What you have the power to do

“The most common way  people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”        

             Alice Walker, author of “The Color Purple”

I love this quote.  It reminds me of something I’ve struggled with on occasion.  Like say, last week when I was having a career-related ” poor me”  party, and forgot that I wasn’t completely at the mercy of events;  that there were some steps I could take to on my own behalf.

Yes, I was guilty of giving my power away.

If you’re starting over with a criminal record, you might also feel you have little power.  That’s okay.   It’s perfectly  understandable to worry about taking charge of your life again, particularly if you’ve served time and had most of your daily movements proscribed. 

But you do have more power than you realize, and even if you don’t feel it now, you can reclaim it.  Here are some of the most common areas where people with criminal records (and even those without them)  tend to give up power and strategies on how to get it back.            

 Job Search

• Signs and Symptoms:    Thinking no one will hire you because you have a criminal record, thinking you’re turned down for jobs because of your past or because there’s something wrong with you.  Giving up prematurely on an employment search, getting overly nervous in interviews because you’re afraid you won’t get the job. 
• Remedies: Assessing your strengths and weaknesses so you know what you have to offer an employer and how to sell yourself.  Being upfront about  your background and how you’ve changed and moved beyond it.  Acknowledging you understand why an employer might have concerns, but emphasizing how you will work to the best of your ability to prove yourself.  Realizing that everyone gets turned down for jobs, particularly in this market, and persisting in your search for as long as it takes. 

Relationships

• Signs and Symptoms: Staying in a relationship where you are unable to be your best self, or one that is abusive or otherwise unhealthy.  Can include romantic relationships or friendships where you are encouraged to engage in behavior that is not in your best interest. Becoming involved in a relationship where you feel you must sacrifice your dreams or desires in order to make someone else happy.   Carrying grudges or anger from slights or hurts in the past.
• Remedies:  Learning to value your own wants and needs as much as other people’s.   Making sure you do not have to sacrifice who you are to maintain a friendship or relationship.  Seeking out alliances with individuals you admire who are living the kind of life that you aspire to. Leaving relationships that are abusive or otherwise unhealthy.  Dedicating yourself to developing your own strengths and reaching your own goals.  Letting go of blame for past hurts and moving on with your own life.

Addiction

• Signs and Symptoms:  Usually obvious and unhealthy attachment to substances or practices that are destructive and ultimately take over your life; drugs, alcohol, gambling, thrill-seeking, sex, etc.
• Remedies:  Acceptance, treatment and support.

Dealings with Law Enforcement:  

• Signs and Symptoms:   Unnatural or exaggerated fear that even though you have served your time, police or local law enforcement (sometimes even probation officers are included here) are out to get you.
• Remedies:  Realization that you have control over your actions.   As long as you choose to abide by the conditions of your release and become a law-abiding citizen, you should not be in trouble again.  Realizing the people, places and things that can get you in trouble and avoiding those can go a long way towards helping you stay on the right path. 

Readers, how about you?   Have you ever struggled to hold onto your power?   Have you ever given it away and regretted it?   And if so, how have you gotten it back?

Ban the box update

As I noted in my last post, this week is devoted to checking on the status of legislation affecting  ex-offenders.

One of the more effective strategies — and one that seems to be  gaining steam —  is the  “Ban the Box” grassroots campaign.  The box, of course,  is that section of the employment application that asks about whether you have a criminal record.  The question can come in a variety of forms as  blogger James Walker notes in his very comprehensive post. Sometimes it’s even a series of questions, as I discovered when my son recently applied at our local grocery store for a job as a bag boy.  These are usually yes/no questions, typically followed by a space where you’re asked to explain any charges in further detail.

The problem is that once you check “Yes,” your application often goes no further.  One human resources professional recently told me  that in cases where someone answered yes in an online application at his former employer, the application was automatically deleted. 

Since 2003, some 30 cities states and counties have eliminated the box and the question from applications.  These include:

    Hawaii (1998), Minnesota (2009) and New Mexico, this year.  Just last month,  Connecticut passed a law removing the box from applications for public jobs.  Bills are also pending in Wisconsin and Nebraska.   Major cities that have banned the box for government jobs include San Francisco, Chicago, Boston and Minneapolis/St. Paul.   

The National Employment Law Project offers a comprehensive update by state and city.  The Safer Foundation also provides a detailed list of recent legislation. 

