Where is the Best Place for Me to Look for a Job If I Have Criminal Convictions?

I get this question often from clients, and like most things in life, it depends.

If you have misdemeanors, there are likely more companies that will be willing to hire you than if you have felonies. There are companies that hire felons as well, but they tend to be on a case-by-case basis. You can find a list of large, national employers who will hire people with a criminal record here.

Generally, I advise that those with criminal convictions look for employment in small companies ( those that have under 100 employees). These companies usually offer the most opportunity for a number of reasons:

*88% of all businesses employ less than 20 people, so there is ample opportunity to find work at a small firm
*They are less likely to run a criminal background check
*Even if they do run a background check, they have much more flexibility than a big company does when deciding whether to “take a chance” on you
*Often the person you interview with is the person who makes the hiring decision, so if you make a good impression, you have a shot

For all these reasons, I strongly recommend that you start your job search at a small company if you have criminal convictions.