Post: #1

I'm 27 with no marketable skills.

After I got out of high school I got into some shady business ventures and ended up getting locked up a few years later. Gave all that up but it was about 6 years of my life that is worthless (less than worthless with my backround check status) to potential employers.

Since then I have gone through a procession of horrible jobs. Right now I'm unemployed and at the point financially where I'm going to have to go to Labor Ready for the time being.

So my question is, at 27 with nothing to put on my resume but bullshit jobs, and felony drug charges on my record, what are some routes I could go to dig myself out of this situation?

(On a side note, how is one expected to live a straight life when backround checks keep you from legit income? Do they WANT you to keep doing the same shit? I already know the answer. Prison is big business.)

Post: #2

Your best bet is to start on a business idea and crowd source the funding. I am 28 and fully employed with no criminal background and I am actually going that route.

Or you need to start making plans to move abroad: http://www.ehow.com/info_12107521_countr...elony.html

You have nothing here to lose. So I suggest trying to learn a foreign language and getting out of here. Go teach English somewhere. That has to be a better life than this.

Post: #3

My advice to you would be to check out the trades like I'm currently doing. By having manual skills and willing to be dirty and physical, you'll have a guaranteed income. When you have some graduates student with shiny diplomas currently working at Starbucks and Wal Mart, the being a professional route is not accessible for you... and it might be a good thing in my opinion. My 2 cents

Post: #4

GlockTrigga, I'm going to look into that. The only reason I haven't left the country (I fucking hate America) is that I'm Italian with a huge family all within 50 miles of me and enjoy their company very much. But shit, life sucks right now, it might be worth it to move abroad and see them a few times a year.

Post: #5

(02-25-2015 04:59 PM)Captain Gh Wrote:  My advice to you would be to check out the trades like I'm currently doing. By having manual skills and willing to be dirty and physical, you'll have a guaranteed income. When you have some graduates student with shiny diplomas currently working at Starbucks and Wal Mart, the being a professional route is not accessible for you... and it might be a good thing in my opinion. My 2 cents

I've been looking at the trades, I'm having a hell of a time picking one though. How can you tell if a trade school is the real deal or a scam?

Post: #6

(02-25-2015 04:59 PM)Captain Gh Wrote:  My advice to you would be to check out the trades like I'm currently doing. By having manual skills and willing to be dirty and physical, you'll have a guaranteed income. When you have some graduates student with shiny diplomas currently working at Starbucks and Wal Mart, the being a professional route is not accessible for you... and it might be a good thing in my opinion. My 2 cents

What trades have you explored? What seems to be the most lucrative/appealing?

Post: #7

Many jobs even for trades require background check. Fully do your research and investigate whether you could be prevented from working on a site due to felony conviction and whether you can get it expunged or sealed after a certain amount of time.

Post: #8

(02-25-2015 05:04 PM)godfather dust Wrote:  

(02-25-2015 04:59 PM)Captain Gh Wrote:  My advice to you would be to check out the trades like I'm currently doing. By having manual skills and willing to be dirty and physical, you'll have a guaranteed income. When you have some graduates student with shiny diplomas currently working at Starbucks and Wal Mart, the being a professional route is not accessible for you... and it might be a good thing in my opinion. My 2 cents

I've been looking at the trades, I'm having a hell of a time picking one though. How can you tell if a trade school is the real deal or a scam?

They should be free and sponsored by Union or City. Make sure to ask if your criminal background will be an issue in getting job placements. Many of the clients won't let guys with a background work on their sites for political reasons. Apologies for the double post. Page reloading issues.

Post: #9

You say you're Italian-American. Are your Italian ancestors distant or did they move the US relatively recently? If they moved recently (about three generations) you might be able to claim Italian citizenship which would give you freedom of movement throughout the European Economic Area (EEA).

Oh yes, I'm so privileged you literally can't even.
Interested in joining the FFL? I tried (and failed).

Post: #10

(02-25-2015 05:54 PM)Porfirio Rubirosa Wrote:  You say you're Italian-American. Are your Italian ancestors distant or did they move the US relatively recently? If they moved recently (about three generations) you might be able to claim Italian citizenship which would give you freedom of movement throughout the European Economic Area (EEA).

