Hey everyone. Before I ask my question, let me give you some back ground on my story.

I'm 29ys old; born, raised and currently reside in PA. I have been in the IT industry since graduating from tech school in 2000 with my associates degree. Well, as I was working for a company in 2007, I was taking spare parts out of the garbage and building laptops and selling them to help pay medical bills for my fiance' (she has chrones disease). My supervisor and some co workers knew what I was doing and there wasn't a problem with it at the time. The parts were marked off the accounting books and headed for the dump. Unfortunately, once the new security specialist for the company was hired, someone (apparently that didn't like me) told him what I was doing. When questioned, I admitted freely what I was doing (after all, my supervisor knew what I was doing and was okay with it... not to mention, these parts were in the trash so I figured no harm done in taking them... ). Well, when the time came for formal investigation, of course, my supervisor declined any knowledge to save his own hind end and job. The result was I was fired from a job I held for 8 years and charged with 13 felonies in regards to theft and RSP. (Basically they tried to charge me for anything that was ever missing from the company). I didn't have to pay bail and was never "hand cuffed", but I had to be photographed and finger printed. Fortunately, my lawyer was able to get them to drop everything except for a felony charge of RSP (felony because of the dollar amount they came up with since I was selling built laptops from these parts for about $200-$300 each). The other charges were dropped because it was proven that I only took parts destined for the trash. After advice from my attorney based on he judge assigned to the case, I plead "no contest" to the charge of RSP and received 6months of probation as my penalty and that is it. No jail time, no fines, court costs, etc. Just 6 months of probation. My plea was entered in April of 2008 and probation was completed successfully in October of 2008. No other pending actions in this case. Now on to my question...

I have been working for myself, doing computer work when I can, but I am not making any real money and I have to get back to a W2 paycheck so I can contribute to our home... Unfortunately, I don't know what kind of jobs I can actually apply for that I won't be rejected due to my felony. I don't want to waste my, or a hiring managers time applying for a job that I stand no chance of getting due to disqualification with my felony. I've been applying for IT jobs but despite over a decade of experience, as soon as they find out about the felony, game over, communication from the company ceases. I have interest in real estate, so Id like to be a realtor if I could get licensed. Also, I have applied for the electricians and plumbers union, but I don't know if I'll be accepted due to my felony. Can a convicted felon get licensed in PA for professional work? Can a convicted felon get a CDL license in PA? I'm just so frustrated with this whole situation and I think it might be easier to move on with my life if I can get some direction as to what kind of career I can pursue with a felony conviction of "recieving stolen property" with 6 months of probation. If ANYONE can give me insight on my questions, I will be extremely grateful. I have tried to research this and have called the unemployment commission and asked this question, but nobody seems to have any willingness to provide answers for me.

I'm starting to get really scared here. With this economy, even grocery stores and mcdonalds are not hiring in my area. I really don't know what to do. I don't mean to generalize, but it's no wonder so many felons turn back to crime.. It feels the whole world is against us in every way and I don't want to let this drag me down, I just need some help to find my way.

Thanks again for your help. :(

-JJ

Nobody?

Hi, JJCH!

It can take quite a bit of patience to use this site! The best people to address your question might not even be online now, or might be helping others. Or, they might even be sleeping.

Depending on the nature of a specific question, it can take anywhere from a number of hours to even days before a question might get addressed.

Concerning your question - We can't undo the past, but we know that we can work for a better future based upon lessons that we've learned from the past.

Your conviction is relatively recent. It may take a number of years of maintaining a clean record, before certain employers in the careers that you really want, will even consider hiring you.

You mention that you have been doing some work on your own. How have you been marketing yourself to do that work?

Are there any other skills or interests that you have that you might want to do in order to bring in money to be gainfully employed?

Thanks!

Hi Cough,

I am new to this site, so I do appreciate the advise... I guess when you are desperate for answers you find yourself obsessing about them (I know I have hardly slept 2 hours per night in months, hence I am on he computer at 1:30am on a Friday night). On the bright side, I have an interview on Monday with a company for IT work, but given the track record I have, I'm not holding my breath, but I am hopeful... They don't know about the felony yet, but I did not/will not lie on my application (what good will it do once they check my background? You can't hide it).

