u/Weight-Slow

Even in just the past year, the way that people obtain jobs has changed tremendously. Working in reentry, I’ve seen these changes take a massive effect on everyone. So I’m going to give you all some advice.

I think one of the biggest mistakes people make when they are desperate for a job is assuming that putting in hundreds upon hundreds of applications automatically gives them hundreds of chances.

It really doesn’t anymore.

In fact, it can often do more harm than good. Look at it as trying to send emails and constantly being filtered as spam - because that’s essentially what’s happening.

Things do not work the way they used to. Most larger employers no longer have a human being sit down and read every application that comes in. Instead, they are using applicant tracking systems, automated screening and AI assisted software to decide which applications ever even make it in front of an actual person.

And here is another problem that people do not think about - a lot of employers are using the same handful of hiring platforms and screening systems.

So, if your resume is formatted badly for one of those systems, does not contain the keywords it is looking for, or gets scored poorly for some other reason, you can essentially be getting rejected by the same robot over and over again at completely different companies.

Sending the exact same resume to 300 employers is not giving you 300 separate chances.

If you have been shotgun applying for months without much success, stop for a minute and change the strategy. If you’re just starting to apply - don’t take this approach to begin with.

For every job you apply for - actually read the posting. Look at the skills and terminology they use and make sure your resume reflects those things (assuming, obviously, that you really have those skills).

If the employer says they want experience with “inventory control,” “forklift operation,” “shipping and receiving,” “customer service,” “machine operation,” etc., and you have that experience, use those words. Do not assume the software is smart enough to figure out that the completely different phrase you used means basically the same thing - because it doesn’t.

Your resume should also be incredibly simple.

No fancy columns. No graphics. No skill bars. No weird fonts. No elaborate templates. No floating text boxes. No giant header full of contact information. Some systems parse those things badly, and you do not want your application rejected because the software cannot correctly read your resume.

Plain and boring is your friend.

Your resume also needs to tell an employer what you can actually DO.

Lead with skills. Certifications. Equipment you can operate. Software you know. Industries you have worked in. Years of experience. Reliability. Availability. Concrete things that make you useful to an employer.

Whenever possible, apply directly through the company’s own website instead of relying on Indeed, ZipRecruiter or similar sites. Those platforms are sometimes useful for finding openings, but I would treat them more like a search engine than the place where you actually apply.

Go find the job on the employer’s careers page and submit it there. Third party applications can be duplicated, outdated, poorly transferred into the company’s hiring system, or filtered before they ever reach the employer.

Applying directly also gives you a better chance of answering the company’s actual screening questions, uploading a clean version of your resume, and making sure your application lands in the system the employer is actually using to hire.

And stop relying completely on online applications.

Call smaller companies. Walk in where that is appropriate. Ask who handles hiring. Use staffing agencies. Talk to reentry organizations. Ask your PO or treatment provider where they are actually seeing people get hired right now. Ask other people on supervision where they are currently working.

That is much more useful than another “felon-friendly employers” list that has been photocopied, reposted and handed to every newly released person for the last ten years.

Smaller construction companies, warehouses, fabrication shops, machine shops, landscaping companies, moving companies, manufacturers, automotive businesses and locally owned companies can sometimes be much easier places to reach an actual decision maker instead of fighting your way through a corporate hiring system.

And if you ARE getting interviews, that is important.

It means your resume is getting through at least some of the time.

If the process consistently dies after the interview or background check, then the resume may not be your biggest problem anymore. At that point, work specifically on how you are talking about your conviction.

Keep it short, accountable and boring.

You do not need to give an employer your entire life story. You do not need to spend ten minutes explaining the case. And you definitely do not want the whole interview to suddenly become about your conviction.

Something as simple as:

“I was convicted, I served my sentence, I’m currently compliant with parole, and I’m focused on working and rebuilding.”

Then move right back into why you would be a good employee.

The goal is not to convince them that your conviction was unfair, explain every circumstance surrounding it, or ask them to take pity on you. The goal is to show them that it is something you take responsibility for, that it is being handled, and that you are there because you want to work.

And keep some perspective.

If you have only been home a few months, I know three months without a job feels like an eternity when you desperately need income. But it is unfortunately not unusual for someone coming home from prison - particularly someone with a registry requirement - to have to work considerably harder to get that first employer to say yes.

Hell, plenty of people with completely clean records are struggling to get hired in three months right now.

So keep your head up and keep applying - but apply differently.

I would much rather see someone submit 10 carefully researched applications this week, tailor their resume to each job, follow up on all 10 and make an effort to reach actual human beings than submit another 150 generic applications into online systems and hope one somehow survives the exact same automated filters they have already been fighting.

I hope this helps! Good luck out there!

We’re exhausted.

Lately, we’ve found ourselves moderating based on what we know the comments are going to become rather than whether the original question is appropriate. That’s not how any of us want to run this group but we also can’t live here.

Right now, we’re denying close to 90% of submitted posts. Most of those aren’t because the person has a bad question - they’re because it’s obvious the rules weren’t read before posting. Unless it’s something we simply can’t allow at all, we generally explain what needs to be changed so the post can be approved, but unfortunately, most people never repost.

This group exists for one purpose - to provide support and accurate information to people navigating sex offense laws, registration, supervision, and reentry. It is a place to ask questions, share experiences, and help one another move forward.

It is not a place to vent, complain, debate politics, argue about whether laws are fair, attack the system, or use someone else’s post as a soapbox. This group is intended to be a resource where people can get help and (non-legal) advice.

When someone asks a question here, the focus should be on helping them. If your comment isn’t answering their question, providing support, or sharing relevant experience, it probably doesn’t belong here.

Every time we have to remove dozens of comments, lock a post, or spend hours cleaning up arguments, the original poster loses the opportunity to receive the help they came here for. Every hour we spend doing that is an hour we’re not spending approving posts, answering questions, or helping someone else.

The moderation team is made up entirely of volunteers. We want this group to continue to exist, but we need members to help us make that possible.

We understand there are a lot of rules, and people will make mistakes. That’s okay. What isn’t okay is removing 20 comments from a single post and then spending even more time arguing in Modmail about why those comments were removed. They were removed because they violated the rules that keep this group open and useful. That’s not up for debate.

Please do three simple things:

* Read the rules before posting.
* If your post is declined, read the explanation and repost it after making the requested changes.
* Keep your comments focused on helping the person who asked the question.

The rules are not optional, and they are not up for debate. They aren’t arbitrary decisions made by the moderation team - they are the standards this group has to enforce in order to continue existing. We don’t get to pick and choose which rules to apply or make exceptions because someone disagrees with them. If we stop enforcing them consistently, we risk losing the group altogether. You don’t have to like every rule, but if you choose to participate here, you do have to follow them.

Let’s keep this group what it was intended to be - a place where people can find support, ask questions, receive accurate information, and leave feeling more informed than when they arrived not a place for complaints, arguments, or debates.

You’ll notice that anyone who isn’t an approved user cannot currently post or comment in the group - and we ask that people who *are* approved users please do not post or comment at the moment.

We are getting some things sorted out and will be back ASAP.

Whole you may see an option to request access - please don’t use that either, we aren’t able to approve new users at this time.

Thank you for your patience and understanding and we’ll let you know when we’re back up.