Felony friendly jobs are out there, in every state. The hard part is not whether they exist. It is finding them fast, getting through the application and the background check, and walking out of the interview with an offer. This guide is the playbook for that: where to search for jobs that hire felons, how to answer the record question, how to build a resume that gets a call back, and how to use job fairs and your local workforce office.
If you want the industry list first (staffing, food service, construction, manufacturing, retail), start with our guide to felon-friendly jobs in your first 90 days and after. This post picks up where that one leaves off: the steps between "I found a listing" and "I start Monday."
What makes a job felon friendly
A felon friendly job is one where a conviction does not automatically knock you out. In practice that usually means one or more of these:
- The employer says so. Listings that use words like "second chance," "fair chance" or "we welcome applicants with records."
- The question comes later. Many states and cities have fair chance or "ban the box" rules that push criminal history questions later in the hiring process. Our explainer on what Ban the Box does and does not do covers the details.
- The role does not require a license or clearance that your record blocks. Check this before you invest hours in an application.
Federal jobs follow their own rule. Under the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, most federal agencies may not ask about your criminal history until after they make a conditional job offer, with exceptions for positions such as law enforcement and roles that need a security clearance (5 U.S.C. § 9202; 5 CFR Part 920).
Where to find jobs that hire felons
Second-chance job boards
General job sites mix every listing together. A second-chance board saves you from applying blind. The Free and Forward job board lists nearly 3,000 second-chance jobs in all 50 states and DC, with your own city and state first. You can filter by state and by trade (construction, food service, retail and more), save jobs, and tap Listen to hear any listing read out loud. It is free on every tier.
Your local American Job Center
American Job Centers are free public employment offices funded through the U.S. Department of Labor. Staff help with job search, resumes, training and local hiring events. Find the nearest one with the CareerOneStop American Job Center locator, and ask whether anyone on staff works with job seekers who have records.
Apprenticeships
Registered apprenticeships pay you while you learn a trade. Search openings by trade and location at Apprenticeship.gov. Construction, electrical, welding and manufacturing programs are common places to start.
Staffing agencies
Staffing agencies fill warehouse, light industrial and general labor jobs quickly, and some placements turn permanent. Ask the recruiter directly which of their clients hire people with records. It saves both of you time.
Second chance jobs near me: searching locally
Most first jobs after release are local, and that is where most searches start: "second chance jobs near me." A few ways to make a local search work harder:
- Search your city and your trade together. "Forklift second chance jobs Hartford" beats "jobs for felons."
- Check transit before you apply. A job you cannot reach on time, every shift, is not a fit yet.
- Ask the people who see local hiring every day: your reentry program, your American Job Center, halfway house staff if you are in one, and your supervision officer.
- Go to hiring events. Many cities hold second-chance job fairs. We covered several in Job Fairs Are Reconnecting People With Employers.
How to work a job fair
- Bring printed resumes, your ID and a pen.
- Have a 30-second intro ready: your name, the work you want, and one thing you are good at.
- Get a name and a contact from every table you talk to.
- Follow up within two days by email or phone, and say where you met.
Before you apply: get your paperwork ready
An offer can stall if you cannot complete hiring paperwork. Most employers need proof of identity and work authorization, which means your state ID, Social Security card and often your birth certificate. Our guide to documents after release walks through how to get each one and keep them together.
The background check: know your rights
Most employers that hire felons still run a background check. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, an employer that uses a background reporting company must tell you in writing, in a standalone document, and get your written permission first (FTC, Employer Background Checks and Your Rights).
If the employer may turn you down because of something in the report, it must first give you a copy of the report and a summary of your rights. If you are turned down, you have the right to dispute anything inaccurate or incomplete with the background company and to get a free copy of your report if you ask within 60 days (FTC).
Employers also may not discriminate when asking about your background, based on race, national origin, sex, religion, disability or age (EEOC, Background Checks: What Job Applicants and Employees Should Know).
What to do with that: read every report you are shown. Records sometimes list the wrong charge, a dismissed case or someone else's history. If something is wrong, dispute it in writing and keep a copy.
How to talk about your record
On the application
If an application asks about convictions, answer honestly and answer only what is asked. A false answer found later can cost you the job even after you start. If there is space, a short line like "Happy to discuss in an interview" keeps the door open.
In the interview
Keep your answer short and pointed forward. A simple structure that works:
- Own it. One or two sentences about what happened. No details they did not ask for.
- Show what changed. Work, classes, certifications, programs you completed, time on the job since release.
- Bring it back to the job. Why you want this role and why you will show up.
Practice it out loud until it takes under a minute. Then stop talking and let them ask the next question. Free and Forward's interview practice has free questions and tips you can rehearse out loud.
Bring something that answers the risk question
The U.S. Department of Labor's Federal Bonding Program provides fidelity bonds for job seekers who may be seen as higher risk, including people with records, at no cost to you or the employer. If an employer hesitates, it is a concrete answer. Ask your American Job Center how to request one.
A resume that gets a call back
- One page. Name, phone, email, city and state at the top.
- Lead with skills. Forklift, food handling, tools you can use, languages you speak.
- Count work you did inside. Kitchen, maintenance, warehouse, tutoring and other jobs are real experience. List the job and what you did.
- Handle the gap plainly. List training and certifications from that period. You do not need to explain the gap on paper. Save it for the interview.
- Tailor the top three lines to each job you apply for.
Free and Forward's resume builder starts at Basic, a one-time purchase with no renewal.
Track every application
Jobs for people with records often take more applications than average. Treat it like work. Write down every company, role, date applied and follow-up date, and follow up about a week later. Put interviews on the same calendar as your check-ins and court dates so nothing collides. If an interview conflicts with a supervision appointment, call your officer before either one.
First 90 days, and after
The first 90 days after release matter most. That is when ID, check-ins, housing and work all land at once, and a steady paycheck makes everything else easier. Our first 90 days checklist and the full life after prison checklist show where work fits in the order.
But the job search does not end at day 90. The first job builds the work history and references that get you the second one. Keep stacking certifications, ask about training and promotions, and keep applying for the better job while you hold the one you have.
Where Free and Forward fits
- Job board. Nearly 3,000 second-chance jobs, your city and state first, filters by state and by trade, free on every tier.
- 27-step checklist. Every step in the order it actually happens, with due dates.
- Calendar and reminders. Interviews, check-ins and court dates in one place.
- Document vault. Keep your ID, Social Security card and pay stubs ready to send, starting at Basic.
- Application tracker. Log company, role, date and status for every job, with Plus.
Reentry programs and workforce partners can see organization options at freeandforward.com/organizations, and our partner grant post covers current deadlines.
Start your search today
Download Free and Forward on the App Store or Google Play, in English or Español. It is free to start with no card. Open the job board, find three jobs near you, and apply to one today.
Free and Forward is not a law firm and this is not legal advice. Hiring rules vary by state, city and employer. Confirm specifics with your local American Job Center, your supervision officer or an attorney.
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