Fair Chance to Succeed

It is difficult to assist persons returning from jail.

There are several difficulties that persons must address in order to successfully reenter society. It is impossible to overestimate the significance of our pleasant relationships with and acceptance of our returning people.

Shawn Stover (LSW) works as the Reentry Coordinator for Ohio Means Jobs in Athens County, Ohio. He earned a bachelor's degree in social work and psychology from Ohio University in 1989. He was an outpatient counselor and part of the Crisis Intervention Team at Tri-County Mental Health for eight years.

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#jobsearch #aboutmyjob #workfromhome #foodservices #retail #motivation #advice #watercooler #interview #resume #application #wordsofadvice

Pepsi is hiring and the VA also is felon friendly for certain positions and its union. VAjobs.gov for that and put in location also i know pepsi is for sure. They have jobs available in IA

Qualified to lead team

I'm at the cheesecake factory I've been there for a year I just feel like that's not the right job for me they don't have a set schedule when it gets slow they only give us two days to work so they take us off the schedule so that job don't fit me at all I plan on stop looking for them doing this Sunday is my last day

Don't Know Where To Begin? Find A Job Coach!

This group and it's Specialists, Contributors and members focus on one thing; helping people with criminal backgrounds find employment. We discuss a lot of different issues among ourselves and there's tons of information, great insights and sage advice.

While we are always here to help we can't get an absolute idea of what your particular situation is like for you because we're not sitting beside you, seeing what you see. We can use our own successes to guide you and we have shared terrific resources but at the end of the day it can still be hard to develop a plan and have a idea where to start, right?

That's where a job coach is helpful in assisting you to really sit down, learn about your skills, resources in your area, the types of jobs well suited and available to you and help you put together a solid job search foundation so you know where to start.

There are a number of places to find a job coach. David D from P&P in Oregon tells me your PO is the first person to ask. He states that "while many institutions provide job training to inmates it's not always easy to follow through if you don't know what coaching resources are in your area and unfortunately many in P&P aren't diligent in educating their parolees on where to find those."

A job coach can help you make smart decisions about your job search plan. Job coaches work with job seekers at all levels. They can help you determine your strengths. Coaches often use skills and interest assessments to help you make career choices. They can offer advice on many topics. This may include identifying resources, funding, transportation logistics, businesses that participate in Fair Chance hiring, how to disclose your criminal history & what not to say and more.

Job Coaches Can Help With:

*Job loss transition

*Defining career goals and using career assessments

*Education, training, and skills evaluation

*Labor market information such as wages and employment trends

*Job search strategies for researching

*Applying, interviewing, and following up

*Networking, job clubs, job fairs, and workshops

*Entrepreneur Opportunities and ideas

Find Job Coaches at:

*Nonprofit agencies with employment services (Goodwill, 2nd Chance Ministries, St. Vincent DePaul)

*College career centers (Check with the Campus Resource Center)

*Community centers or faith-based job seeker groups

*Employment Division

*Searching online for "job coach" or "career counseling services"

As you look for a job coach, ask about their experience helping people with a criminal conviction. If possible, find a coach who has practical tips on how to job search with a criminal background.

Sometime it's more effective to connect with another human being in person. Coaches will keep in touch and help you evaluate your progress as well as troubleshoot issues you may encounter along the way.

**If you discover great job coach resources in your community, please come back and share with us who they are and where you found them! We'd love to know about your journey!

#jobsearch #resources # #hiringnews #motivation

If you could go back in time and undo the actions that led to your incarceration, but it meant giving up all the positive changes and personal growth you've experienced since then, would you do it?

Why or why not?

Antonio Reza, a 19-year-old convicted a felon, has transformed his life and is now a college graduate, valedictorian, and current law student. He used his experiences to not only better himself, but also to inspire others. He is in his first year of law school and is looking forward to studying abroad in Oxford in 2020.

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#jobsearch #aboutmyjob #workfromhome #foodservices #retail #motivation #advice #watercooler #interview #resume #application #wordsofadvice

Ex-felon Gets Sage Advice

Jesse Crosson is an ex-felon who, at 18, was given a 32 year sentence for felony crimes in Virginia. After serving 19 years he was granted a conditional release in August 2022 and since that time he has used his social media to share insights and hard learned life lessons and has founded his own non-profit advocacy organization. I became interested in Jesse's story after coming across his FB posts.

He expresses frequently that while he has many ideas about what he wants to pursue in life he is still searching for the one path he feels will match his purpose to his passions. In the meantime, he offers stories and insights he hopes others will benefit from but even the most dynamic individual can have difficulty taking chances on their direction and goals for fear of failure. The following is a quote from one of Jesse's social media pages.

" I got a stern talking to yesterday, and one that I needed. A friend pointed out that I had a dozen good ideas I haven't moved forward with because I keep looking for a perfect path. The problem is that I'm never going to succeed unless I can let go of this fear of failure. I'm never going to do it perfectly. I'm never going to know the path ahead of time. If I let that stop me then I'm never going to do anything. So, here's to doing something imperfectly. "

I find Jesse's words inspiring and thought provoking. I know people who have done time that, even after many years, struggle to live in a society that still defines them by their past and not the sum of their whole character. I remind them that they cannot allow their past mistakes and the faulty perceptions of others to determine whether or not they will find success in life. Mind you, I'm not talking money or celebrity but the feeling of accomplishment that comes from having connections with others, being able to meet your basic needs, having the freedom to make your own life choices and feeling positive and confident in your ability to do what works best for your life. Self-doubt, insecurity and fear of failure can be overwhelming but if you chart your path, continue to put one foot in front of the other and move towards your goals you will get there.

The link to Jesse's non-profit is below if you're interested.

Jesse's non-profit

#motivation #felonsuccess #reachforsuccess