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I haven't spoken much about what my journey from prison into tech looked like and I wanted to share that experience in case it's helpful to anyone else.
So this thread is essentially the things I wish I knew when I was first trying to land a tech job.
So this thread is essentially the things I wish I knew when I was first trying to land a tech job.
It took me about 3 yrs to actually land my first tech job. I think the biggest thing to face is that it could potentially be a very long journey, but breaking in can absolutely change your life and you shouldn't give up!
Because you have to deal with the record, you ideally want to focus on finding companies from states with the most forgiving laws when it comes to hiring felons.
California tends to have the most progressive of business cultures and be the most willing to hire ex-felons.
California tends to have the most progressive of business cultures and be the most willing to hire ex-felons.
This isn't always the case and companies like @artsy (based in NYC) were also willing to hire me with my background. It really depends on company culture and/or state laws.
It's hard enough for felons to land jobs already and this pandemic has made it even more difficult because there is a ton of other folks who have suffered layoffs and there are just so many people of all skill levels looking for work right now.
That doesn't mean that you can't find a job, just that it's going to be that much harder. Before I shared my story and took control of my background, landing a job was a numbers game full of anxiety and stress.
My first approach was to apply to places I liked, go through the full interview process, and then stress the hell out if I happened to make it through and then they make an offer. I would always dread the background check and whether or not I would still have a job.
Twice I made it all the way through and was then ghosted for failing the background check. I quickly realized that investing so much upfront wasn't going to last and decided to try a different approach.
I would apply to anywhere between 20-40 places a week. I tracked them all in a Trello board. Then whenever I got a response, the very first thing I did was inform them of my background and make sure they are aware upfront.
This allowed me to invest minimal time in a given company and really focus maximum effort into the companies that didn't mind my background. It greatly narrowed my pool of jobs but it eliminated my concern about a background check.
I would then look heavily into those companies and the job opportunity. I had multiple versions of my resume, each tailored to a particular role I wanted to apply for: front-end developer, full-stack developer, etc.
I would also have a few cover letters as well.
I would also have a few cover letters as well.
I would do tons of research on the company, the products/services they offered, look for a developer blog, etc. Really looking for any bit of information that might be useful in an interview.
After that, it was a matter of someone finally saying yes. Again, it took about three years to accomplish, but I've been in the industry for close to a decade now and it was definitely worth it.
Another factor that can help is time. A lot of states have specific laws about how far back they are able to look in an employment background check (California is seven, which is one of the lowest) and so with enough time you won't have to worry about a check at all.
That normally doesn't help most folks but as someone who has been in the industry for awhile now, it's nice to know there are now more jobs available and that I won't always have to deal with this.
My next bit of advice is to own your story. As I mentioned before, I learned the hard way that if I waited for the background check to discuss my record, I would get ghosted. It sucks investing hours of my time and energy into a company that might turn me down based on my record.
By owning my story and being public about my record I was able to flip the narrative. Instead of having to jump around my work history, explain gaps, tell small lies to create a past, I was able to turn it into a redemption story.
Folks love a redemption story, they hate feeling like you kept something from them. When that background check comes back with a record, folks always act like you kept it from them, it's just weird.
It also helps you build a network of supportive people who will provide a better list of opportunities since they are familiar with your background.
You'll get much better leads on jobs from a network than you will applying en masse.
You'll get much better leads on jobs from a network than you will applying en masse.
Framing is everything and it's amazing how different my journey has been since I publicly shared my story*.
*This doesn't address the role my privilege played in my journey, us white dudes tend to fail upwards, so this might actually be terrible advice for minoritized folks.
*This doesn't address the role my privilege played in my journey, us white dudes tend to fail upwards, so this might actually be terrible advice for minoritized folks.
Most of my recent jobs have come from my network and having folks on my side who know about my situation. So even if you aren't comfortable sharing your story publicly, maybe try sharing with a group of folks who you trust, so you can build that network.
All this to say that unfortunately you aren't done doing your time when you're done doing your time.
This will be a battle you face for awhile and I hope for a day when formerly incarcerated folks aren't subjected to a second sentence when they get out.
This will be a battle you face for awhile and I hope for a day when formerly incarcerated folks aren't subjected to a second sentence when they get out.
