I have been around mayby too long, but I am determined to make a difference to somebody's future. The knowledge that I possess is no good to anyone if I retain it for myself. That would be selfice of me as a human being. To be a human being by giving of my experience, freely, to those that are seeking this wisdom. Therefore I must let those that have a thirst for knowledge, be able to share my ability to share, and give of myself to my fellow man-kind, person, Human Being.

Because I want to share my experience /w those that need a broad spectrum of talents, I have been sharing my time as a volunteer on Thursdays in the Fortune Society Education Department's Computer lab. Located @ 53 West 23rd Street in Manhattan, if you go to the 8th floor you will find me there. Classes are given in basic computer operation,along with Web Page introduction, will help those willing to attend gain many skills to enhance their ability to obtain a working knowledge of Computer's and how they are effecting our lives.

My compassion and commitment come from my own experience, learning to adjust to society and become an intergral part of the main stream in New York City. It might seem very hard at first, but in time you will have accomplished more than myself, and surprise yourself how easy it all turned out.

So, as some say: Proper, Preperation, Prevents, Poor Preformance. Five "P's" concept. Keep trying, I did!

Need help ASAP. I need to know the date of my conviction. This took place almost 35 years ago. It was in New York City. Who can I contact ? Thanks

Your best bet is to call the Legal Action Center at 212.243.1313 in Manhattan. They can help you get a copy of your rap sheet and correct any inaccuracies, if they exist.

Good luck.

< replied-to message removed by QT >

Hope for Ex-Offenders
I’ve done my time but I can’t get a job because of my record. I have heard this from countless former inmates that hope to put their pasts behind them. The key to staying free and enjoying an independent life is finding stable employment. Studies have shown that a former inmate with a full time job is less likely to go back to prison.
The fact for ex-offenders is a criminal record is there to stay. It is not going to change. What must change are their attitudes about their records. There are people in the world that will hold their records against them. There is nothing that can be done about that. There is a bright side. The economy is strong and there are new opportunities for growth. Along with that growth, comes a labor shortage. Because of this labor shortage, employers are willing to hire qualified people from any source. One of the growing untapped labor sources in the country are those who are classified as “ex-offenders.” More and more employers are finding that hiring ex-offenders makes good economic sense. People that have been to prison, that are committed to overcoming the past, make excellent employees. Most are disciplined, hard working, and honest.

The key to finding employment is to have a definite plan of action that will lead to a job. One thing that I tell job seekers is that they are about to begin a marketing plan designed to sell their product. What is the product? It is their set of skills and attitude. In order to get the job they want, they must be able to let a prospective employer know exactly what they can do and how it can work for them. Being able to identify and describe skills will give them a huge advantage. They must then identify employers that can use skills that they have.

Finding a job is a number game. The more job leads they find, the more interviews they will get. The more interviews they get, the more offers they will receive. The challenge for them is to get as many quality job leads as possible.

If all goes well, the interviews will come. The interview is the time where the product is matched to the employer’s needs. To get the job, one must effectively sell oneself. This is done by proper appearance, presentation of qualifications and poise. There must also be an attitude of trust and sincerity that will make the employer feel that they are right for the job. Preparation is the key. Get a friend or family member to help you practice for upcoming interviews. Anticipate questions and practice your answers so they sound genuine.

Getting a job is not an exact science but increasing your odds by being prepared will put in the best position to get hired. Good Luck!

Get more great advice on ex-offender job searching at http://www.Jailtojob.com

Eric Mayo specializes in professional and personal development with special emphasis on life skills and job readiness training. Eric has over 20 years of corporate and educational experience which he uses to help people improve the quality of their lives.

Mr. Mayo has a degree in Business Administration from University where he was a standout member of both the Pirate football and wrestling teams. An author and lecturer, Eric is the author of the books, “From Jail to a Job," “The Teenager’s Guide to Getting a Job," "The Secret to
Getting Better Grades" and has addressed, among others, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Charles Hamilton Institute for Race and Justice of the Harvard School of Law. He is an active member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and has spent his life committed to community empowerment.