To answer your question, I have been doing computer repair and networking work on my own as often as I can. I even designed a website for my buddy's trucking company and got paid $200.00. Unfortunately, I'm not making more than roughly $100-$200 a week on my best weeks and I have to contribute to a mortgage for our home, so I don' have any money to advertise with a pay site or news papers, etc.. All I have been doing is using craigslist and making pull tab fliers to hang in stores, municipal building, etc. not to mention the small word of mouth business I have gotten. I honestly don't know what else to do. I was thinking of taking some money and maybe making a magnet or maybe a window decal for my truck? I don't even have a business name or a tax Id or anything. I've just been deducting a percentage for tax purposes from the money I make. I see you are small business expert.. do you have any advice in this area?

To answer your other question, I do have some skills and plenty of interests. I am sort of a jack of trades (certainly not an expert)when it comes to plumbing, electrical work, landscaping (although I admit I hate being outside in the heat.. lol). I also like real estate (although I don't know if I could get liscensed). I thought about maybe starting a pressure washing business, or even a cleaning business. In December, I applied for the local electricians union in my area and am still waiting for a notification for the test (if I ever get one). I called a couple of times to follow up and they keep telling me they aren't sure when the test will be... I don't know if that's a pawn off or the truth. I would join a plumbers union as well if I could find one to join... I have always loved computers though, that's why I went to school for them. I never thought that what I loved would be my undoing in life... Fate is never without a cruel sense of irony... Please let me know what you think, when you can. Thank you again!

I'm sorry, the spell check removed the "L" in your name... :(

I'm here now, if you might come back on. I know that there is a time difference between us and that you might have already gone to bed.

It sounds like you really do have some marketable skills and that, even though you're getting some business, it's just not enough business. So, maybe expanding your marketing on the Internet would be a way to go.

I have a number of small businesses that I run, and most of my new business comes from the free ads that I've placed on the Internet. I used to be in the Yellow Pages of the local phone book, but since I wasn't getting the dollar amount in income from advertising there as compared to what I was paying for the ads, I decided to not advertise that way for now.

By the way, to some people, I might be considered to be a "cough". LOL!

Thanks!

Figures, I missed you.. haha I am still on here, its 3:26AM... not even tired yet... this is how my nights go usually. I'm back and forth between the computer and my basement workshop just screwin around (trying not to awaken my fiance'). Maybe I'll catch you... if not, write when you can! :)

Rats, I missed you again!

I'm still here and will check this thread again, soon!

Have been working with others about things...

Thanks!

Hah you missed you again... ohwell, we'll get there. What kind of advertising do you recommend that I do? I only know about craigslist and placing fliers... any advice?

Hi, JJCH!

I'll be back on here in about an hour and fifteen minutes from the time of this post. I hope that you might be available then. I know that it's Saturday night though, and you might be busy...

I have lots of things to show you!

Thanks!

I can't wait! Looking forward to it.

I'm back, JJCH! I apologize for me taking so long... :o

Hi there! Im looking forward to it once we hook up! Lol

Hi! So, there you are! Please give me a minute to "un-cloak" so that you know I'm online.

Thanks!

Hi there! What's up

Done!

Since this thread is about your felony and finding a job around where you're located while having a felony on your record, and since it's progressed to one that is about how you can gain self-employment and how to advertise most effectively for that, my suggestion is that you start a new thread about how you might advertise your small business the most effectively in the Small Business forum topic area of this site.

That way, this thread could be left to dealing with your felony conviction in all aspects of it that you need to deal with it.

What do you think?

Thanks!

Yes I can do that... do you recommend I type something all over again, or maybe just copy/paste some excerpts from our "limited" conversation?


Also should I leave out the "felon" part to keep it strictly about advertising? Probably, huh?

I think that you should start something fresh. Suggested title might be How Do I Advertise My Small Business the Most Effectively on the Internet. Or, something like that.

If you post in Small Business, that is one of the forum topic areas that I also moderate. So, if something get kind of weird, I can fix it. Plus, by posting there, you'll also be helping others who might have a similar type of question.

Thanks!

We can copy and paste to that section as we need to. I would also suggest that you post the link to the first page of this thread so that people have some sort of reference to go to if the need to.

Thanks!

OK my friend... new thread created HERE (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/small-business/ways-advertise-computer-repair-networking-services-308237.html#post1506695)

Thanks! I'll be there shortly. Have to check and see what's up in one of the threads that I moderate. Shouldn't take me but a minute...

Thanks!

