How to reply to "Have you ever been convicted of a crime" on a job application?

fwersaerweasfsd wrote:

Man you guys are dumb. Never admit anything, ever. If you admit it you'll never get any job worth keeping. Most places will claim to do background checks but don't actually do them because they are expensive. And it's not illegal to lie about that on a job application. Sheesh. If you admit it, you are definitely 100% out of a job. If you lie, you are ~50% likely out of a job. Simple math.

I would go with this one

It is also impportsnt to mention that a lot of states have laws about how far back in the past the company can run a background check. In CA it is 7 years for felony. So if you have screwed up in the past then time is on your side.

I had a Dui in Missouri about 5 years ago. I received a SIS- Suspended Imposition of Sentence. I ran a background check on myself through Intelius. No record of convictions. I plan on running a background check on myself through the state of Missouri next. I was told by the judge that the SIS after completion removed the conviction.

My concerns are that the job market is too competitive to hire convicts. Is it a conviction or not?

Jabronic wrote:

As a business owner, there is no way in hell I would hire a convicted criminal. Sorry, not going to happen. We have laws and rules for a reason. If you cannot abide by the law of the land, why would I trust you in my company?

Actions have consequences. Grow up.

We need more people like you in the world. Holier-than-thou types that never made a mistake and will always feel superior to anyone that has, possibly decades ago and learned a valuable lesson from that mistake. I used to work for a guy like you. Mr. Perfect on the outside, but a wife beater, tax cheat, thief and master manipulator on the inside. What are you hiding?

yeah..look at Ray Lewis. imagine if he had put down on his NFL application that he was at the scene of a murder. he would never have been on TV crying after winning the superbowl. Duh!

Doclove wrote:

fwersaerweasfsd wrote:

Man you guys are dumb. Never admit anything, ever. If you admit it you'll never get any job worth keeping. Most places will claim to do background checks but don't actually do them because they are expensive. And it's not illegal to lie about that on a job application. Sheesh. If you admit it, you are definitely 100% out of a job. If you lie, you are ~50% likely out of a job. Simple math.

I would go with this one

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In some states doing this check is very very easy. In Wisconsin, for example, the court system is online and all you do is go to the CCAP website and type in the name. Everything from the Wisconsin circuit courts comes up - criminal, divorces, orders of protection, small claims. Everything.

Super easy to find. Landlords or employers.

Here is the link to the ccap website to show how easy this is:

http://wcca.wicourts.gov/simpleCaseSearch.xsl

;jsessionid=B9F771C6AD070B19FE8DD35B09289CCA.render6?

criminal wrote:

I have three misdemeanors: marijuana possession, reckless driving and driving with a suspended license. I am totally honest about everything and make no attampt to hide any of it. When asked about my criminal record, my approach is to 1) act embarrassed of it, 2) do not bore the employer with claims I can't prove about how being reformed, and 3) make a "positive" statment containing verifiable facts that work in my favor. I state that my convictions are embarrassing blemishes, that I don't like to talk about the details and that I am no longer entangled in any legal problems. A solid work history and good references can overcome a criminal record, especially if your crimes aren't related to violence or dishonesty.

this is the correct response. dont try and say you were a victim, explain you were wrong, say you are ashamed of it and have moved forward.

Ray Lewis murdered two people

ArloGuthrie wrote:

One Thanksgiving, I was convicted of littering and creating a public nuisance. I described the situation in rigorous detail-including eight-by-ten colour glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one was- on my paperwork when I was drafted-and even though I had rehabilitated myself-it got me out of Nam.

Who ever heard of a dump closed on Thanksgiving?

I work for a school district and was recently ready to hire a fully qualified woman who had worked for us through a temp company all summer. They had provided us with a copy of a background check they claimed to have run showing she had no past convictions. She then applied to work for us directly and marked no to question that asks if she had ever been convicted of any offences (other than minor traffic violations). When we ran the background check ourselves we found two different convictions for drug offenses both over 10 years ago.

Our HR department said if she had told the truth by marking yes and explained the details they would have hired her considering it was one, over 10 years ago and two, she had worked for us all summer with great reviews by her supervisors and perfect attendance.

We've hired others with similar issues who answered yes on the application, But... since she effectively lied by marking "no" to the question HR will no longer consider her for employment.

I'm at the point I practically accuse new applicants of lying on their applicants by pushing the answer on that question over and over during the pre-interview process to the point of them frequently getting mad at me for appearing not to believe their answers and yet I would say nearly 30% of them still come back with something more serious than parking tickets they failed to mention.

I know it sucks but not getting the job for being honest is still better than losing one you might have got by lying

Anyone who tells you to take the risk and lie are not helping you.

Oh, and some states do have avenues to allow you to get convictions expunged eventually which would allow you to mark "no" down the road.