It is true that life gets tougher when you have been convicted of crime and you become a felon, but it is up to you to make things better or worse.
Most felons easily get discouraged when they face the job market and resort to more crime — which will eventually make things even harder for them. This is why you should not let anything discourage you from getting your life back on track in a legal way.
Having a felony conviction does not make you unemployable. In fact, contrary to public opinion, you can earn as much as anyone else in different walks of life. You just need to have the right skills that will put you in a good position to apply.
The right skills are those that are highly sought after in different fields. When you have them, you will feel confident enough to apply for high paying jobs, get employed, and finally get your life back together with a good reputation.
Carpentry
Felons that were carpenters before conviction usually find it less difficult to get back into society because this skill is highly sought after. So if you have done time and want to make good money honorably, carpentry is a skill you should learn.
As a felon that has learned the skills of carpentry, you will be earning about 46,000 dollars per year, which is pretty decent. You will also have the opportunity to grow as long as you keep practicing how to work in all weather conditions, how to use different tools effectively, how to handle different carpentry materials, and any other skill that will help you stay on the job.
Almost all the states and companies will require you to complete a certain period of apprenticeship before you start working as a carpenter, so prioritize this and get a license even if it is not mandatory in the company you want to work.
Dog training
As a felon, dog training is a noble way to get back into society while showing love to animals and grooming them for good purposes.
Financially, this is one of the best skills you can learn because the pay ranges from 33,000 dollars to 53,000 dollars in a year. It all depends on your certifications, experience, and the progress seen in the dogs.
If you have been through dog training programs in prison, you stand an even better chance to get a job as a professional dog trainer with this skill. Additionally, it will be good for your mental health to be around dogs while getting yourself back together after conviction.
Barbering
This is a skill that will never go out of fashion, so if you learn it, you will be getting money from it for the rest of your life.
To learn barber skills, you have to complete an accredited barber training program. Then you will get a license with which you can legally start getting jobs as a barber. Depending on the state you intend to practice barbering, getting a license as a felon will have different levels of difficulty.
But you will get it nonetheless and that will set you on a path to quickly getting a good job. Barbers make about 27,000 dollars in a year, but as you gather more experience, you will make a lot more than that.
Electrician
Interestingly, this is one of the highest paying skills a felon can have in order to get a good job quickly. There is a high demand for this skill and in the next ten years, the demand for electricians will rise by 14 percent — so this skill is highly sought after. Currently, electricians make up to 56,000 dollars in a year.
Getting a license will depend on local laws, so it is not the same for every state. But what is certain is that you can get a job as an electrician as if you have the right skill-set and training.
If you happen to be in a state where the laws make it hard for you to get a license to practice as an electrician, you can work as an electrician apprentice.
You don’t need a license for a job as an apprentice electrician, all you need is the employer’s approval. And even if apprenticeship is not your end goal, it will help you to get experience that will later boost your profile.
Getting a career coach is a very good idea because of the competition in this field. So as you train and work as an apprentice, your career coach will help you with better opportunities and a better chance of convincing the license review board.
Tech skills
There are many jobs for felons in the tech industry, so if you have any of the necessary skills, you can easily fill a position and earn good money within a few months.
Of all the jobs in this modern world of technology, the ones that will make it easier for you to get jobs quickly after you have done time include the following:
- Front-end development
- No-code or low-code development
- Database administration
- Technical support
- Mobile app development
- Network specialization
These skills can be learned from the four walls of a room as long as there is internet connection and a computer.
An even more advantageous reason for you to learn any of these tech skills is that you can be a freelancer — which will not require any background checks, and you will be in charge of your time.
