HAVING a criminal record in your past is not going to make securing a job easy, but it’s achievable. Most employers have difficulty overlooking a criminal past, so be prepared for rejection – but don’t give up! Realise that you are starting fresh and you have to gather experience and trust all over again.

Here are some suggestions to help you get back to work:

. Consult legal counsel about the possibility of having your record expunged, sealed or reduced. It may not work, but it’s worth a shot.

. Contact local human services associations in your area to see if they offer programmes and support for ex-felons.

. Don’t be picky.

“Take whatever job you can to start rebuilding your experience and credibility,” said Pat Kendall, career coach and author of Jumpstart Your Online Job Search and eResumes: Everything You Need to Know. Take the job and use it as an opportunity to showcase good job performance and to rebuild your experience.

Quincy Roseborough, case manager for the Young Fathers Initiative, added, “The pay is mostly minimum wage and often the hours are long. But some have opportunities to go to warehouse jobs, where they can learn to drive a forklift and gain other skills”.

. Look to people you know.

Someone who knows you will not be as wary to take a chance on you.

. Seek employment with small and local companies. Local businesses may have less stringent hiring requirements and may be more likely to give you a chance than big corporations.

. Work for yourself.

“We encourage the young men we work with to look into entrepreneurship. We suggest taking up a trade that a felony record wouldn’t hinder, such as plumbing, construction or janitorial work,” Roseborough said. “You can be your own employer with these skills.”

. Don’t put your conviction on your résumé.

“Consider putting it in your cover letter and enclosing letters of recommendation. Be honest and upfront,” Kendall said.

Even if questions about criminal convictions are not on an application, you don’t want the process to go too long before coming clean.

. Be professional and confident.

Dress appropriately, speak well and display confidence. “We explain that their résumé is like an ad in the newspaper, but they are the ‘product’ and they have to go in and ‘sell’ themselves,” Roseborough said. “Some employers will take a chance if there is a

nice presentation.”

. Don’t harbour false hope.

It’s going to be hard. Having a (criminal) record is a real obstacle, and it is only getting harder. Expect rejection, but don’t give up.

. Seek emotional support. You will need someone to talk to, whether it’s close friends, family or a professional counsellor. You will be rejected and you will be discouraged, and that support system will help get you through it all.