DUI's and Job Applications
 

I have just started applying for jobs this last week and have found that many applications ask about misdemeanors (including DUI's). I am sober now but I have 2 DUI's in my past, one in 2000 and another in 1997. I am afraid that these will hurt my chances at getting these jobs (in the legal field). Does anyone have any experience with this? When companies do background checks, how far back do they go? Thanks!!

Most typical background checks go back seven years, I think. I know in certain states the state cannot report past a certain date and for some reason seven years sounds familiar, you'll have to check with the MN gov't about how far background searches are allowed to go.

Please just tell the truth, and after listing them you can add a note that you live a sober life now.

Lying is never good, it comes back to bite us in the butt. Part of the Living Sober and Clean is Honesty :).

You will have going for you, other than your skills, 1. The DUI's were 5 and 8 years ago, and 2. That not only were you honest on the application (many people aren't) you learned from yours mistakes and don't drive and use anymore.

Be honest, put the best foot forward at your interviews and have faith you will get a job!!!!!!

Please come here to post and vent and share your joys during this sometimes extremely tiring process.

JMHO

Love and (((((to all))))),

it's a tough call
i started looking for work
once i got 5 years sober
and
i got the suggestions
"tell the truth"
"be honest'
others said i could get around it
but
didn't tell me how
most of them say
"any arrests, convictions, etc
will not be held against you"
but
now 5 years later
no job

the only thing i did
was list something vague
like misdemeanor, etc
and a friend said if they really want to know
they will ask you

don't mean to sound sarcastic
yeah, honesty, tell the truth, etc
is a good share at the meeting
but
it don't get you the job

also, my dad used to tell me
"the truth never changes............don't lie"

one other thing
whatever the law says
background checks only for 3, 5, 7, 10 years
any corporate company, i'm sure
will find out everything they want about you
but
give it your best shot

not sending your resume, or not going on an interview
is a missed opportunity
and
you do got your sobriety
so
show up neat, presentable,
be courteous, professional
a lot of the personel go by who's sitting in front of them
and
some interviews i went on
didn't even look at my resume

In the state of Washington they do a background check on the past 7 years. Honesty is the best policy. I was honest 1 yr. ago and it cost me the job. The good news is...it freed me up to get a better job a few months later. What is meant to be will be. Good luck...

i heard that many times
either someone got laid off, quit, etc
anf
a better job, opportunity came along

I used to work in HR (in MN, in fact - small world) and we did extensive background checks. We were looking for things like assault, embezzlement, and such, not DUIs. In my years there, no one was ever turned down for that reason.

So, my advice is to put them down and not be majorly concerned about it.

Good luck and let us knows how it goes, k?

phinny

P.S. This is a great opportunity to put yourself out there and then let it go!

Yeah I'll add on to Phinneas's Thread.

My roommate worked in an HR department for several months and said something very similar. As long as you have never been convicted of a felony, or a violent misdeamnor, your probably alright.

However, you said you are trying to get a job in the legal field. Well all I can say is that I wish you the best of luck. The legal field is HIGHLY competitive right now...and at least in Colorado...we have WAY more people going in than there are jobs for. If I were you I would be much more worried about this than I would the DUI's.

Don't know how far back they go but I do know this. There's an old saying that lawyers use. It goes: "Don't ever ask a question you don't have the answer to." So, if the question is on the applicatioin, they either have the answer or have a way to find out the answer. DON'T GET CAUGHT IN A LIE. YOU SURE AS HELL WON'T GET THE JOB.

Thank you all for the feedback. My inclination is to tell the truth, but in the back of my mind I would love to leave off, at least, the 1997 conviction. One looks bad, but two DUI's says "problem"!!!! I left it off of one application that said not to list minor traffic offenses but included them on an application that said "include any DUIs".

I'll keep y'all posted!
Kathy

You'll be in my thoughts! Best of luck to you.

--anne

My particular brand of recovery teaches "Rigorous honesty" (AA)

I can only suggest that you tell the truth.

Were you convicted of the DUI's? If not I can give some legal advise to what the companies will actually be able to see when they do the background check.

Hi Jared,
Yes, I was guilty of both offenses. In fact, had to spend 48 hours in jail for the second offense. I just filled out an application that only asked for misdemeanors back 7 years. Hopefully, that will be the case in most applications.
Kathy

I'm with Peter on the rigorous honesty.

BubbaBob

In that section on arrests, you can write that you will discuss the particulars in the interview

I'm sure many would still like the advice.

my .02

I also think that HR people are looking for assualt, fraud, domestic violence type convictions. Tons of people have DUI's I can't imagine they all are unemployed because of it.

I had two DUI's too, but on the first one I had a "Suspended Imposition of Sentence" contingent on the fact that I didn't get arrested for the next however many years. My second offense was more than 10 years after the first, so it was still considered a first offense. Of course, we have very strict abuse and lose laws here so they really threw the book at me. (Too bad it wasn't the Big Book 'cause I didn't get sober for another two and a half years!) Anyway--the point of all this is that I only have to list the last DUI because the earlier one is no longer on my record.

All that aside, honesty is most likely your best policy. It would be much worse to lie and get caught than tell the truth and maybe not get the job. The right job will take you BECAUSE you are honest.

Good luck!

You know I had another thought on this topic...

I know some jobs (like some government jobs), on their applications state for the person to write down all crimes that they have been convicted of except for Misdeamonor (spell check) traffic offenses.

Now, I know that at least in CO. that any DUI/DWI which does not result in an accident is considered a misdeamonor. At least if you only have one or two. So, I dont know if you would have to put this down on these applications, as one could argue that they are indeed misdeamonor traffic offenses.

Just a thought.

I'm going through the same thing. Only, my two DUIs were April and July of this year (convicted). I've been sober since my last arrest (April). Any idea what jobs would be a safe bet? And not? I have a lot of professional experience and a bachelor's degree. I did pick up a part-time retail job a month ago, but would like something more. I'm hoping that potential employers will see that someone else hired me after this havoc, and will see that as a positive.