Straight Talk: Blogger James E. Walker Jr. on the challenges of starting over

James E. Walker Jr.

I first got to know James Walker a couple of months ago, when he responded to a post I’d written on shame.  His response was so heartfelt, that I immediately clicked on the link to his blog.  There I found some very thoughtful commentary on reentry from a man who ought to know.  In 1977, Walker went to prison for what he describes as the worst crime imaginable.  In the midst of a robbery attempt, he killed a man.  Steeped in regret, Walker would spend the next 30 years of his life behind bars.  Though he knew he could never atone for what he’d done, when he was released three years ago at the age of 51, Walker felt he had little in common with the young man who’d made such an irreversible mistake. He’d worked to better himself and was ready to start fresh. And yet, his reentry has been far from easy.  As he confessed in a post earlier this year:

“Throughout my incarceration, I never could quite comprehend why so many guys returned to prison. Today, I know all too well why most of those who return to prison do so: the lack of real career opportunities. All the doors to financial stability and success–traditional or otherwise–seem not only closed but also locked. Dead bolted. Barricaded. Welded shut.”

In this month’s Straight Talk, Walker agreed to share his journey and how his expectations have differed from the reality of getting out:

Expectations vs. Reality

By James E. Walker Jr.

Two months shy of my 21^st birthday and six months out of work, I got the foolish notion to become a stick-up man.  A neophyte to criminal behavior, woefully naïve and reckless, I botched the wrong-headed attempt at armed robbery, and a man died.

During the 30 years I spent in prison, I lived for the time when I would leave prison.  I believe that all prisoners spend their time in prison looking forward to the resumption of their life outside.  Some of us, though, for whatever reasons, seem to take our time more seriously.  I did.  I resolved early in my sentence that I would not allow my time to do me.

Time does the prisoner—instead of the prisoner doing time—when the prisoner takes no responsibility for the way he spends his days.  It happens when he serves his sentence as if doing time doesn’t bother him at all, as if it amounts to a mere inconvenience.  For sure, this occurs most often with folks serving relatively brief prison terms, but it also occurs with some of those doing longer sentences.

Many people around me wondered why I spent my time in school, in the library, or off by myself reading a book.  Why was I planning for a future that seemed to recede further and further and further from me?  The reason I never took my focus off my future was simple. I didn’t want to be consumed by my past behavior, and the netherworld of prison that resulted from that misbehavior.  Distraction from the goal of freedom, that grand ideal, would amount to a living death for which I had no desire.

And so I completed my bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, with a concentration in English. Knowing that my criminal background would restrict my career options, I began to think about innovative and creative ways I might succeed in navigating the expected obstacles to success.  I knew it would be difficult, but I expected that completing an undergraduate degree would impress prospective employers to take a chance on hiring me.  All the hard work I’d done to distinguish myself from the average prisoner, I thought, would likewise distinguish me from the average ex-con, once I left prison.  Why shouldn’t it?  Doesn’t our society continuously trumpet the value of higher education as the vehicle out of powerlessness, poverty, and disadvantage?

What I found upon getting released from prison, however, was something entirely different.  Indeed, my educational attainment and personal development, almost incredibly, intensified the rejection I experienced.  I quickly learned that our society has simply blocked many paths to career success for persons convicted of criminal offenses.  Even when no law prohibits career access, social norms often do.  In countless interviews, the repeated message seemed to be: your education, skill set, and eminently positive representation mean nothing.  You’ve got a felonious past—a violent one, at that.  Ain’t nothing happenin’!

In the past three years, I’ve been rejected and passed-over for everything from a part-time, minimum-wage pizza delivery job to a potentially six-figure insurance sales position.  The folks at the pizzeria wouldn’t even talk to me.  The recruiter at the insurance agency did engage the conversation, but I didn’t get the job.  An auto dealer refused to consider me because, he said, his insurance carrier just wouldn’t allow him to hire me.  A woman at another insurance operation told me I couldn’t get a license to sell insurance because of my criminal conviction.  When I demonstrated that, legally speaking, I could, she just ended the conversation.  The folks at a well-known parcel delivery service appeared quite impressed with my work history—until, that is, I explained that all of that job experience occurred in prison.  When a local reentry agency hired me as a case manager, I had to leave the job I had sought for two years after only two weeks, because the folks at a nearby prison won’t allow me entrance as a case manager—though they continue to allow me entrance as a volunteer.

