Help!
I'm applying for a new job(a county job)in my area the app is going to ask have you ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor? I have a disorderly conduct charge from about 10 years ago at least of course I would have to mention this(I'm in pennsylvania)will this affect my chances of being hired.

If they do a background check that turns it up and you didn't list it, you are likely to be taken as untruthful, which is never good. Better to list it, and hope or even at some point politely request that they hear you out about having learned the lesson. You have learned it, right? The better employers are all to happy to hire honest people who learn from their mistakes, from what I have experienced.

Hello amie:

Disorderly conduct?? Ten years ago?? A misdemeanor?? Girl, you worry too much.

That said, of course it will affect their hiring decision. However, rather than just list it and wait for them to ask about it, hit them head-on with your explanation. Write a short summary of the incident and attach it to your app. Of course, a resume that you prepared yourself, will emphasize your positive accomplishments better than just an application would. I would absolutely make one and attach it to the app too.

excon

Excon is very true on this, as a manager who does a lot of hiring, (more in the past) except when I worked for the Federal Government who has very strange hiring rules, the worst thing a person could do was not to include information, if we found that they were fired and they said they had not been, or we found a criminal record and they said there was none, they would be tosed in the round filing cabinet by the desk very quickly.

But a person who explained their issues, and took time to show how they learned from a mistake was taken more serouisly.

And honesly disorderly conduct, I am lucky I don't have a dozen of those from some of the protests and marches I have been on.