We know getting a job with a felony record is quite challenging. As a felon, you might consider getting a job in the food or hospitality sector upon release from prison. Maybe you have some previous experience of working in this sector. Or it’s your passion to serve the food and hospitality sector. But you are not sure whether this sector offers jobs that hire felons or not. However, the answer is yes. The food or hospitality sector welcomes felons with open arms by offering jobs that hire felons. This doesn’t mean that they will hire everyone with a felony background. You have to show top-most determination and commitment towards your job along with maintaining the quality.
But before applying for a felon job in this sector, you should know about the different job roles available here. Besides, you should know about their application process and whether they conduct a background check or not. In this article, we will answer all your queries.
What Job Roles are Available for Felons in Food and Hospitality Sector?
As mentioned earlier, the food and hospitality sector is one of those sectors that offer many jobs that hire felons. You can easily work as a:
- Chef
- Kitchen helper
- Waiter
- Hostess,
- Bartender,
- Housekeeper,
- And many other roles
Besides that, you can work in the packaging, delivery, and cleaning jobs. You can even take a different approach by applying to companies that host events. Undoubtedly, companies in this sector have soft hiring policies for felons. If you’ve some experience or qualified skills, you have a pretty good chance of getting a job in this sector. However, at starting, you can never expect to earn high. But if you work agilely, you can easily make your way to the top.
One major benefit of working in the food and hospitality sector is this sector provides many benefits to employees. These include:
- Healthcare benefits
- Paid time off
- Employee discounts
- Paid training
- Tuition reimbursements
- And many more
So, there is no doubt that this sector offers many jobs that hire felons and also provides additional benefits.
How to Apply for a Job in this Sector?
From our experience, we have seen many ex-felons working in the food and hospitality sector. They always consider this sector as the most promising sector for offering many jobs that fire felons. However, the application process remains almost the same as in the other sectors. First, you have to submit your resume with all the required information for employment. You can submit it online or manually. Within a few days, the company will contact you. And they will schedule a face-to-face or online interview session. In this session, they will ask you about all the basic information along with your work experience, salary expectations, etc.
Once they are satisfied with the information, they will conduct a background test. If the candidate passes the background test, the company will assign a hiring manager. This person will test the skill of the applicant. Suppose you are looking for an entry-level job like chef or kitchen helper. In this case, the kitchen manager will test your skill. If he feels satisfied with your quality of work, the company will call you again to confirm your placement.
However, it may take a week or more to complete the whole process and get the jobs that hire felons.
Is Background Test Mandatory While Getting a Job in this Sector?
No doubt, the companies, offering jobs that hire felons, will conduct a background test at the time of interviewing. In fact, maximum employers within this sector prefer to conduct this test to verify the candidate. So what is included in a background test? Well, maximum employers generally view the following things at the time of background test:
- Criminal offenses
- Credit report
- Educational records
- Driving records
In fact, all of these records help an employer determine the job applicant’s character, past crimes, and financial stability.
We know approaching an interview with a felony record makes the chances of employment more complex. But this is a must-have process in the food and hospitality sector. And the reason is very simple. Employees working in this sector represent the face of every food and hospitality business. So, it is important for the employer to verify the background of every applicant. This will definitely help them to hire the right persons for the jobs that hire felons.
Some Tips to Increase the Chances of Getting a Job as a Felon
Now it’s the time to offer you some tips to increase the chances of your job placement as a felon. During the interview session, try to come a little bit early than the scheduled time. At the same time, you should dress up properly to create a positive first impression on the interviewer. Besides that, always show a friendly, energetic, and courteous personality. In addition, try to make eye-to-eye contact with the interviewer during the interview.
For the background check process, we always recommend every job applicant with a felony background be honest and upfront. You should take responsibility for your past actions. And explain to them that you have transformed yourself to get back into normal life. Employers may ask some difficult questions. But you should always face them and answer them in a calm and composed manner. One thing is sure. You have to show them that you have learned from your past mistake. And also, you need a second chance to start your career in a new way.
At the same time, it is always a good idea to conduct a background test on yourself. But how will you conduct it? Well, you need a rap sheet to conduct the background test. The rap sheet includes all your felony records. You can easily collect it by contacting your attorney. Every state government of our country provides rap sheets upon request.
You should carefully review the rap sheet to ensure it is completely error-free. If you find any error in it, you should contact Legal Action Center as soon as possible. Legal Action Center is working constantly to remove the bias in the recruitment process of second chance jobs for felons. Legal Action Center will make all the valid changes and offer you a revised rap sheet.
Final thoughts
Now you’ve received all the information on whether the food and hospitality sector offers jobs that hire felons or not. Always use the above understanding while looking for a job opportunity in this sector.