The list goes on and on…

Yes, it’s been discouraging. I’ve spent time working with other ex-offenders, and often been able to help them in ways I haven’t been able to help myself.  I’ve watched as even my family has lost patience. The implication is that I, in some way, must not be doing the right things in order to find an employer willing to hire me.  Today, I no longer do walk-ins and cold calls.  I’ve stopped traveling significant distances to do applications.  I’ve stopped blasting my resume.  I’ve stopped applying for every possible opening.

I still selectively submit applications online.  I also continue to make disclosure of my background up front, usually via cover letter.  I couch that disclosure in the most constructive language possible.  I acknowledge responsibility for my misbehavior.  I do so clearly and genuinely.  I don’t wallow or grovel.  I acknowledge the past, then speak to my personal maturity and development, and look forward to the future with both confidence and humility.

Recently, I obtained a part-time position as a digital media marketing executive at a small information technology and services firm.  The position doesn’t pay very much, but I have an opportunity to demonstrate my value to the organization.  My co-workers have embraced me for the affability, intelligence, positive mindedness, and commitment to excellence they see in me.  They know I have a criminal past but have no real interest in the details of that past.  They genuinely like me, the person.  I don’t think I could have found a more supportive workplace environment.  My gratitude extends beyond all measure.

At the same time, I feel the need to keep bringing attention to the challenges faced by others like me.  Just as I rejected the correctional mindset during my imprisonment, I reject the predominant social mindset out here in the “free” society.  Something has to change. The chasm between our national pride as a land of opportunity, and our national perverseness in systemically rejecting and excluding persons who have made serious mistakes in the past—even after they’ve paid the legal price for those mistakes—spans deep and wide.

So does my determination to bridge it.

Don’t sell yourself short: any experience counts!

After posting for 31 straight days as part of WordCount Blogathon 2010, I know I’ve fallen off a bit this week.  Please  forgive me.  I’ve been catching up on everything I’ve neglected, and working on some more involved future stories. I’m also in the process of putting together the final resumes for the students in my latest class, which is invariably a multi-step process.

Yesterday, I gave back their rough drafts  with my questions.  As always, I was amazed at the work experience and achievements people had left off their resumes.

Some examples from this and previous classes:

• Developing  a fundraising campaign that brought in $5,000 over three days for a non-profit.
• Helping with the relocation of an automotive business.
• Managing the books for a clothing business.
• Being selected employee of the month.
• Winning the volunteer of the year award.

In four of these cases, the reason was because the work was done on a voluntary/unpaid basis.   To which I say, so what?  Experience is experience and if I were an employer I’d be very interested in someone who was a natural fundraiser or an organization’s best worker of the year, unpaid or not.

So when you’re making a list of what you have to offer an employer, don’t rule out volunteer work, or projects you’ve undertaken on your own. And don’t forget awards or recognition you’ve received, even they don’t seem that important.  Theses are the achievements that often make you unique, and hence, just the person the employer wants to hire.

Who hires violent offenders? You’d be surprised.

Their crimes aren’t easy to stomach.

VASAVOR job developer Mouly Aloumouati

Murder. Rape. Armed Robbery. Aggravated Assault.  But when they come to Mouly Aloumouati, they’ve done their time and have one thing in common.

They want a job and they want to start over.

Aloumouati does his best to accommodate.  A business developer at SkillSource Center, (a One Stop Career Center operator in Virginia), he also manages  the VASAVOR (Virginia’s Serious and Violent Offender Reentry) program in conjunction with re-entry organization OAR.  Over the past seven years, he estimates he’s dealt with some 400 violent offenders and found jobs for more than 75 percent of them.

“I’ve got a recidivism rate of 5 percent,”  he says, which isn’t bad, when you consider that nationally nearly two thirds of offenders return to prison or jail within two years.

Affable and approachable, Aloumouati’s secret is a mixture of practicality, doggedness and a willingness to do what it takes to help get his people placed.  When he started, he  had no experience with offenders, but over time he’s developed an acute understanding of the challenges they face and the way to overcome these.

