How Does a DUI Affect Future Job Opportunities?

If you’ve recently received a DUI charge, you probably want to know how it can affect your life. Driving while intoxicated is a serious matter that can interfere with all aspects of your life including your work life. Here’s how it can impact your future job opportunities:

You May Fail Background Checks

The biggest and most success-hindering problem you may have with a DUI is that it may prevent you from getting past a background check for a job. Many potential employers run background checks on their employees that go back at least five years. Your DUI is likely to come up, and it may eliminate you from a position.

You May Not Qualify for Driving Jobs

Driving jobs will probably not be easy for you to get with a DUI. Therefore, you may have a hard time becoming a delivery person, taxi driver, truck driver or similar worker. Furthermore, you may be disqualified from a car rental agent position just because you may have to drive the car a little bit.

Potential Employers May Lack Trust

Some employers make their decisions based on the type of crime you did. Others count them all the same. For example, you may have difficulty getting a job as a bank teller or an insurance salesperson if you have a DUI. Even though the DUI has nothing to do with thievery or dishonesty, it can still cause a potential employer to deny you the green light on a job.

You May Be Subject to Excessive Testing

A DUI can cause you trouble even if you do get a job. Your new employer may seem untrusting, or they may subject you to unnecessary testing although you’ve straightened your life up since in the incident. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to prevent such things from happening.

What to Do

All DUI cases are not the same. A DUI lawyer can look at your case and examine your options later on, such as seeking expungement. An attorney may be able to help you with the process of erasing the traces of the DUI if enough time has passed.

That’s just a little bit of information about some of the barriers that a DUI can bring and how you can go about handling them. The best way to deal with it is to avoid ever getting one again.


3 Career Pivots You Can Make After Serving Time for a Conviction

Approximately one in three adults have some type of criminal record, and integrating into the workforce after acquiring a conviction can be a difficult journey to pursue. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) requires potential employers to remain impartial while performing background checks, but it is natural to be nervous about how a societal bias may impact your future career path. There are fortunately a large number of positions that offer what are referred to as “second-chance programs,” as well as careers that don’t require background checks at all.

Become a Sales Representative

Proactive sales reps are typically hard to come across, so these jobs are often hard to fill. Due to this shortage in prospective employees, sales rep positions don’t always require a thorough background check. There is usually no prior experience required, as long as you are open to learning and becoming assimilated to a fast-paced and high-energy role. Sales representatives make around $30.32 to $44.67 an hour, which is well above a comfortable wage.

Work as an Independent Contractor

The gig economy is steadily growing, causing more and more individuals to decide to become their own bosses as independent contractors. Participating in freelance work could potentially give you the opportunity to avoid background checks altogether, as long as you maintain a reputable presence in your chosen industry. Learning to code and becoming a freelance web developer is perhaps one of the most promising career paths, with over 58,600 prospective job openings becoming available in upcoming years. You can start this by learning computer languages, start with languages like Java,  SQL, or Angular JS.

Get a Culinary Degree

Dining facilities are historically known for giving second chances to those who have prior criminal convictions. Many of these eating establishments, especially smaller businesses, do not require background checks at all. Culinary arts is far from becoming obsolete, with over 30,400 predicted job openings in the near future. If you do not want to dedicate the time to a full degree, many restaurants will accept just a vocational certificate instead.

Your prior criminal conviction does not have to mean hitting a brick wall when it comes to the pursuit of your dreams. Your career goals can still be accomplished with the proper knowledge and resources, enabling you to secure a position that is both profitable and enjoyable to you. Over 68% of those who enter the prison system have a stable employment history beforehand, so go build a LinkedIn profile or a redo your resume, keep your head up as you can successfully re-enter society.


Categories

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.