Deante, a job seeker who found employment through Honest Jobs, shared his experiences about the criminal justice system and the difficulties of finding a job with a criminal record. He searched for a job unsuccessfully for six months. However, once he came to Honest Jobs, he found a fair-chance employer willing to give him a chance and started working within two weeks. Read more about his story here:
Tell us about your experience with the criminal justice system!
Deante: "I have two felonies. One is for forgery and one is for burglary. Long story short, no jail time was served. I was given probation for both and it's been quite an experience. Those are definitely decisions that I will not make again. I'm just pretty much trying to keep myself on the straight and narrow and staying focused on my ultimate goal: I want to own a mobile food business."
What was your job search experience like before and after you found Honest Jobs?
Deante: "Due to the nature of my background, I was limited on the jobs that I can pick. So with that being said, I was searching for a lot of warehouse jobs, but the nature of my background really prevented me. I'd been searching for six months with no leads, nothing promising, no callbacks. With using Honest Jobs, I got hired within two weeks. When I received the call from Power Solutions, they did an over-the-phone interview. From there, we scheduled an on-the-site walk-through, and I was offered a position right on the spot."
Tell us about your new job!
Deante: "The company is called Power Solutions International. I am an assembly technician. I'm making $17.00 per hour with benefits. My job is really simple and I am a fast learner. There is definitely a team spirit on the line that I will work on and there is room for growth."
Would you recommend Honest Jobs to people with criminal records?
Deante: "Yes, most definitely. I would recommend it to friends and family. And the reason why is because of the diligence of the Honest Jobs team. They were on top of everything. They called and checked in, followed up with me after the interview, followed up with me after I got the job and made sure I had everything I needed. I am going to make sure that this opportunity is not missed. In the job force, everybody needs to be able to provide for themselves. And everybody deserves a second chance, no matter what.
I'm just very appreciative of the opportunity that you guys gave me. This is a whole new experience and this was actually something that I found on my own. So I'm excited to share with individuals and I'm going to continue to share. You may hear my name for referrals a lot."