Addressing a prior felony conviction when job hunting
Dear Deb:
14 years ago, while in college, I was intoxicated and disorderly at a football game. It was a stupid incident that I regret and it resulted in a felony conviction. I earned my degree in engineering. I am a husband and father of two. Each summer I go on a two-week mission to build homes in Mexico. I have been sober for 13 years and 3 months. Even though I turned my life around, that felony haunts me. What can I do to improve my chances as I am attempting a job change? ~Fred, Plymouth, MA
Dear Fred:
First, kudos to you for your success! I can recommend some strategies for this situation. First, talk to an attorney to explore the
possibility of removing this from your record and the legal implications of doing so. I am not a lawyer and it would be smart to talk to one.
You are required to answer employment applications truthfully and completely. You can supplement that application with your résumé, cover letter, and reference list. I would encourage you to include all of your career accomplishments as well as your philanthropic work/community service on your résumé. Use one version of your cover letter prior to the interview, and bring a second version of your cover letter to the interview to attach to the application. In this second letter, I would briefly explain that as a young man you made a very foolish choice one night and that resulted in a felony. Explain that the felony did not involve theft or dishonesty. If it did not involve violence (like a fight), mention that as well. You can state your regret and how this incident helped to make you the dependable and hard-working person you are today. Also mention that you have not had any legal issues since then.
If you have a question for Deb, please email debra@careersdonewrite.com. The Ask Deb column appears every Friday on our blog at the Careers Done Write website.