Question by Lu: What is a good career field or business opportunity for someone with a criminal record?
I live in California.
About 2 years ago I was arrested for soliciting a prostitute. I have spoken to 2 lawyers about getting my record expunged and both of them said that is not really an option a this time.
The good news is that I am currently employed. about 3 months before I got arrested I signed a 6 year contract with a the military. I got in big trouble after my arrest and I was told that I would be kept on for the remainder of my contract but that my contract will not be renewed. I have about 4 years left on my contract.
I have a BA in History and I was studying to become a teacher but I know that teaching is no longer an option due to my criminal record and the nature of the offense
.
The odds of getting another job like the one I have now are practically 0. Any job requiring a background check will see that I was arrested for soliciting a prostitute and I already know that my criminal record will most likely bar me from any type of state or federal government jobs.
The clock is ticking for me. during my remaining 4 years of employment I want to set myself up to be able to support myself. I was thinking about going back to school… but my odds of getting hired in any traditionally lucrative career field seem slim and the last thing I want to do is to spend all of the time and money that it takes to go to school for a career field only to find out that I can’t get hired or licensed because of my criminal record or background check.
Another option would be to work for myself. Start my own business. Make my own job and control my own future. The problem here is that I don’t really have any marketable skill or talent. (although I am definitely ready, willing and able to go to school to learn a skill or trade if it will help me.)
I was thinking about real estate also. But I was told that the soliciting a prostitute would most likely prevent me from obtaining a real estate license and/or getting a job at a real estate agency when it shows up in my background check.
I am still employed for the remainder of my contract but even if I am a stellar employee for the next 4 years I will be unemployed in about 4 years. I can save about $ 1000 dollars a month if I buckle down for 4 years or a little over $ 40,000.
I am also willing to go back to school for a master’s degree for any field. (i’m not that good at math or science so the computer, chemistry, medical, accounting, and engineering fields aren’t really options for me.)
I have been checking for business opportunities but all of the ones I come across either require marketable skills that I don’t possess (tattoo artist etc…), large amounts of startup capital (I only have about 8,000 dollars in my savings account) or they are too good to be true and seem like scams (99% of the “work from home” websites and “pyramid/MLM” type opportunities). I am just looking for an honest business that I can learn to do and build upon through hard work and perseverance.
Here are my questions in a nutshell:
1: What is a good career field for me to study for or get into in which my criminal background will not be a factor.
2: Can I get into the real estate industry with my background? Will my misdemeanor offense bar me from licenture or prevent me from being hired?
3: Ideally I want to work for myself. I am a hard worker and I’m not looking for a “get rich quick” scheme… Are there any honest business opportunities that I can pursue that don’t require a large amount of money to start with?
I have approximately 4 years to prepare: can anyone help point me in the right direction?
Best answer:
Answer by justins
I would start my own business if I was you. It will be much harder than finding a job that will take you with a criminal record but its much more satisfying working for yourself instead of for someone else.
ibuyohio.com
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