<p>I have a drug felony non-violent at age 18. </p>
<p>I keep changing my major at my state school. Im good at math/science but I want to pick a field where I can actually get hired. Are there any majors that would accept me if I had no arrests since?</p>
<p>Hi goalsetter11111-
I am not sure any specific major will eliminate the hurdle of a felony when applying for a job. My guess is that you already know of this challenge, and are now trying to create the most effective goal setting that will give the best outcome.
With that being said…you might check with your state school’s alumni office, and see which majors seem to be most employable-without discussing your felony at this juncture. Then take that list, and see what the graduation requirements are and how they fit your interests and abilities.
I hope this helps-
G’Luck-APOL-a Mum</p>
<p>It also might be a good idea to have a private appointment with the head of the career center at your college. That person knows who gets hired where, and may have some good ideas for you.</p>
<p>Wishing you much success!</p>
<p>Yes- the career center should have info on jobs, including those that a felony on your record would eliminate you. You can ask without stating it is you with the record, they may guess, but it would be unofficial and not need to be on any records they keep for future help later in your college career. In the future- maybe decades- perhaps you can get this erased from your record, presuming you learned a hard lesson and keep clean.</p>
<p>were you represented by a lawyer? Or does your university have a law school? If so, there are usually clinics staffed by students but supervised by lawyers and professors. Your county legal aid society may be able to direct you to a lawyer who can sit down with you and review your case and your options going forward.</p>
<p>I think you have three separate questions:</p>
<p>1- On a job application which asks, “were you convicted of a crime” is the truthful answer “yes”, and then when asked to explain are there any mitigating factors you can legitimately and honestly add?</p>
<p>2- For the purposes of licensing (i.e. beautician, elementary school teacher, Bar association) when a background check is done, what answer will come back- and will there be notations (non-violent, charges dismissed, or what-not)? And will the record be expunged if you stay clean for a period of time and if so, how long is that period?</p>
<p>3-Is there anything that you can do now (community service, drug counseling) that will get the record expunged and if so, how and where can you sign up?</p>
<p>Do not get this information from a bunch of strangers on the internet who do not know which jurisdiction you are in and what the relevant laws are in your state. This could impact your entire life- please get legal assistance right now. Your college major is the least of your worries.</p>
<p>As one who occasionally reviews hiring decisions of individuals who have some kind of arrest or conviction record let me tell you: Do Not Lie About It. I work for a public employer. Criminal background checks are conducted on anyone offered a position. We often consider mitigating circumstances, which could involve the age of the applicant at the time of the event; the police report; the years since the conviction; good recommendations from past employers; and the whether the conviction is related to to the job being applied for. The latter is important in our state since it is illegal to discriminate against an applicant because of an arrest or conviction record. One exception is if the conviction is job related. People with DWIs don’t get positions where driving is an essential part of the job. Thieves don’t get to handle money.</p>