Work
Disclose early, to the decision maker, in plain language. Target small companies. Own it on paper before Google does.
Written up separately
I wrote this up in full elsewhere, and rather than restate it, the guide is here: How to get a job as a felon.
Seven things
- Disclose early, and to the decision maker. The longer you wait, the worse it goes, because a late reveal feels like concealment. Skip the application process at small companies and email the founder or hiring manager directly.
- Use plain language. "I can't pass a background check," and one sentence of explanation if they ask. Not an argument, not an apology.
- Target companies under about fifty people. Small companies have humans making decisions. Large ones have checklists written by people who will never meet you.
- Consider remote and contract work. Both are more output-focused and less credential-focused, and background checks are less common for contract work. Check contract arrangements against your supervised release employment condition first.
- Own it on paper. Put it on the resume and on LinkedIn. Get there before Google does.
- The gap answer is "prison." You do not owe anyone a productivity narrative for that time.
- Ignore most reentry advice. It is written for people with no skills and no network. If that is not you, it was not written for you.
Background checks, mechanically
Checks generally show convictions rather than arrests. State reporting limits vary and federal convictions generally are not time-limited. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, an employer using a third-party report who declines to hire you on the basis of it must provide you a copy and an opportunity to dispute inaccuracies. Errors do occur.
Ban-the-box laws delay the question rather than removing it, and are largely irrelevant if you are disclosing upfront anyway.
The one thing to internalize
The employers who hesitate are not people you want to work for. If someone's default posture toward you is suspicion, every mistake you make for the next three years gets read through that lens. The conviction just surfaces that disposition faster than it would otherwise appear.
Your digital life
Two-factor tied to a phone you no longer have, and recovery flows built on the assumption that you have been reachable this whole time.
These pages cover the general rules. Your situation has details they don't. Email me a question. Answers are free, and "you don't need to pay anyone for this" is my most common answer.
I answer in the order received, usually within a couple of days. I have a day job. If your situation genuinely needs more than an email, I take a limited number of consults, so say so and we'll work it out.
Somebody else is counting down to the same door. Pass it on.