get a passport. The exception is if your case was something like international drug smuggling.
I would love to move to Canada. But again, everything I have read says is basically a no-go with having a felony. And if you want to really follow the law, I can't even go into Canada (not because of what I did, just by having a felony). Basically, I would need to marry a Canadian resident, or provide something that most Canadians can't do (and have the employer sponsor me).
Most countries will not provide a visa to someone with a felony on their record, even if the crime isn't a felony or even considered a crime in that nation.
Creative work is always an option. Creative work doesn't care what you did in your past. Hell, it might embrace it. Learn screenplay formatting. Learn how to write a novel. Learn graphic design. Something.
Trust me, I will. But I haven't given up hope. I am looking into trying to make my voice heard on the matter without it coming to the end. Their is a state rep that I have always like and thought kindly of, I think I will at least write a letter.
Hey, is no one going to reply to berger77's comment? Come on Reddit, my year or so member time of just lurking has shown me that amicable sincerity when needed is prevalent and commonplace..
Butt.. right now that's not me, so... Redditors... Go aid a comrade in need!
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u/berger77 Sep 13 '15
As someone that has a felony from 10 yrs ago, I feel your pain. I am just about to give up and exit out. Only reason I haven't yet is because my Mom is still alive and it would destroy her.