My grandparents came from Italy.

Post: #11

(02-25-2015 06:02 PM)godfather dust Wrote:  

(02-25-2015 05:54 PM)Porfirio Rubirosa Wrote:  You say you're Italian-American. Are your Italian ancestors distant or did they move the US relatively recently? If they moved recently (about three generations) you might be able to claim Italian citizenship which would give you freedom of movement throughout the European Economic Area (EEA).

My grandparents came from Italy.

I think you might be able to claim citizenship then. Maybe your parents would have to claim it first and pass it on to you.

http://www.esteri.it/mae/en/italiani_nel...nanza.html

Oh yes, I'm so privileged you literally can't even.
Interested in joining the FFL? I tried (and failed).

Post: #12

Join the military.

Post: #13

It doesn't matter. There's always work for those that are motivated. You need to be flexible and willing to learn and take responsibility beyond your job description. That's the key to success.

Post: #14

(02-25-2015 06:21 PM)berserk Wrote:  Join the military.

I agree with the above suggestion.

Op has been locked up and worked a number of crappy jobs. Those are skills, as in your tolerance for shitty environments and conditions is higher than your average joe. You could probably endure a number of dirty trades, military as well, I don't know how criminal background factors in that though

Post: #15

You might be able to join the French Foreign Legion.

Get out of the US though. The conviction will haunt you forever.

Post: #16

I was doing some reading and found that some countries will allow you to teach oversees even if you have a felony. It may be a good opportunity for you to get away and lose that weight you were talking about in your other thread. Family is important but sometimes you have to walk your own path. You just have to look in the mirror and decide if you're happy or not. Don't be afraid of change.

Post: #17

Very interesting post.

From what I read you want to stay in your current area because you have a lot of family there. This is probably a good idea. I have some more general ideas of what you should do. Here are my suggestions.

1. Connect with your family, when things are bad they are the people who will care about you the most. This should be a two way street though. Right now it sounds like you are unemployed or underemployed and so have free time on your hands. Use some (a lot) to repair or build strong relationships with your family. Take grandma to the doctor, do some handy man work at your aunt's house, help your young cousins with homework, don't ask for or expect anything back right now, but later on if you have trouble or need help then your family is more likely to back you up. Remember to attend family events and be close with them.

Now that you are close to your family and showing yourself to be a useful and good part of it, there might be some unseen or unexpected opportunities that come your way from that.

2. "Game" everybody - not in the sense of trying to get girls into bed, but talk to absolutely everyone that you see and be friendly. You should also be getting out of the house a lot. Meeting and getting to know people is a great way to come up with leads and get to know what other people are doing. Ideas and possibilities will spring from that. Just don't throw your joblessness in the face of people you meet though, it might come off as desperate. "What do you do?" they ask, "I am looking for a change" or something like that. Of course make sure that the people you are meeting are not the type of people that will land yourself back in trouble and jail.

I have gotten one of the best work experiences I have ever gotten from meeting someone casually at an event and was offered work on the spot. Speaking of which you should be going to events and places (not bars and other club style nightlife).

Real opportunities will come (especially for you) through people that you meet and who like you, because as you said, you have a weak resume.

3. Check out Craigslist or similar and do lots of odd or temporary jobs to be doing something in the meantime. There is nothing more soul sucking than having nothing to do.

4. Treat all these activities as your work. You should be up early on a regular schedule. If you don't have a job then put in the 40 hours a week in finding one to keep yourself in work shape.

It took me a long time to find out what I really love to do. I feel sorry for the people who don't enjoy their work. When you find something you like then put in the effort to get good at it.

Best of luck

Post: #18

(02-25-2015 06:23 PM)Parlay44 Wrote:  It doesn't matter. There's always work for those that are motivated. You need to be flexible and willing to learn and take responsibility beyond your job description. That's the key to success.

I agree with team nachos here. haha

It's hard to give advice since we don't know you or what types of things you may be naturally good at.

I would look at those natural tendencies and see what type of job offers you would get if you put everything you had into it and got really good at it.