I was fortunate to catch up with Aloumouati two weeks ago when I stopped by the local Career One Stop Center in Falls Church, VA.  Here’s some of what he had to say about how he works and what he’s learned:

On the biggest challenge the violent offender faces:

Some would call it the “fear” factor.   “I would say the hardest thing is getting over the stigma.  But I try to show the people I work with that the stigma is not the end of the world.  You can get past it, if you’re willing to work hard and be persistent.”  The important thing, he adds, is how you come across and whether you are employable.  This means do you have your IDs, do you know how to conduct yourself in a workplace, have you taken responsibility for your actions or are you in denial…otherwise I’m wasting my time because you’re not ready.”  The first step he takes with people who come to him is to do an employment assessment to see where they are.

On what kind of jobs serious offenders can get:

Aloumouati has placed offenders in the labor and construction industries, administrative and clerical jobs, the trades, transportation and food service, among other areas.  Many of these positions are entry-level, but he’s also helped individuals find more advanced positions in the medical and other professional fields.

On how the ex-offender should present himself:

“I tell people I work with you spend 10 seconds explaining your record in an interview, then you spend 10 minutes telling the employer what you can do for him.

On his job hunt secrets:

Aloumouati keeps a file on every employer who’s ever hired one of his clients.  Any reentry organization can develop a similar list by going to case files for the past three to four years and looking at where the offenders they worked with got jobs, he says.  Everywhere he goes, he brings business cards and makes sure he gets them from any employer he meets.  He scans the want-ads and Craig’s List regularly and follows up immediately.  “Youve got to get to the job before the non-criminals do to make your case,” he says.  In fact, he’s been known to drive offenders to an interview to take advantage of a hot lead right away.   Even if the job doesn’t work out — he keeps track of the employer so he can check back periodically and find out about new openings before they’re advertised.

On getting professional jobs:

Aloumouati has worked with former doctors, lawyers, police, judges, military, engineers and plenty of others with impressive credentials.  Sometimes these individuals will no longer be able to work in their field because of their crimes or licensing requirements. Nonetheless he has still been able to help many find very good jobs.  “I have five clients right now, who are making more than $85,000,” he says.

On his advice to an offender who can no longer work in his/her field:

You need to be very creative and change direction. “I tell the people I work with they have to dig deep in their souls and brains to bring me other industries where they can work.”  A medical doctor may never be a doctor again with a felony, but he can work with or for a doctor.  People may lose security clearances, but not the knowledge and experience they had previously.   I have a number of engineers and people in IT that I’ve been able to place in good jobs in the industry.  They may not be doing exactly what they were doing before, but they’re still using their skills.

Jail to Job’s Eric Mayo answers questions for ex-offenders

Today, we’re very fortunate to have Eric Mayo visiting Out and Employed  to answer some of the most common questions ex-offenders  have about their post-release job search.  Eric is an author, lecturer and motivational speaker who began working with the unemployed and underemployed 12 years ago.  When he found many of them had criminal histories, he began to focus on the barriers these individuals face.  He now writes the popular Jail to Job blog, where he regularly takes on all types of queries from former offenders and their families.  I recently named Jail to Job one of my must-read blogs.  It’s certainly one I turn to regularly for Mayo’s deeply researched and insightful answers to some tough questions.   Here’s what he had to say to some from my readers and students:

What is the most common question you hear from ex-offenders?

The most common question I get is “Where can I find a Job?”   Jobs are always where you find them.  There is no one place to get a job because jobs can be found just about anywhere.  You  have to be ready to dig, network and dig some more.

Many people got their job leads from people they know.  This is called networking.  Networking is the most effective method of finding employment leads.  Most jobs are never advertised because they are usually filled by personal contacts.  In fact, employers would rather hire someone referred to them by people they know rather than to painfully sort through resumes and applications.  People in your life who might be  potential leads for a job include:

·         Friends

·         Relatives

·         Neighbors

·         Parole/probation officers

·         Members of your religious group ( ministers, priests, imams, etc.)

·         Former teachers

·         Former co- workers

·         Former employers

·         Classmates

·         Casual acquaintances

·         People you do business with (hairstylists, barbers, doctors)

In each group, see if you can list five people that you can contact.  That is at least 55 people that could help you in your job search.  Let each person know that you are looking for a job and that any information they have for you would be helpful.  Have copies of your resume handy for your contacts to give to other people.

Never ask for a job.  Only ask for information about job leads or for advice.  The more people you’re able to contact, the more leads you will get.  Remember, this is a numbers game.  Often getting a job lead may circumvent the entire application process and the dreaded “have you ever been convicted of a crime?” question.

