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Old 09-02-2010, 05:44 PM
 
24 posts, read 91,419 times
Reputation: 27

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I recently relocated to Austin after the gulf oil spill messed up things pretty good in Florida where i was living. I have been having a huge problem finding a job here due to the fact that i have a 7 year old felony in a different state. I was told background checks only go back 7 years and i haven't been applying to positions where it should be an issue. Most employers down here do extensive bg checks and i have been being honest. It's bad enough i wasn't able to get an apartment in my name but i can't get a job now either. I can see why recidivism rates are so high in this state when even the most basic jobs require a clean background. Does anyone know of any jobs in the austin area that will give a felon a second chance. i work very hard (I have to work harder than anyone else) and have a ton of experience in both remodeling and sales. i have actually won numerous salesman of the month, quarter and year awards with previous employers. i am definitely not proud of my past but am trying very hard to get past it and move on.
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Old 09-02-2010, 07:08 PM
 
Location: Holly Neighborhood, Austin, Texas
3,982 posts, read 6,693,790 times
Reputation: 2882
Don't quote me but the city of Austin may have only a 5 year policy, but this may have changed b/c I basing it off an employee hired 7 or 8 years ago. If you do remodeling there are plenty of handymen around here who have assistants that get $10-12/hour.
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Old 09-03-2010, 12:05 AM
 
Location: Austin
2,522 posts, read 6,013,079 times
Reputation: 707
or go back to selling drugs again..the only thing prisons seem to equip ex-cons for, if they won't give them half a chance..I say this in jest....yep...background checks are just big brother anyway.
Nothing's sacred anymore, ex con or not.....strange world we live in, eh?
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Old 09-03-2010, 01:12 AM
 
Location: Pflugerville
2,211 posts, read 4,828,505 times
Reputation: 2242
I have a friend that also has a felony record and ran into the same problems when he moved to Austin from Boston.

He went to work in a call center. Frankly (and I say this after being a supervisor in one for 4 years) their hiring standards are lax. We never even did background checks. The turn over is so high in call centers anyway, that when someone applies, we figure they will be gone in 8 weeks anyway, or they will go the distance. There is no in between. As such, we didn't really worry about criminal backgrounds, because we figured if they were a bad egg, we would lose them anways.

All we cared about was "can you sale".

Maybe this will help you, I don't know.
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Old 09-03-2010, 01:22 AM
 
10,130 posts, read 19,785,542 times
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Perhaps "Felony Tolerant" would have been a better choice of words...
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Old 09-03-2010, 07:42 AM
 
Location: Austin
2,522 posts, read 6,013,079 times
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I think we need different categories of felonies per back up screenings.....and only violence-related ones should turn up....anything shy of that should give the ex a break, and chance to prove he has gotten his life together per drug screenings if necessary....otherwise we damn a person for a stupid incident he/she has done in his past, and prob gotten over anyway....
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Old 09-03-2010, 08:29 AM
 
7,742 posts, read 15,033,797 times
Reputation: 4295
Quote:
Originally Posted by TylerDurden79 View Post
I recently relocated to Austin after the gulf oil spill messed up things pretty good in Florida where i was living. I have been having a huge problem finding a job here due to the fact that i have a 7 year old felony in a different state. I was told background checks only go back 7 years and i haven't been applying to positions where it should be an issue. Most employers down here do extensive bg checks and i have been being honest. It's bad enough i wasn't able to get an apartment in my name but i can't get a job now either. I can see why recidivism rates are so high in this state when even the most basic jobs require a clean background. Does anyone know of any jobs in the austin area that will give a felon a second chance. i work very hard (I have to work harder than anyone else) and have a ton of experience in both remodeling and sales. i have actually won numerous salesman of the month, quarter and year awards with previous employers. i am definitely not proud of my past but am trying very hard to get past it and move on.
There are companies that specifically hire people currently in prison. Their side goal is to help rehabilitate prisoners and give them work skills. There is one in austin called onshore-resources. They also need people from the outside to manage the workers.
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Old 10-05-2010, 03:36 PM
 
24 posts, read 91,419 times
Reputation: 27
Thanks for the responses everyone. I'm still trying to find a job, but not giving up quite yet.
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Old 10-06-2010, 08:55 AM
AGA
 
Location: Knoxville, TN
729 posts, read 2,697,069 times
Reputation: 215
I suggest you contact someone at Texas Workforce Commission. They typically know the ins and outs of this and even have programs to help integrate former offenders into the workforce. It is Project RIO.
Welcome to the Texas Workforce Commission
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Old 10-06-2010, 12:24 PM
 
7,742 posts, read 15,033,797 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TylerDurden79 View Post
Thanks for the responses everyone. I'm still trying to find a job, but not giving up quite yet.
were you able to contact onshore-resources?
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