Employment Issue

I got let go from a temporary position in a factory at the beginning of summer, have been looking for work ever since.

I have a felony on my record. It's only for child support, the judge and my probation officer keep telling me it's just for child support, it's not going to hold me back from a job, even after I've shown the letters I've gotten from back ground checks saying that I failed the back ground check due to a felony. (It's the only felony I have).

I've finally gotten an interview. I shaved my beard, pulled out my nice dress shirt, slacks, tie and even dusted off my London Fog jacket.

I knew this place would hire me because it was all set up by my probation officer, one of her other clients who is on super vision works there and they're needing people so bad that they asked him to ask our P.O. for referrals.

However, they didn't seem very interested in me... They asked me very basic questions... It's for a custodial position, they asked what machines I ran at Orscheln's when I was working there, I explained I didn't really know, I was only a temp worker and they had me on pretty much every machine they had. I knew one of them was a press machine (pressing brake plates) but that's the only one I really knew... She asked when I was available, I told her any time, including night shift and I've even do rotating shifts.

And that's pretty much it... She said she "had to talk to Gary" and told ME to call HER the next day... I have NEVER been to an interview where I needed to call them, it's always "we'll call you"....

So, the next day I called at 8am, she told me to call between 8 and 9. No answer. I called at 8 30, no answer. I called at 9, no answer. I called the front desk instead of her office at 9 15, they told me all they could do is forward me to her phone, not tell me if she was available or going to be in that day... so at 9 30 I tried again and FINALLY got an answer...

Gary had not decided yet... This is a job so desperate for workers they're asking probation and parole officers to send them people... Yet, they are screwing people (or me at least) around quite a bit... She told me to call back monday... between 8 and 9 am....


I REALLY need this job... I'm on SIS Felony probation (meaning if I complete the probation successfully, the felony will be removed from my record) with a 5 year back drop (If I break my probation, which includes paying $300/month child support ON TIME, I go to prison for 5 years and the felony remains on my record for life). I'm 22 years old, I've only been able to find temporary work, and that's few and far between.

I've considered if they turn me down or still "haven't decided" when I call tomorrow morning, that I would offer to do the job as a volunteer (unpaid) for a week or so to show them my work ethic and how well I'd do the job... My mother says that will sound too desperate and hurt my chances more than help them, but the truth is, I AM desperate... I don't like her paying my child support for me, I don't like being unemployed and I don't like the judge talking to me like trash when I go to court every damn month.

Can someone give me some advice here? Should I offer to volunteer the job for a week? Is there anything else I should do or say?

 

Id definitely volunteer, I guess im on the same boat here, the unemployment rates here are at 30% so we lower classed people are left unemployed. I will be volunteering as a fire safety supervisor for a while and hoping they'd hire me...the pay is crap $8/hour..You gotta take what you can and always try man dont give up

 

"My mother says that will sound too desperate and hurt my chances more than help them"

It won't hurt your chances. If an employer knows you are desperate they know you will work harder out of fear of losing the job. Who cares if you look "desperate" you aren't trying to impress anyone.

 

Never involve any kind of issues of yours in your interview or when employer is considering... It does hurt your chances of getting that job...

 

Thanks everyone. But I didn't get it, and they don't want me to volunteer either...

 

so get your ass up and try until you find someone who is willing to hire you. This is your main priority as far as I can see so get on it bro.

 

It's hard to at this point... I have an application in at every factory, fast food, restraunt, super market, gas station, laundry mat, slaughter house, farm and etc in this area. I renew my apps as often as allowed, some places 30 days, some 90. This was the first interview I've managed to get since April. They're actively taking referrals of convicts and others with worse convictions than myself, but even they didn't want me.

 

It will be hard, but the only thing you can really do is keep trying.

 

Hey man, long time no speak. Hang in there - you've got to catch a break some time.

 

Shaving your beard took balls and a huge step. Here's the hard truth man if that's you in your avatar you look like a punk rock faggot. Cut the hair man you will get no where looking like some Metallica fruit loop. I'm in no way talking bad about you it's just the cold hard truth.

Once you do that employers love the play the we arnt hiring game and they WANT YOU to bug the shit out of them and constantly check in for positions. Keep at it you will get kicked and broken but once you stop coming in and quit trying they know you didn't care.

I was in the same shoes you're in now. It's hard life's definitially sucks ass. But you better not give up or get depressed from that. Keep at it and good things come your way trust me

 

My current job took about 2 weeks to get a response and when HR left a voicemail I called twice a day for the next 3 days until I got an answer. The managers are usually busy if you had received an email to contact by I'd recommend trying that and mentioning that you're still very interested in the position.

 

I can't believe you got a felony charge for child support. Around here, there's several people who just never pay it, and it seems like nothing happens to them. However, I feel like you should be in good standings really. Usually the only time that a felony will hold you back from getting a position, is if it's theft, or something way more serious, like murder, so on.

Honestly, what I advise you to do, is go to all local small to medium sized businesses, that are manual labor, and ask to speak to the owner personally. I worked for a HVAC company (installing air conditioners) for 4 years, and I had a very nice boss. There had been times when I needed my pay check in advance, and even a $1,000 loan, and he always helped me and let me pay that back. It's rather tuff to find someone who will atleast half way care though.

I don't know about your location, but there's "temp services" where I live, that get you temporary jobs, which could last between a week and several months, however, they do take some of your pay, and you aren't promised immediate work.

Just hang in there man, the main thing you can do is STAY POSITIVE.

 

Stay strong, at least you know that if you keep resilient, the felony charge will go away.