I wouldn't go to the extreme and join the French Foreign Legion. ha! You can overcome this stuff. Besides the conviction, we all had to figure out our professional careers from scratch. Hell, I started over a couple of times.

Post: #19

Labor Ready is a good way to get some onsite experience and learn what kind of work the trades are actually involved in. Bust your ass and you might even get hired by someone there. Check Craigslist for gigs too, although most will require some skill.

Difference between classes and actuality you can only learn onsite. For example, although most electrical books focus on the correct (and very important to know) way to hook up wiring most time onsite will actually be spent pulling wires through conduit in commercial and drilling/pulling through wood in residential, especially as an apprentice. Also, what kind of guys will be doing it. Not to perpetuate any stereotypes as there are always guys who break the mold, but generally speaking there are different character traits between electricians and roofers.

Read some books - to learn what you want, what you can expect, and just to improve your likelihood of getting a job. I read thousands of pages on all trades in the past, most of which I rarely use anymore but when I was first brought into my current company I was able to demonstrate knowledge of all trades to my employer. If you show motivation and aptitude you WILL advance. Many, if not most, people with a college degree I know are not in the field they went to school for but they are making good money at a job that probably wouldn't hire me because their paper certificate = the "proof of ability to follow through" that being able to wire a new plug end on an extension cord and referring to framing members by the correct name when you're starting as a lowly laborer is in the trades. You can get former editions on Amazon for virtually nothing, and there really isn't that much of a difference between current. If you show up as a carpenter's helper without knowing the difference between a hip rafter and a rim joist you'll have a long road ahead of you.

Here are a few books, some textbooks, all available for under $10 which I can recommend to get you on your way.

Overview - http://www.amazon.com/Construction-Mater...al+methods

Carpentry - http://www.amazon.ca/Carpentry-Gaspar-J-...076681081X or even http://www.amazon.com/Carpentry-Gaspar-J...0806967528 for$2.34

Electrical - http://www.amazon.com/Wiring-House-4th-E...1600852610

Plumbing - http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-Compl...B003NHR8MU

Automotive - http://www.amazon.com/Automotive-Technol...technology

For a full list of all trades and an example of what you can earn if you bust your ass and move up the ranks check out the prevailing rate schedule here - http://comptroller.nyc.gov/wp-content/up...4-2015.pdf (Prevailing wage = rate + benefits)

And give up that wacky weed, that's textbook money going up in smoke.

Post: #20

You have several options, some of which have already been mentioned.

1. Some states limit the number of years for background checks. For instance California will limit the check to 7 years for most jobs. So, you could lie on your resume in California and will most likely not get caught. Based on your age I'm assuming it's been almost 7 years since you have been off parole/probation. If not, start building skills now that you can apply when the 7 years are up. Maybe go to college? 27 is still young.

2. Work in an industry where they might not care about your past. For instance, get a tech job at a startup (nothing security-related or in finance) where they probably won't even check your background. To be extra sure, do this in a state where they limit background checks as in #1.

3. Start a business. Pretty self explanatory. Don't do anything where you'll need a background check to get contracts. There are so many options here. Things that are dying arts are good for decent incomes (tailoring, butcher, blacksmith, appliance repair, etc).

4. Move out of country. The US doesn't share records with many countries in the world so you could possibly get a good job elsewhere without any check at all. I know they do share with Canada and the UK, but not sure about others.

5. Craigslist
a) If you buy a pick-up truck you can get easy work hauling things.
b) Look in the free section on craigslist or buy used at low prices and sell them for more.
c) Restore items. Buy broken down appliances or vehicles, restore them, and sell for a profit

Post: #21

Hate to say it, but getting into the military is gonna be next to impossible.

Not trying to discourage anyone, but for anything on your criminal record, you need to be granted a waiver by the military for any offense (I had one for a prior misdemeanor). Waivers are usually not given for certain offenses, and a serious drug conviction is one of those. Maybe back in 2005, when the army and marines were desperate and letting some people in with questionable backgrounds, it was possible. Definitely not now, as the military is trying to scale down from the war and reduce its manning.

Obviously your criminal record is the hardest to overcome, but not impossible.

There are a lot of ex-cons who went on to become good defense lawyers.