What’s the best way for ex-offenders to  answer questions about their  criminal record that appear on job applications?  Sometimes reentry counselors recommend writing “will discuss at interview.”  Is this a good strategy?

That totally depends on the question. The question is usually “Have you ever been convicted of a crime other that a traffic violation.”  “Will discuss at interview” does not answer the question.  Often applications with this response are removed from consideration.

What is the biggest mistake ex-offenders make when they look for jobs?

Many ex-offenders are simply not competitive.  Many lack interviewing skills, interpersonal skills and visual presentation.  Getting a job with a criminal record is tough enough.  Without even these basic skills, it’s that much tougher.

One-stop Career Centers provide an extensive list of services that can help anyone prepare for a successful job search.  I have posted a video on Youtube that speaks briefly to this.  You can find it here:

Often ex-offenders will decide to move to another place to escape their records.  Is this a good strategy?  Does it work?

In this age of computers that offer instant access to information, moving to escape records is nearly impossible.

Are there certain jobs that ex-offenders simply can’t get?   How difficult is it for a former felon to get a job with the federal government?  In the medical field?

The federal government does background checks, but having a record will not automatically disqualify ex-offenders or felons.  Licensing or certification in the medical field will vary from state to state  and is at the discretion of each state’s licensing board. Ex-offenders and felons can inquire directly to their state’s board to see if their  respective conviction will keep them from being licensed.

Are there particular companies or industries you know of that are more open to hiring ex-offenders?

It is my experience that ex-offenders and felons will be more successful in the building trades or construction fields.  Manufacturing, warehousing, restaurant and maintenance are other options.

Are ex-offenders required to disclose information about arrests that didn’t lead to convictions or juvenile offenses?  Can companies still use information obtained through a background check about these types of offenses as a reason not to hire an individual?

Applicant’s should pay careful attention to the wording because it will vary from application to application.  Typically applications will ask for convictions and not arrests.  Applicant should always give the information that is asked for.  As for juvenile convictions, they will not appear on most background checks.  Employers may have access to law enforcement background checks that will include all convictions including juvenile and sealed.  It is next to impossible, however, to contend exactly which information is used to disqualify an individual.

When should ex-offenders consider expungement?  In the days when so much information is available on line, does getting your record expunged still help?

It may help, but most states are very conservative when it comes to expungement and sealing of records.  I encourage ex-offenders and felons to simply look at their criminal records as handicaps that they will have to work extra hard to overcome.

What other misinformation or bad advice do you see out there for ex-offenders?

Often unscrupulous attorneys will claim to be able to have records expunged.  A little homework and a trip to the local legal aid office will help ex-offenders and felons get honest advice as well as assistance.

Yes, it’s a busy week….

I’m off to teach this morning, and still need to prepare for a bigger class than usual, so I must apologize for not having a new blog post at the ready.  

I also have to admit all the excitement of hosting guest poster Jackie Dishner  as part of the 2010 WordCount Blogathon has thrown me off schedule a tad, although it was well worth it.   If you haven’t checked out Jackie’s terrific advice on starting over no matter what has happened in your life, please do yourself a favor and take a look at yesterday’s post — it’s a good one!  In addition, she’s writing about inspiration all month over at her blog BIKEWITHJACKIE, so there’s plenty more where that came from.

I forgot to mention that I was also the guest blogger over at Jackie’s site yesterday, where I talked about what inspires me, in my life and my writing.  So if you want to learn more, you can read my post here.

In the meantime, I promise lots of good stuff coming after I catch up, including a follow-up on my poll on who’s law abiding and who’s not, an interview with VASOVAR’s Mouly Aloumouati on finding jobs for violent offenders, a look at whether sports culture encourages criminal behavior and more, yes MORE, guest posts.

So stay tuned.

Criminal justice blogs I love…

Oops, I almost forgot.  Today those of us  taking part in WordCount Blogathon 2010 are talking about our favorite blogs.  So I had to postpone an earlier entry, which is why this is coming to you a little later.  

