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Lady wants to help herself and her felon boyfriend

LADY WANTS TO HELP HERSELF AND HER FELON BOYFRIENDQ: Hello,

I have done everything I can to help my boyfriend find work. I have submitted about 50 applications/resumes and we have not had any success. He has no license, but can obtain one after paying off some tickets. He is a skilled mechanic (self-taught) but lacks the certifications necessary along with the license required for jobs in this field. I want to help, but there is only so much I can do. We have one car and we are both stressed. I am about to lose my house and I need his help to bring more income in the house before the bank finally decides to foreclose on my house.

Today he said “All I want is a normal life”. He feels like he is at the end of the rope with no where to turn. It’s normal to be able to get up and go to work. It’s normal to be able to drive yourself around and not have to wait on someone else. Everything is a catch 22- no license- no transportation- no job – no money it’s an endless cycle. He has a good heart but hung with the wrong crowd when he was younger and was influenced to make bad decisions. He was convicted of Robbery as a youth in 1996 and served 75 months. He is now 32 years old and still paying for the choices he made. While I understand that you past will follow you please advise- How can we overcome this barrier?

I have been working a temp assignment which is scheduled to end on 12/31. I have been on interviews and I receive call backs with potential job leads and he gets call backs but when he discusses his criminal past the opportunity goes out the door. Please share with me your wisdom and guidance as I try to provide hope to a lost soul.

I will take any advice that you are willing to provide.

Sincerely,

Charissa

 

Lady wants to help herself and her felon boyfriend

 

A: Hello Charissa,

My first suggestion to your boyfriend is to try looking at independent shops.  He could also try auto shops like Munro or Wal-mart if he doesn’t mind changing oil or tires as a start until he can find something better.  Wal-mart has proven to be felon friendly and I have students working at several locations.

Check out this page.  It has a huge list of companies that hire felons.  You can also search for jobs near you.  You can find this page here:  Jobs for Felons

The first thing I suggest to everyone looking for a job, not just ex-offenders and felons, is to go to the nearest One-stop Career Center. This is a really underutilized resource. Each state has a network of centers that provide an assortment of free services that can help you in getting a job. In addition, these centers provide a long list of services that can help a felon get jobs and even train them for new careers.

Some services available are:

Career planning and counseling

Workshops (Resume Writing, Interviewing Skills, and related topics.)

Computers with internet access and word processing

Daily access to thousands of job listings

Job-related magazines and local newspapers

Job postings and referrals

Printers, fax machines, phones, and copiers for job search use

Each center has trained counselors that provide one-on-one assistance. Many of them have experience assisting ex-offenders and felons looking for jobs. You can find the One-stop Career Center nearest you at:

www.servicelocator.org

 

There also may be other services available to job seekers such as free bus passes to job seekers. I also suggest that your boyfriend pick up the yellow pages and making a list of all the garages in your area. He can call each one to inquire about open positions. Because he has training but not much experience, he may have to start as a mechanic’s helper. Usually smaller independent companies will offer a better chance to an ex-offender or felon.

I hope this helps.

Jobs for Ex-offenders and Felons: Where can Ex-offenders Find Jobs

Jobs for Ex-offenders and Felons: Ten Steps to Getting a Job with a Criminal Record


Are you an ex-offender or felon who has a question about finding a job with a criminal record? You could have your question answered right here. Email your question to: BelievePublications@comcast.net.

 

Lady wants to help herself and her felon boyfriend