The question whether a felon can get a job or not is often asked, especially by those who have gotten out of prison. It might seem the only way to make it is to work for minimum wage at a fast food restaurant, but there are plenty of other options.
Felons are not eligible for many jobs, particularly those that require a license or certification. For example, if you have been convicted of a DUI in the last seven years, you may not be able to become an EMT or paramedic.
If you want to become an accountant, teacher, or lawyer—professions that require state licensure—you will need to wait until five years after the completion of your sentence before applying for a license.
Finally, any job that requires federal government security clearance is off-limits to felons. This includes jobs like air traffic controller and most positions in the military.
What jobs can felons not get
Introduction
If you’re looking for a job after your felony conviction, it’s important to know that some types of employment are completely off-limits to felons. You could waste a lot of time applying for jobs you will never get if you don’t educate yourself first. Read on to learn more about the types of jobs that may not be available to you as a felon and why.
Jobs that require working with children are not open to you.
There are a couple of jobs where you’re not allowed to work with children. If you have a felony, these careers are off-limits: teaching, coaching and childcare.
Teachers and coaches have direct contact with children on a daily basis, so it would be dangerous for them to employ felons in their positions.
Childcare workers also spend time with children on a regular basis—and if something were to go wrong (like the child being hurt), the felon could be held responsible for his actions regardless of whether he was actually at fault or not.
Some jobs will not allow you to work with the elderly or disabled.
- Some jobs will not allow you to work with the elderly or disabled.
- Teaching and many education jobs also may not be available to you as a felon.
- Government positions are usually closed to convicts and felons.
Teaching and many education jobs also may not be available to you as a felon.
Education is a very important field, but it also may not be an option for you if you are a felon. While there are some exceptions to this rule, teaching and many education jobs often have policies that specifically prohibit felons from working in their field.
Teaching is one of the most important roles in our society – it’s often said that teachers shape the future of our country. However, that’s not what can happen if you’re a convicted felon who wants to teach; instead, your past mistakes will shape the future of this country through negative impacts on students and fellow teachers.
Government positions are usually closed to convicts and felons.
Government jobs are usually off-limits to those with a criminal conviction on their record, whether it’s an felony or a misdemeanor. This extends to positions that require a license, one of the most common examples being teaching in public schools. The same goes for any government job that requires a background check or drug test, which includes many private positions as well.
There are some exceptions: some states allow felons to run for office after serving time for their convictions (or waiting out the probation period). But even then, there’s no guarantee they’ll be voted in—and if they win office and commit another crime while holding down this position? They may have to resign from their role anyway.
Jobs required by law to have a license can be closed to felons.
If you are convicted of a felony and the job you want requires a license, there are several possibilities. First, the employer may require that you wait a certain amount of time before obtaining the license. In addition, they can ask that you pay a fee and take an exam.
It is possible that jobs requiring licenses could be closed to felons as well. For example, if someone wants to become an attorney or doctor but cannot get their license because they were convicted of a felony (or any other reason), then this would be considered discrimination against felons by law.
Felons cannot get some jobs in the medical field.
Certain jobs in the medical field require a license. Many of these jobs are only available to those with a license, which felons can’t get.
For example, some states require medical assistants and nursing aides who work in hospitals to be licensed by the state. When you apply for this kind of job at a hospital or clinic, your criminal record is checked as part of the hiring process. If you have been convicted of any crime other than minor traffic offenses, you will not be given this license and therefore cannot work in that capacity at all (unless your conviction was overturned or expunged).
In addition, pharmacists need to hold certification from the American Board of Pharmacy Specialties (ABPS). The ABPS will not certify anyone who has been convicted of certain crimes such as diversion or possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; certain fraud-related crimes; practicing medicine without a license; healthcare fraud; conspiracy related to healthcare fraud; embezzlement related to healthcare services payments; health care fraud related conspiracy; and theft related conspiracy—even if they were convicted before they applied for certification!
There are jobs you can’t get as a felon and you should research these before applying for them.
- Research the job you want to apply for.
- Get a job that is not restricted.
- Get a job that is not in a government position.
- Get a job that does not require a license, such as cosmetologist or barber, etc.
Conclusion
We hope this article has given you some great resources to find employment and helped clear up common misconceptions about what jobs felons can work. Remember that most employers are required to hire felons, but there are a few industries where the law prohibits them from doing so. If you’re looking for employment, it’s best to know where those industries are before applying for positions within them.
