FELONY DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO RUIN FUTURE

Q: I am anxious to give my daughter some positive advice and hope you can
help us. Martha (not her real name) is now 25 but got into trouble several
years ago that left her with a record of felony conviction but no prison time.

Since then, Martha's gotten her life back on track and is in college part
time. She has been unable to find a good job with a solid company but takes
odd jobs, usually things her friends tell her about. She is a good worker
and very bright.

The problem is the applications: Martha always has to fill in that box that
asks about felony convictions. She feels her application goes right into
the trash. She can't get her foot in the door. I have always told her that
honesty will pay off, but 1, too, am discouraged.

Could she leave the question blank and then explain her situation if they
call her for an interview? Does her past have to haunt her forever? - J.P.

A: No, Martha's past does not have to ruin her future. But she has to take
responsibility to see that it doesn't. You can help, but Martha can't
succeed unless she deeply believes that she is not the same person today as
she was when the trouble occurred.

Martha's case is far from unique - the prison population has quadrupled in
the last two decades. The majority of the 1.1 million state prisoners and
120,000 federal prisoners in the American correctional system will be job
hunters at some point.

The first thing I advise Martha to do is to treat the intricacies of
finding and landing jobs as she would a college course of study, from
identifying leads to succeeding in job interviews.

If Martha's a quick learner, she can glean much from the best of the
relevant books: The Ex-Inmate's Complete Guide to Successful Employment by
Errol Craig Sull, available from Impact Publications (1-800-361-1055;
http://www.impactpublications.com ).

Martha also could attend workshops and perhaps find mentors at community
service agencies dedicated to serving the job placement needs of
ex-offenders. An example of such an agency is the Northern California
Service League in San Francisco, which finds jobs for more than 200 clients
each year and runs annual job fairs for ex-offenders. For referrals to
similar service agencies in your locale, inquire at libraries, the mayor's
office and public employment service offices.

If you can't find a local organization, there may not be any where you
live. But double-check by contacting the National Prison Project, 1875
Connecticut N.W., Ste. 410, Washington, D.C. 20009; (202) 234-4830. The NPP
maintains a list of local agencies that help ex-offenders.

The most practical way for white-collar workers to make a comeback is to
lean heavily on networking. Ask family members and friends to compile a
list of business and professional acquaintances and supplement it with your
own canvassing of bankers, merchants, physicians and clergy. Tell contacts
that your family member seeks employment and ask for referrals; it's always
easier to come into a job interview on the coattails of a friend's
introduction. Ideally, Martha can avoid filling out the application until
after the interview.

Once in an interview, Martha should briefly describe her brush with the
law, pointing out that she has fulfilled the requirements of her
rehabilitation and hopes to have the chance to prove that she offers far
more future benefits than past liabilities.

But if the application comes before the interview, don't lie about felony
convictions. The truth will come out through background and credit checks.
Write, "Yes, but there were mitigating circumstances, will explain in
interview."

"Sometimes employers will call you out of curiosity, just to see what you
did," said Barbara Grossi a counselor at the Northern California Service
League.

Ms. Grossi, herself an ex-offender, explained that until she truly
understood how she had changed and left her. embarrassment behind, she
couldn't look employers in the eye and didn't get many job offers. Now she
communicates that message to others who need to develop inner strengths.

Do you have an employment, question for Joyce Lain Kennedy? Write to
Careers, Joyce Lain Kennedy, Box 368, Cardiff, Calif. 92007, or send e-mail
to jlk@sunfeatures.com.