Others have started their own companies or went into real estate.

Hell, Tim Allen spent a few years in prison for drug trafficking, and was able to put it behind him.

Some examples of guys able to bounce back:

http://listverse.com/2014/01/06/10-exemp...es-around/

http://www.businessinsider.com/10-ex-cri...und-2012-6

If those guys can do it, so can you.

Post: #22

what do you like to do? do you have any hobbies? what are your interests?

Post: #23

OP, other than the criminal record, you aren't much further behind most 23 year old university graduates with anything other than a marketable degree (STEM, nursing, education, etc).

Most people graduate university and discover that they have no marketable skills and get stuck in some low paying job that is only a slight step up from working at Burger King, until they develop some skills.

When I graduated university, I discovered that in the space of three months of job hunting, the best off I could get was a part-time sales job.

Not to worry, however, because my "job hunting" was just an experiment I was doing out of curiosity. I was actually your age when I graduated university because I'd spent 8 years doing school for a year, then building real skills for a year, and then doing the whole routine all over again, until I finished my degree and started my life for real.

The years that I put into a skill building gave me everything I needed to learn to be successful here in China. I learned Chinese and I learned the English teaching market inside and outside, so that even if no one wanted to hire me for any legitimate jobs, I could still make plenty of money to support my ideal lifestyle.

Having a criminal record is going to limit which countries you can get work visas in (although PM me for some ways to deal with this), but there are others where it won't matter.

However, I'm not going to advocate strictly for going abroad.

The reason I can make good money teaching English (roughly $60K USD/yr, after tax), is because I know the market and while employers often think that they are hiring me as an employee, the reality is that I basically work for myself. Anyone pisses me off or tells me to do something I don't want to do or fails to deliver on promises, immediately discovers that I'm impossible to contact and have moved onto the next paying job. I work for several clients at any given time, so it's no big deal to quit working for one of them. There is plenty of demand for my services in Beijing, so I do what I want to.

I didn't just arrive in China one day and know how to play this game. I build that ability over several years of failing to be as successful as I wanted to be.

My advice for you would be to do what I did:

(1) Chose a market with high and predictably consistent demand.
(2) Learn to do a job for that market that puts you in the driver seat.

There is no quick fix advice for someone in your situation.

The best advice is to construct a career plan that may take years to complete, but once finished, gives you the life you always wanted.

Your best option is to live as cheaply as possible until you've got the cash to run your own business.

Investigate possibilities and then write up a business plan for offering a service that involves very little in the way of start up costs.

I'm working on something similar here in China for offering hospitality related services. I will be doing something that anyone could do, but I will have the edge because I will first create a website that should have existed years ago, but still doesn't. Having that website will give me the ability to promote my services more successfully than the competition and ultimately make enough money to justify my effort where others would simply give up.

I suggest that you consider doing something similar.

TIP: No one is going to be doing a criminal background check on you before they hire you as their wedding planner, assuming that you present well. It simply isn't done. Hell, you don't even need to use your real name to do business if you are getting paid by an employer (through your SSN number).

If your money comes from checks paid to your company, no one needs to know who you really are.

Post: #24

See if you can get a grant and go on courses to learn stick/mma, Mig and Tig welding. And oxy acetylene gas welding as well, just because it's fun. There always seems to be a demand for welders. It's a great skill to have and you could even start your own business. I have heard that this is a trade more open to ex felons. Opportunities include; construction industry, engineering, manufacturing, motor trade, oil industry etc etc. You could set up your own business, agricultural machinery repairs for example.

I'm sure I read on Scotians Alberta oil sands thread mention of employment for ex felons.

Post: #25

A lot of good suggestions already. I'd add coding and then freelancing if you're so inclined.

Again, background check means you won't be able to work in finance, security, politics, or with kids, elderly, and other vulnerable groups. Look at small firms, they're less rigorous. Firms with over 50 employees are required by law to do more in-depth screening.

Research initiatives at your state level which assist former felons with finding work.

Bottom line is, you need to become competent in a single area and prove that you're willing to hustle.

After five years in your industry of choice and a series of strong deliverables behind you, most employers won't care about your record anymore.