Find a Job (for Ex Cons)
Being in prison can limit your work options and yet not finding work is just as likely to bring on the temptation to offend again. To break this vicious cycle, there are some things you can do to work and earn money without resorting to despair or recidivism.
Contents
Steps
- Ask your parole officer or local job agency for assistance in locating programs especially suited for ex-inmates. There are many schemes that provide work programs with various organizations that will accept former prisoners. You will get a chance to prove that you are a good, reliable and trustworthy employee and you will build up goodwill over time.
- Be patient. If you do get into one of these schemes, be understanding that people are more wary than normal. Just throw yourself into it and work as best you can. Acknowledge people's fears rather than feeling self-pity or irritation; they need reassurance that you will work well, so give them that reassurance through your good performance.
- Consider self-employment. If you have any savings or you have access to small start-up funds (you can ask again with the local job agency or a small business promoting government agency for information on grants), you might consider starting a small business in something you are good at. If you don't have the skills, get into some free training.
- Know which jobs to avoid. It is unlikely that an ex-prisoner will ever get employment in jobs requiring high levels of trust, such as managing funds, keeping an eye on accounts, caring for kids, or many professional jobs. However, it is not unknown for ex-prisoners to study law and become criminal lawyers - you need to find a job to fund you through the studies though! Be understanding that there are some things you will not be able to do and work around that.
- Consider online work. You can sell things on online auction sites. A good way to start is to look at what sells well and see if the local thrift stores, junk yards or other cheap places sell these items. Or, you could fix broken items and resell them. You don't need a lot of start-up capital but you do need time, transportation (usually) and an eye for a bargain that will resell well. It can take a little practice but you soon pick up the trading tricks. Always be honest online and people will come back to you for repeat sales.
- Work from home. There are many home jobs that you can try. There are less exciting things such as delivering junk mail and stuffing envelopes, right through to selling products door-to-door such as makeup, books, vacuum cleaners, etc. Sometimes doing this for starters is a good way to pick up sales skills before you move on to something else.
- Have a plan. It is a really good idea to draw up a plan of where you are now and where you want to be in five years time. Wandering all over the place will not help you achieve the goal of accessing good work and earning a decent living. Start small but plan big; today door-to-door, in five years, your own franchise. It is possible - you just have to be organized and believe in your ability to use the smarts you have for self-improvement.
Tips
- Make use of post-prison support resources. People don't want you to re-offend and there are a lot of programs in place these days to assist you to get on your feet again and to move on in the world. Make use of these programs; they are not hand-outs but leg-ups. It is still up to you to put in the effort and reap the rewards.
- Family and friends may be willing to help with start-up funds but don't use them up. Make IOU notes promising to repay their help - with interest, no matter how small. Make it obvious that you mean what you say.
Warnings
- Avoid the temptation to sell drugs/stolen objects etc. It isn't worth it and you won't break the cycle. And you will get caught because you are easier to identify and your modus operandi is already well known. That's the breaks but you can prove that you have moved on.
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