Among the many challenges faced by people in California who have been convicted of criminal offenses is the task of getting a new job. According to the Society for Human Resources Management, a whopping 96 percent of companies today run background checks on job candidates prior to finalizing a new hire. That, however, does not mean that an applicant with a criminal record cannot find a job but it does mean that such a person must be prepared to address their past.
Forbes recommends that anyone who has been convicted of even a misdemeanor offense first run a background check on themselves before applying for a job. This will allow them to note any errors on the report and work to get them corrected. It will also allow the person to see exactly what details are provided on such a report so they can be ready to discuss them with a potential employer.
The Houston Chronicle explains that people with criminal records should use some logic when deciding which positions to apply for as a conviction might have more or less weight in a hiring decision in part based on the relation of the offense to the job. For example, a person with a drunk driving conviction might have a harder time getting a job that requires them to drive a company vehicle than they would getting an office job.
Also, candidates should be ready to proactively let companies know about their past before the background check results are returned. When divulging this information, an emphasis should be placed on what the person learned from the experience.