Eric has been studying, learning, applying and executing the art of personal achievement and leadership throughout his career. It is truly his passion and his gift. He combines a straight forward approach and real-world perspective with a presentation style that is inspirational and motivational. His primary message is, “Independence through Self-Reliance"

You can contact Eric at http://Jailtojob.com

Edited by author 12-05-2007 05:39 PM
Advice for Ex-Offenders Looking for Jobs

Have You Ever Been Convicted of a Crime?

This question is the most agonizing part of any ex-offenders job search. Some believe by being honest they don’t have a chance at getting a job. The fact is an employer cannot legally refuse to hire you because you have a criminal record unless the conviction is directly related to the job for which you are applying. I have spoken with former inmates who have lied on applications and gotten jobs, only to lose them later when background checks were done. Some have been encouraged to use the response Will discuss at interview. In my opinion, these are not good practices. The best advice I can give is BE HONEST! Employers have a responsibility to know as much as possible about prospective employees. There have been employers who have been found guilty of negligent hiring when employees who have criminal pasts committed acts that resulted in harm to others. Those situations could have been avoided by careful screening through background checks. Employers will ask directly on applications about criminal convictions as a means to protect himself, his business, and others.

In many states prospective employers may not ask about arrests that do not end in convictions. Pay careful attention to the wording of this question. It may vary from application to application. Typically the question will ask about convictions of crimes and/or felonies and not misdemeanors. If you are unsure about the type of convictions you have, you should obtain a copy of your record.

Many applications have a Certification/Release Statement that the applicant must sign before the application is considered. This statement may also be called an Authorization. The wording may vary but the employer is asking you to certify with your signature that all of the information you have given is correct. Part of this certification is a release that gives the employer access to information provided by past employers, law enforcement agencies, educational institutions and other organizations that may have information about you.

In reference to criminal records, it is necessary to list all relative information. Include the name of the conviction, date, location, and the disposition (time served, fine and/or probation.)

Example:



Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance 8/12/02 Houston, TX Time Served (18 mos.)

You may have to practice to fit your response into the space given. For those who have more than one conviction, list your convictions on a separate sheet of paper, make copies, and attach a copy to each application you complete. In the space provided, write see attached sheet. Be sure to list each and every conviction. I have seen individuals that had been working on jobs for months, suddenly lose them because of failing to list one conviction. That is why it is so important to get a copy of your record.

Properly completing employment applications will be the difference between being hired and not being hired.

This is just a sample of the powerful information found in the premier ex-offender job search manual “From Jail to a Job. Visit http://www.JailtoJob.com

Eric Mayo specializes in professional and personal development with special emphasis on life skills and job readiness training. Eric has over 20 years of corporate and educational experience which he uses to help people improve the quality of their lives.
Mr. Mayo has a degree in Business Administration from Seton Hall University where he was a standout member of both the Pirate football and wrestling teams. An author and lecturer, Eric is the author of the books, “From Jail to a Job", “The Teenager’s Guide to Getting a Job" , “The Secret to Getting Better Grades", and has addressed, among others, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Charles Hamilton Institute for Race and Justice of the Harvard School of Law. He is an active member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and has spent his life committed to community empowerment.
Eric has been studying, learning, applying and executing the art of personal achievement and leadership throughout his career. It is truly his passion and his gift. He combines a straightforward approach and real-world perspective with a presentation style that is inspirational and motivational. His primary message is, “Independence through Self-Reliance."
You can contact Eric at http://www.Jailtojob.com

Edited by author 12-05-2007 05:38 PM
More Advice for Ex-offenders: Cleaning up Your Criminal Record

Having a criminal record is not the end of the world. There are legal ways to have criminal convictions removed from your record.
 