Fortunately, in the area of  criminal justice, there are a number of  good sites.  Here’s a quick list of my top five:

1.  Best and newsiest overall  — Change.org’s Criminal Justice Blog.  

 I usually call this one Matt Kelley’s blog, since initially he was doing all the posts, though in recent months Change.org has  added other writers.   Kelley, an editor at the Innocence Project  is always on the news, covering everything from prison reform  to  re-entry challenges  and definitely calling it as he sees it.  Some of my recent favorites were his posts on  Taiwan pointing to the success of the death penalty in the U.S. as its reason for reinstituting the practice , the dangers of using software to predict what kids might commit crimes in Florida and the racial undertones of baggy pants laws. 

2.   Best Continuous Coverage of an Issue  —  Grits for Breakfast 

Scott Henson describes himself as a former journalist  turned opposition researcher/political consultant, public policy researcher and blogger.  His insightful posts on criminal justice in Texas — a nation in and of itself — are a model for what a good blog should be.  His long-running coverage of prison overcrowding in the state has been as dogged and as effective as that of any beat reporter.  He’s well-sourced, well-read and even his rants, like this recent one on Knitta Please graffiti, are usually fairly amusing. 

3.  Most helpful  —  Jail to Job

Eric Mayo is an author, lecturer and motivational speaker, who specializes in helping people develop life skills and job readiness training .   He uses his blog to answer questions ex-offenders have about finding jobs and re-entry.  He also provides taped lectures and podcasts of his answers.  What I like best is that  no matter how obscure or difficult the question, Mayo’s answers are always smart and right on target.  I’m hoping to have him answer some questions for Out and Employed later this month.

4.  Tastiest junk food —  Mind Hacks

I still haven’t found a blog I really love on criminology (readers, any suggestions?) , but I’m fascinated with psychology, which is another area where blogs are hardly in short supply.   What I like about Mind Hacks is that it gives me a no-nonsense digest of psychology-related articles, television programs and other media.  Authors Tom Stafford and Matt Webb have written a book by the same title, and their stated goal is to help people look inside their minds  using the latest psychology and neuroscience.  This is true whether they’re dissecting an article  about a 58-year-old’s ability to memorize Paradise Lost, or how Agatha Christie’s last books reflected her dementia. 

5.   Best blog for building a perspective that will keep your children from crime (and you from doing something you’ll regret) —     Your Kid’s Not Going Pro

What the heck is a blog about youth sports doing on my list?  In truth, I discovered this one  back when my middle son first got heavy into his travel soccer career (he was 8).  Bob Cook is a  journalist, veteran Little League coach  and a guy after my own heart in terms of having the right attitude about games kids play.  He also spends a surprising amount of time writing about criminal activity, though given the amount of cheating and violence that often seeps into our favorite American pasttimes, maybe this is par for the course.  One of his recent posts on George Huguely, the prep-school lacrosse player at UVA who accidentally killed his girlfriend, is a perfect example of why I keep coming back to Cook’s site again and again.   Quite simply, he gets it.  

How about you?  Anyone have a criminal justice  blog they love that I should add to my list?

Who advocates for ex-offenders? You do.

Here’s something hopeful:  Today is Reentry Advocacy Day in New York.

That’s right. For the fourth year in a row a group of  100-plus advocates and ex-prisoners from New York City will head to Albany to promote policy initiatives to assist the reentry of the formerly incarcerated into the workforce and their home communities.   In addition to other legislators, the group will meet with Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubrey,who is heading attempts to reform the rigid sentencing guidelines of the Rockefeller Drug Laws. The group also hopes to address voting rights and employer access to criminal records, two other hot-button issues.

The event is sponsored by  The Community Service Society of New York, in cooperation with The Fortune Society‘s David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy and The Bronx Defenders.   The advocates are part of CSS’s New York City Reentry Roundtable, which meets monthly to discuss issues and challenges facing the formerly incarcerated.  Currently, there are 63,000 inmates in New York State prisons, many of whom will find difficulties adjusting upon their release.    While New York is more progressive then many states in some areas, notes CSS’s Tracy Munford, “there’s still a lot to be done.”

Reentry Advocacy Day makes me grateful that so many organizations like CSS are doing work on behalf of ex-offenders.

It’s also a good reminder that there are a few things ex-offenders themselves can be doing to advocate on their own behalf .  Many members of the CSS group going to Albany were formerly incarcerated.   But even those who can’t go, can do their part in the following ways:

1.  Follow up on job leads. If  someone — your P.O., mentor, employment counselor, whoever —  gives you a contact for a job or sets up an interview with an employer,  by all means follow it up!   These referrals aren’t given lightly and they won’t be given more than once if you prove yourself  unreliable.   People will help you, but only if you help yourself.

