I have a college degree but also have a felony (drugs), how can I overcome this looking for a good job?

I have a class A cdl but nobody will let me drive truck. Recently my wife stopped working do to health problems. It is like the system is still holding me back. I have even become an ordained minister.. Any advise or info to help me find a good job would be highly appreciated. please give serious answers, thank you!
I have a college degree but also have a felony (drugs), how can I overcome this looking for a good job?
I know exactly what you are going through. I am dealing with the same issue. I am currently on deferred adjudication for a Felony drug charge. I was under the impression that since I am on probation, the fact that I have not yet been convicted would not hinder me from finding gainful employment. I was WRONG. I was turned down for God knows how many jobs, ones that I was more than qualified for, just because of my record. I also have a college degree, but you can have 10 degrees behind your name: bachelor's, master's, doctorate, whatever...once a future employer finds out you have a background, the answer will most likely be no. They are just not willing to give a second chance.





The first two answerers were very astute in saying that honesty is the best policy. ALWAYS reveal your status, because they WILL find out, and when they do, and it was not revealed prior to the background investigation, they are well within their rights to terminate you immediately on the grounds of non-disclosure. It sucks, I know, and I myself am working a job where I am making half of what I was making before I got into trouble, but I like the company I work for, and they didn't give a rat's behind about my record, especially once they saw that I was a good worker who just made an unfortunate mistake. You have to crawl before you walk. I had to make a lot of adjustments, and I had to put my pride down(which was the hardest thing to do). It took a lot of effort and soul-searching, and it was easy for me to sit and have pity parties and feel sorry for myself, but I realized that this can only serve to make me stronger, and since you are an ordained minister, you know that God will not put more burdens on you than He feels you can handle. The best advice I can give you is to apply anywhere and everywhere that happens to be hiring, and go from there. Your state's workforce commission may be able to help you. Mine was unable to help me because I am not a "convicted" felon, so I did it on my own. I went on interviews Monday through Friday for two and a half months (literally) before I got this job. You wouldn't believe how many times I would walk out of the places I applied to, sit in my car, and cry. But then I would dry my eyes, pick up the newspaper, and keep at it. Just don't give up. It will happen. May God bless you and your family.





**Oh, and FYI: In most states, Felony records cannot be expunged, only sealed, and this only after a set amount of time has passed after the conviction (sometimes up to 10 years). You may want to consult an attorney about this.**
Reply:What a crock aof crap, you absolutely picked the wrong answer. Go ahead and listen to her loser! Report Abuse

Reply:See if you can get the felony expunged, wiped off your record, then employers won't know about it, and you legally don't have to tell them...in California, it's called an "Expungement" and it is absolutely free......





And those who say you can't get an expungement in California, are dead wrong. Contact the public defender who represented you, and let them know you have changed you life, and once you are granted the expungement, your record is sealed from everyone except law enforcement and the FBI. This is the best you can do considering the circumstances. You mentioned that you have a cdl. I am going to assume you have a CA drivers License, so those folks giving you answers from other states are clueless. I am very close to someone who did this successfully with a very serious manufacturing conviction. This person got the expungement and the company they work for knows nothing about it. And if the company ever found out, this person has the legal right to defend themselves if they were told they lied on their application. You do not have to tell anyone about your conviction. If I were you, I wouldn't even mention it. Get real people, no one gives you a break in this day and age. Being honest is downright stupid in this case. No one will hire you if you tell them you have a felony. GET THE EXPUNGEMENT! You will wonder why you didn't do it a long time ago. You won't be able to get a security clearance, but I don't think that's an issue if you want to be a truck driver. Good luck, just believe me please. You can get the expungement...follow up on it, write to your public defender...and don't listen to these yahoo's, they don't know what they are talking about!
Reply:find good lawyer, get an expuction of records , cost money but can be done.





be honest, it will come out if you lie about it. ,





get very reputable references
Reply:Can you get a job driving for youth rehab centers? Maybe check out Christian-oriented youth rehab programs. They might be more impressed by your lifestyle changes. You didn't say what your college degree was in.
Reply:I've known a lot of felons who had jobs. Maybe not the job they wanted. You'll have to put in lots of resumes all over your area. You should be up-front about your past. You might want to see if there is a program in your area that helps those on probation or parole find employment.





The further into the past the charges fall, the better your opportunities will become. You made a mistake and you will have to show that you have changed by consistent trustworthiness over time. So take the not so good job (or maybe two of them) until you can get a better job.
Reply:Most future employers will do a background check on you. So the only thing to do is be honest. Tell them about your backgroud, tell them you have changed your life and learned from your mistakes. If you dont tell them, and they find it out from your background check, they will not even consider you.