Expungement

It is important to know what is in your criminal record. There may be false or erroneous information included in your report that may damage your chances to be employed. You can have false information permanently removed from your record. In some cases certain charges can be officially and formally erased from your record. This process is called “expungement.” In some cases, felony convictions can be downgraded to misdemeanors making them easier to work with.

Sealing of Records

Some cases may even be legally “sealed” and can only be examined by order of the court. To seal a criminal record means that a court clerk is ordered by a judge to hide a court record of criminal proceedings from public view. Originally records were actually placed in an envelope which was secured with a wax seal. The records are not destroyed because under certain circumstances, a court can order that sealed records be reopened. Generally, however, the effect of sealing is the court acts as if the information in the record never existed. Even a juvenile record can be sealed through the juvenile court. Once this has been done, the offense shall be deemed never to have occurred. There are no exceptions to this type of sealing; offenses are treated as though they never happened. A court not only seals its records, but also orders that records containing information about the charges held by others be sealed as well. Once a criminal record is sealed, all of the proceedings in it are treated as if they never occurred. Persons may then properly and lawfully answer any questions about the arrest, acquittal, conviction etc., as if they never happened. For example, it is OK in a job interview or even under oath to deny a sealed conviction.

Certificate of Rehabilitation

A Certificate of Rehabilitation is a court order, which declares that a person who has been convicted of a felony is rehabilitated. If a petition for a Certificate of Rehabilitation is granted, it is forwarded to the Governor by the granting court and constitutes an application for a pardon. (In some cases the granting of a Certificate of Rehabilitation relieves some offenders from the sexual offender registration requirement.)

This information is not intended as legal advice. You should consult a qualified professional that is experienced in this field. There are organizations in your community that offer free or low cost legal services that can help with these processes. These organizations may also have relationships with employers who are willing to hire ex-offenders. Check your local telephone directory or ask your probation or parole officer to help you locate these organizations.

This is just a sample of the powerful information found in the premier ex-offender job search manual “From Jail to a Job. Visit http://www.JailtoJob.com

Edited by author 12-05-2007 05:38 PM
Still More Advice for Ex-offenders looking for Jobs

You have been recently released and need a job to get on with the rest of your life. Hopefully you have learned that life is all about choices. The choices you continue to make will shape your life. The job search is all about choices too.
 
Because you have a criminal record, you will be faced with different challenges than the average job seeker. Your record will make your job search more interesting. There is a choice to be made here too. You can do what many ex-offenders do and hope that a prospective employer will not hold your record against you. Another choice is, you can make yourself legitimately competitive in the open employment market by developing the skills and attitudes that will allow you to compete for a job.

Can you tell an employer in five minutes or less what you can do and how your skills can benefit him? How is your dress? Do you look like you are going to a club or to hang out with some friends or do you look like a businessman with a product to sell? Do you have definite plan of action that includes of prospective employers to call on? Do have a resume that outlines you skills, experience or qualifications? If you answered “No” to any one of these questions, you have some work to do.

Step One: Identify your skills. I bet if you really look, you have at least 30 skills that would benefit an employer.

Step Two: Develop a resume that a prospective employer can look at and get an idea of what type of person you are and what you have to offer.

Step Three: Decide what type of work you want to do and how your skills will help you be successful in the field you choose.

Step Four: Develop a list of prospective employers to call on. Get help from friends, relatives, and members of your community to help you get leads for open jobs. That is called “Networking.”

Step Five: Get your wardrobe together. The clothing you wear both on your job search and interviews should be neat, clean and professional. Your clothes should say “I am the person for this job!”

Step Six: Practice you interview skills. Anticipate questions and practice answering until your responses sound confident and natural

One additional choice you must make is to never give up!

This is just a sample of the powerful information found in the premier ex-offender job search manual “From Jail to a Job. Visit http://www.JailtoJob.com

Edited by author 06-30-2009 06:07 PM
Please check out my video, "What to wear to an interview for ex-offenders and felons"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNEZH2tzhlM

or my blog:

http://www.jailtojob.com/wordpress