IT Job with Criminal RecordA few years back I was charged with 3 misdemeanor thefts as well as one felony intent to deliver marijuana. Those were the worst things to ever happen to me and put me under so much stress everyday. I wish to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology degree. I am wondering if you would think I would have a chance getting hired in the field? These crimes would be about 8-10 yrs. in the past upon getting the degree and graduating/applying for jobs. I know some people have said it will show I have turned my life around and wish to succeed and I will be fine. Some also say as a felon I pretty much don' t have a shot. I don' t know if those theft charges would affect the job since you are handling information that could be stolen. Please, please get back to me on your opinions about this dilemma. Thank you so much in advance! Generally, misdemeanors are not considered as a problem, but since you have stated you have three, you will run into a roadblock. The felony is your most immediate concern. Because it only happend a few years ago, you probably won't be able to go back to court to have your conviction expunged. You can do this in most states seven years after the completion of your requirements. If you have done everything you are supposed to have done, community service, probation, report to drug rehab or classes, etc and you have kept clean since these infractions occured, that will work in your favor. Unfortunately, even with the convictions being dismissed or expunged by court order, they WILL STILL SHOW up on your arrest record. You should, if you are going to pursue this, keep a copy of the order with you at all times. Now, what industry do you want to pursue with your information technology degree tucked under your belt? If you go into something financial where you will be able to see account numbers and have access to monetary transactions, you won't get a job. If you go into something architrectural or graphic design, your chances are better, but since you will have knowledge of layouts, you may have to really sell your turned around-criminal free self more than another candidate. I have worked in offices where the IT dudes worked only on the computer programs and could not access the client information. Thanks for the reply. I don' t think I could even get any of those charges expunged/sealed. I live in WI. The law states only charges as a minor can be expunged. Really? That's not fair. I have worked in government law firms in Arizona and now in Nevada with a private firm with many branches in different states and cities and have not come across that. Granted, the laws vary in every state and often even from county to county within the same state and I don't believe we have a branch in Wisconsin. But, as far as I have ever been aware, anybody, juvenile or adult, can petition the court to expunge their record and only juveniles can have their records sealed. Huh, interesting. I learn something new from these boards quite often. And, if you don't mind my saying, I usually have them checked out, because while I believe your interpretation as you see it, sometimes people explain rules, regulations, statutes, laws, etc in ways that are misleading and not clear which results in a misunderstanding that can range from a feeling of relief to devastation. And I just really have my doubts since I have never heard this to be the case. I suppose you can try, but honestly, I think it is very unlikely. Not only do you have multiples here, but they' re for theft and drugs. Granted, only 1 is a felony but this isn' t going to play well in this field. Most applications are going to ask either if you' ve ever been arrested and/or if you' ve ever been convicted and you' re going to have to answer those as yes. The other thing going against you now is the huge increase in awareness of identity theft. Even 5 years ago, an employer might have overlooked this for someone in IT. Now companies are acutely aware that IT people have their hands in the most important company asset there is- customer information, marketing databases, company accounting info. They would be answerable to their stockholders in a serious way for allowing someone with a felony access to that kind of data should something go badly (and rightfully so). Hi, The misdemeanor alone will stop you from working with a great company. You may work as a contractor for that company, but never for the company. Seven years is the wait time on the misdemeanor ,but the felony, will stop you for sure. I talking about the huge companys like(valero, that size) there are alot of smaller company that will give you a chance. | |
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