As someone with a very strong software background and a recent felony, I'm wondering what your advice is in securing a local tech job. When should I tell interviewers? Is it even possible to get a tech job ever again? The last person I interviewed with canceled my second interview because she found out about this through google, and suggested maybe I look into contracting, but that sounds just as unlikely because of how easy it is to google me. Should I tell interviewers during the first introductory 30 minute phone call? Would this kind of red flag completely stop you from hiring someone who otherwise seems very qualified? What would make you more likely to keep moving forward with them?
Ask HN: When to disclose shameful felony during interview process?
1–10 of 19 posts
Re: Ask HN: When to disclose shameful felony during interview process?
#2Depends on the specifics. What did you do?
Re: Ask HN: When to disclose shameful felony during interview process?
#3Depends on the specifics. What did you do?
If his username is any indication...
Re: Ask HN: When to disclose shameful felony during interview process?
#4Depends on the specifics. What did you do?
Suffice it to say it isn't something that makes me a risk to the employer, but it's also more awkward to discuss than other felonies.
Re: Ask HN: When to disclose shameful felony during interview process?
#5Can you ask Google to remove your links? It is possible depending on countries. The legal ground is once a person has paid back to society they are just like any other person and they have the right to be forgotten [0].
Re: Ask HN: When to disclose shameful felony during interview process?
#6Depends on the specifics. What did you do?
If his username is any indication...
It could still go both ways though, there's many registered sex offenders that shouldn't be. For example, indecent exposure charges absent any underlying sexual motivation.
That said, OP did use the word shameful.
Re: Ask HN: When to disclose shameful felony during interview process?
#7Earlier quoted context omitted.
If his username is any indication...
It could still go both ways though, there's many registered sex offenders that shouldn't be. For example, indecent exposure charges absent any underlying sexual motivation. That said, OP did use the word shameful.
Indecent exposure, even though it was without underlying sexual motivation, is very shameful and embarrassing to talk about, especially in an interview. And already a few Fortune 500 companies who wanted to move forward with me have decided not to for this reason, so it's more than shame, it seems like an automatic disqualification. It's very likely my career is over now. I guess if nothing else, my life can at least be a warning to others.
Re: Ask HN: When to disclose shameful felony during interview process?
#8> As someone with a very strong software background and a recent felony, I'm wondering what your advice is in securing a local tech job.
Local...where? (That may help people with appropriate local knowledge give more specific advice.)
While the pay may be worse, you may have better luck with public sector tech jobs (they will certainly consider the offense in hiring decisions, but they may be less likely to use it as an arbitrary complete disqualification.)
Re: Ask HN: When to disclose shameful felony during interview process?
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
It could still go both ways though, there's many registered sex offenders that shouldn't be. For example, indecent exposure charges absent any underlying sexual motivation. That said, OP did use the word shameful.
Indecent exposure, even though it was without underlying sexual motivation, is very shameful and embarrassing to talk about, especially in an interview. And already a few Fortune 500 companies who wanted to move forward with me have decided not to for this reason, so it's more than shame, it seems like an automatic disqualification. It's very likely my career is over now. I guess if nothing else, my life can at least…
If that's how you ended up with a felony, I'd probably hire you without hesitation assuming you were a good fit and I was in a capacity to make that decision.
There's very few situations where indecent exposure should even warrant a felony, and barring any sexual/predatory motivation I can't really even begin to understand why it would.
You might have better luck with startups. They're usually run by people who aren't cowards, and they tend to be allergic to bullshit. Also consider remote work if geography is a poblem.
Re: Ask HN: When to disclose shameful felony during interview process?
#10This might be a useful resource: