Resume Tips for Job Seekers with a Criminal Record

Summary

A person with a criminal record will most often benefit from a functional résumé which emphasizes what you can offer an employer more than what you have done in the past.

Your résumé should open with a strong objective statement that focuses on what you can bring to the employer.

Your résumé should include a skills summary that lists your five or six best skills that will be useful on the job for which you are applying.

You will provide a work history and education list, and may need to add a letter to account for any gaps in employment as a result of your incarceration.


Specifics

An employer will look at a resume for 2.5 to 10 seconds before making a decision. As a result, you need to get the hiring manager’s attention right away.

Have a clear header that includes your name, address, and contact information. Be sure to include a phone number and email address.

The objective statement should not be about you. It should be about the company and what you have to offer. Think about what you bring to the job and how it will result in helping the business make money, save money, save time, increase efficiency, increase accuracy, improve processes, reduce loss, gain customers, keep customers, etc. Then put it into words. For example:

For a Customer Service position:

Seeking a position where I can use my communication skills to provide excellent customer service to resulting in greater customer satisfaction, retention, and increase company profits.

In a Warehouse:

Certified fork-lift operator looking to use my warehouse experience and careful attention to detail to assist a business in handling inventory in a safe, efficient, and accurate manner.

Food Service:

Seeking a position where my training and experience as a cook may be utilized to prepare foods according to customer and restaurant orders that will satisfy the customer and keep them coming back for more.

When an employer sees an objective statement that is more about the “bottom line” than about you they know you “get it.” This is what many are looking for today.

Follow your strong objective statement with a skills summary that backs up your claims. Think of the skills you possess that will be useful to the company. Think of how you have used those skills to accomplish things in past work. Employers are going to want to see things in that skills summary that match the qualifications they are looking for on the job. As a result, you may need to modify that skills summary for each job.

Next, provide a brief work history that features where you worked, what you did, and when you did it. You do not need to outline all of your “duties” on the job. You should include any work you did while incarcerated. Your work history should only go back about 10 years. You can also include any volunteer work which may add to your value for the company. Here is a sample format:


Food Server
NC Dept. of Corrections
Alexander, NC
November 2007 to January 2009

Housekeeper
Good Night’s Sleep Inn
Durham, NC
August 2005 to October 2007

Customer Service Representative
ABC Company
Raleigh, NC
October 2003 to May 2005


Conclude with your education and training. Don’t include dates if they go back more than ten years. Include your High School / GED information, college degrees, diplomas or certificates, and any continuing education that may relate to the job for which you are applying. NOTE: If you have recent training or certification that relates to the job you may want to show that earlier in your resume.

You do not need to provide any personal information, such as marital or family status, age, height, weight, health, etc. on the resume. You also do not need to furnish references unless they are requested in the ad. You don’t even need to say “references available on request.” You should prepare a separate page of references to bring with you on any interviews and make available when requested.