2.  Remember that, like it or not, when you’re employed and an ex-offender, you’re representative of ALL ex-offenders. If you stop coming to work or flake out on the job,  it makes it that much harder for the next person looking to start over to get their foot in the door.

3.  Tell your story. If you’ve gotten a break and can share it with others who have a criminal record in their past, it really helps.  Probably the number one request  I get in my classes — after the usual “find us all a job” — is “can we talk to someone who’s been through this and come out successfully on the other side?”

So on this Reentry Advocacy Day, go ahead and be thankful for the help.   But remember that your future is primarily in your hands.

What would you do if you could be paid to be yourself?

“I wish I could just be paid to be myself,” a friend who’s looking for work said recently.

“Don’t we all,” I concurred, thinking, in truth, that it was kind of a strange statement, bordering on egotistical.

For some reason, though, I was still mulling it over a day later.  In fact, I was  actually starting to think she had a  point.

Why shouldn’t we all try to get paid for being ourselves, since that’s essentially what we do best anyway?  Anyone who’s  read career classics like What Color is Your Parachute? and Do What You Love and the Money Will Follow? , or their more recent successors, Do What You Are or The Purpose Driven Life knows that these books make a veritable mantra out of following your passion.

And yet, when I  ask my students to talk about their interests, or what they really love to do, they’re often a little reticent. It’s as if they believe hoping someone will actually hire you for what you do best is asking too much.

It’s gotten even worse with this economy.  So many of us feel we can’t be too picky with jobs in short supply.  It can also be difficult to square this advice with what ex-offenders are typically told.  That is, to take a job, any job, just to get work, since finding employment has been proven to reduce recidivism.

But I don’t think anyone should give up on the dream of being hired to use their best skills.  Letting your gifts go to waste isn’t good for the psyche.  You’re more likely to get down on yourself, or start feeling resentment.    And you know where that leads.

If you’re willing to do some soul-searching and apply a bit of creativity, however, you can learn to let the best you shine through even at a job that’s less than ideal.  Here’s how:

1.  Know what your best qualities are. You can’t sell what you don’t know.  Assess your interests and talents.  What do people compliment you on again and again?  When do people ask for your help?  What tasks do you enjoy so much that they make you lose track of time?   Are you the one who heads projects? The motivator? The salesperson?   The trouble-shooter?  The idea generator? The technical guru?  The artist?  The peacemaker? The person who gets things done?  Organizations always need to fill these roles.

2. Apply for jobs that require that talent or ability. If you’re frustrated about not being able to find work doing what you love, perhaps you need to broaden your search.  The very useful ONET online, an occupational information site developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, offers details on requirements for different jobs.  You can also look for jobs that might need your talents.   On this page , for example, you can check off the boxes next to skills you possess, and ONET will generate an entire list  of occupations requiring these abilities.  Some may require additional training or education, but others may be a perfect fit and something you might not have thought of otherwise.

3.  Find a way to use your greatest talent on the job, anyway. Back when I worked as an  accountant, I made sure my bosses knew my true love was writing by making my audit reports as good as I could.  I also volunteered for any other writing projects that came up.   If you’re a sanitation engineer who dreams of being a salesmen, you can start by developing a good relationship with all the families on your route.  If you work  in a restaurant kitchen, but your dream is to create recipes of your own, what’s stopping you from making suggestions, or getting the cooks to try out your specialty after hours?   Sometimes the very act of using your favorite skills will show a side of you that your employer hasn’t’ seen.  Who knows where that might lead?

If you feel you simply can’t  exercise your abilities on the job, perhaps it is time to look for something better.   But that doesn’t mean you can’t put your talents to use on a volunteer basis somewhere else.   Maybe your church needs a good organizer/people person to put together a potluck dinner or Spring Fair.  Or you can’t find an IT job, but your neighbors would love to have someone show them how to keep in touch with their families via a computer they just can’t seem to get working.

The key is realizing that even if what you do best doesn’t seem to be paying off right  now, it could  pay off in the future.  But if you don’t keep exercising and building on these skills you’ll never know.  As Benjamin Franklin once said, ” Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What’s a sun-dial in the shade?

He had a point, I think.

How about you?   Have you had success getting paid to do something you love?