So I had my interview today at 10:00am. It lasted until 11:30. I met with an HR rep and then with the IT coordinator. I was honest on my application and I also wrote a letter explaining the details of my conviction and what lead to it. I made emphasis that my supervisor knew what I was doing and didn't have a problem with it and it was only junk I was taking. I also made clear why I did it (to pay medical bills). The HR guy said he appreciated my honesty, the extra time I took in my explanation and seemed cool about the situation. I also have a police officer as a reference and I gave him a business card for him as well. Hopefully that might help. The meeting with the IT coordinator went great in my opinion. We made some small talk, he asked what I liked to do for hobbies, golf, etc. (we had likeness in the fact we like to golf and fish). We went over my work experience and skills and he asked me some of my professional accomplishments; I explained some of the processes for data restoration, imaging and project roll outs I implemented that saved my old company thousands of dollars per year and he said he was very impressed with that. He told me at the end that his over all impression of me was "impressive". That made me feel good. Please pray for and wish me luck...

Well, got my dear john letter today. Didn't get the job. :(

I'm sorry to learn that, JJCH! But, you'll just have to keep on trying! You will succeed eventually! At least you got some positive feedback, and you did at least have an interview! Just getting an interview is a major accomplishment in itself! Wow, it was even an hour-and-a-half long! Way to go! :)

You might want to give them a call and ask for a reason or reasons as to why you weren't hired. I've done that on a number of occasions when I didn't get a job.

It's okay to do that. You just simply might not have been the best candidate for the job. It might not have been anything about you personally, but just that they felt someone else would be a better "fit" for the position.

When you do write or talk about your conviction, while you're trying to be honest and all, it's best to minimize it and not make it a major conversation item. I'm not quite sure how to put that the best way, but I hope that you know what I mean. You don't want to deny that you did something, but want to emphasize the positive things and continue to try to sell yourself to the company how you can best be of service to them in order for them to meet the priorities and goals that they have set.

Thanks!

I just took my electrician union apprentice test today... we'll see how that goes...

Hello J:

I have good news and bad news. The bad news? Yer not going to get a job... Oh, maybe flipping burgers, but probably not even that these days...

The good news? You have a marketable talent. If you were to simply reorganize your marketing campaign, I think you'll find success...

By that I mean, instead of marketing yourself as an EMPLOYEE, you should market yourself as a COMPANY.

In the first place, you're not going to have to fill out an application. Plus, in most cases, when sub contractors are hired, it's their TALENT that gets them hired, not their background.

excon

I just took my electrician union apprentice test today.... we'll see how that goes...

Thanks for letting us know, JJCH! I've been wondering how things have been going for you!

I wish and hope only the best for you!

Thanks!

Hello J:

I have good news and bad news. The bad news? Yer not gonna get a job... Oh, maybe flipping burgers, but probably not even that these days...

The good news? You have a marketable talent. If you were to simply reorganize your marketing campaign, I think you'll find success...

By that I mean, instead of marketing yourself as an EMPLOYEE, you should market yourself as a COMPANY.

In the first place, you're not going to have to fill out an application. Plus, in most cases, when sub contractors are hired, it's their TALENT that gets them hired, not their background.

excon

Well that just took the wind out of my sails... lol... why would I not be hired for electrical work? Lots of felons are in the construction trade. They asked about felonies when I applied and I was still selected to test... I don't know...

Hi, JJCH!

You're going to meet all kinds of people with all sorts of different opinions. That's part of what makes the world a great place! Lots of variety and things to think about.

As you and I have already discussed at length over a goodly period, you do have a lot of things to offer whereby you can be making a living.

I do applaud you for taking the test and I'm looking forward to the results!

Thanks!

Test results are in today... I passed the test... Now I got to wait for a certified letter confirming interview day/time.

Test results are in today.... I passed the test... Now I gotta wait for a certified letter confirming interview day/time.

Now, that's cool! Thanks for letting us know!

Thanks Craig! On a side note I haven't been getting much in responses to the ads, they are out there, but Im working on re wording them for now.

Hi again, Jason!

I'm just wondering how things have been going with you.

Below, is a quote of an answer that I've given a number of people on this site. I don't think that I've posted it to you previously.


You do need to advertise. One of things that I do for a living is that I am a house painter. I really don't get many calls from my Yellow Page ads. But, most of my new business is from ads that I place on the Internet. The following is from an answer that I have already placed elsewhere on this site.

There are many places where you can have a free website or blog where you could advertise your business or anything else for that matter. Some of them can be found by clicking on the following searches.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=Free+Website (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=Free+Website)

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Free+Blog (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Free+Blog)

Although I am in the Yellow Pages of the local phone book, most of my new business comes from the free ads that I have placed on the Internet in some way. It does take some time to set things up. But, once you have done it, you are set. You just need to keep track of when you might need to renew your ads. Some of them will let you know when it's time to renew, and most of them won't On some free advertising sites, your ads might not need to be renewed for years. For others, it ranges from maybe 14 days to 90 days.

I copy and paste what I have advertised into a message in my Drafts folder in the email program that is my primary one, and that would be Outlook Express. I also have a file in my email program that is titled "Passwords." It includes all passwords used as well as user names. Not all sites are going to let you use the same password, and the user name that you select might not be available on a particular site.

A really important thing to remember when doing online advertising is that it's not necessarily your name or the name of your business that people are going to be looking for, but what you do and where you are located. So, how you word your ad and the additional keywords that you use in it are very important. Google doesn't look for repeated words in site. However, some other search engines do.

There are a host of free advertising sites available. Most of the best ones that get the best exposure are on the following list. I have been doing online advertising for over three years now. It has paid off...

One time, someone found me looking for goats in Iowa. They are an animal rescue. They saw my ad on a site where one of my piano tuning ads was located and decided that they wanted to have their piano tuned.

I love it when people find me by accident! It could happen for you too with your business!

I do also frequently drive around and post my small advertising "shingle" with the pull-off tabs anyplace where I can find a free, public bulletin board where I can post them. These can be places like grocery stores, restaurants, bars, Laundromats, bowling alleys, public libraries, etc.

Here is the list of free advertising websites that seem to get the best exposure when people are doing searches for what they want on the Internet. Some of them are even international as far as where the ads reach, in case there is someone who might read what I have posted who wants to advertise on an international level. There are sites that don't get good exposure and, I don't use them. A person would have to be a member of and frequent those particular sites in order to know what is listed on them. I even post on sites that are located in other countries because the exposure is so good!

craigslist: san francisco bay area classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events (http://www.craigslist.org/)

(To use Craigslist, you just find and post on the one that is near you.)

http://www.hoobly.com/

http://www.merchantcircle.com/corporate/

USA - cliQs.com (http://www.cliqs.com/)

Everything from Everywhere (http://www.hoobly.com/)

DomesticSale - The Effective Free Classifieds (http://www.domesticsale.com/)

Free Classifieds Ads - Internet Advertising to Sell Online (http://www.webclassifieds.us/)

Vast.com - Search All The Classifieds On The Web (http://www.vast.com/)

PennySaverUSA Classifieds Online: Local ads in California (http://www.pennysaverusa.com/)

Free Classifieds - FinditClassifieds.com (http://www.finditclassifieds.com/)

Oodle.com Classifieds - Search local online classifieds (http://www.oodle.com/)

BuySellCommunity Classifieds - Buy & Sell Locally : Free Online Classifieds (http://www.buysellcommunity.com/)

Free Classifieds @ Adpost.com (http://www.adpost.com/)

Free Classifieds, Free Ads, Free advertisement, Business Opportunity (http://www.classifiedsforfree.com/)

Free Classifieds - FinditClassifieds.com (http://www.finditclassifieds.com/)

Free Advertising, Free Classifieds, Free Classified Ads, Free Ads, Classified Ads, Free Classified, Bulk Email Advertising, Opt In Email Marketing Services, Email Lists, Classified, Free Ad, Advertising Free, Classifieds, Classified Ad, Free Classifi (http://www.inetgiant.com/)

http://quadcities.kijiji.com/ (http://quadcities.kijiji.com/) You can change the country and city when you list there.

http://www.evelez.net/ (http://www.evelez.net/) Although it might appear to be connected with the one above, it is different. You can also change country and city.

http://www.livetray.com/ (http://www.livetray.com/)

http://www.vvnvv.com/index.asp (http://www.vvnvv.com/index.asp)

http://www.alibaba.com/ (http://www.alibaba.com/)

http://www.alibaba.com/ (http://www.alibaba.com/)

http://www.hotfrog.com.au/ (http://www.hotfrog.com.au/)

http://www.kellysearch.com/ (http://www.kellysearch.com/)

http://www.kbclassifieds.com/ (http://www.kbclassifieds.com/)

http://www.oodle.com/ (http://www.oodle.com/)

http://www.olx.com/ (http://www.olx.com/)

http://www.topix.com/ (http://www.topix.com/)

http://www.isell.com/ (http://www.isell.com/)

http://www.kutvclassifieds.com/Main.do (http://www.kutvclassifieds.com/Main.do)

http://www.gumtree.com/ (http://www.gumtree.com/)

http://www.flugpo.com/ (http://www.flugpo.com/)


Thanks!