Segment 3: Talking to Employers about a Criminal Past

The True Meaning of Ex-:
Tips for Job Seekers with a Criminal Past

By: LD Lewis, CWDP

If you were to become uncomfortably warm after walking in the glaring sun, you might take off as many items of clothing as you can get away with and still remain decent. If you see shade, you’d probably head toward it to get some relief.

When an employer asks, “Why were you locked up?” , and you answer with, “I assaulted someone...I committed armed robbery...I stole some property..., etc, you become that glaring sun. And as a natural reaction, the employer will probably want to run for cover. But when you instead answer questions about having been incarcerated by skillfully shading the truth so the employer can handle it, you are providing a “cooling-shade” response to a very difficult question. Shading is not an act of lying. It is an act of protecting an opportunity to get hired. Consider the following:

Q: Why did you serve time?
A: (Cooling-shade response) My real crime was my faulty decision-making skills. So, I no longer make decisions based on emotions, for instance. I now make decisions based on brainstorming and planning...(then you proceed to share your skills and experience with plenty of examples).

What if, in response to your first cooling-shade response, the employer says, “That’s nice. But what did you get
locked up for?“ Rather than glaringly claiming, “I shot someone” or “I was convicted of second degree murder”, try cooling language such as, “Well, without thinking things through I let words make me angry enough to retaliate with a weapon.” Or “I no longer problem solve using a weapon because it is a dumb thing to do. Instead, I…”, then state new skills you have developed for solving problems, such as negotiating for a win-win.

Note how the shaded responses do offer a strong truth about the applicant’s crime, but that they don’t cause the employer to want to run away.

What if you served time served for armed robbery? Try “I talked myself into answering a need by taking what did not belong to me. Stealing is wrong and was a very foolish thing to do…” Then steer the employer toward the strengths you have to offer.

There are no magic responses which will cause the employer to hire people right on the spot whether they do or don’t have criminal records. But at least by using sincere, cooling-shade responses, you may be able to interview longer than you would using glaring-sun responses.

Join me next week for suggestions for handling other difficult questions related to being an ex-er.

Would your church or organization like a The
True Meaning of Ex-“ workshop presented at your location? Call toll free 866-270-2424 or visit wordworkers. Thanks to ResCare, Inc. or some items in this article.