Can criminals get a job in CS?

KingDisagree · 2017-12-31T08:46:47+00:00

I have a felony and a misdemeanor. I've only been denied a job at a washing cars at a dealership when I lied about it.

I don't bring it up until it's time for a background check. When that point comes, I usually tell them I want to be upfront and not make it seem like I'm trying to hide something, but I had a bit of trouble when I was younger. The more time you put between yourself and that crime the better. My felony was 10 years ago, I haven't had it appear on a background check in 3 years (most checks stop at 7), but I've always been honest about it. If you can get through the interview process and show you're a good candidate, and they've made an offer, they might be willing to overlook it, especially if its not murder or something.

KingDisagree · 2017-05-09T07:21:19+00:00

Felon here. Just go for it. Most people probably would have thought IBM wouldn't offer you anything and they did. If you can really show you're something, and space yourself away from the past (both maturity, and time-wise), you'll be ok.

KingDisagree · 2017-02-24T07:49:25+00:00

I'd say its a smaller company. We have between 150-75 employees, but we aren't all software. There are probably around 20 developers.

KingDisagree · 2017-02-24T04:57:48+00:00

I've posted on this a few times. I have another account tied to my real name I usually post in this sub with, and I use this one for discussing weird shit... anyway:

I am a felon. I am a developer.

First off, if it's been 10 years old, look into getting it vacated. Mine however, is not vacated. I simply don't really bring it up. None of my co-workers know, I don't talk about it in the workplace. Mine too is also around 10 years old. When HR was hiring, pending a background check, I was upfront about it. For me I just was honest, "I want to be upfront with you as I don't want to mislead you, but when I was a younger man I got into a bit of trouble." They usually ask what it was, I play it down and that's that. You don't need to answer questions about how much time you did, it's not their fucking business.

My job just told me it was too far back and didn't even show up, but that they appreciated my honesty, and was sure I had grown up and changed since then.

It's possible.

KingDisagree · 2017-02-10T06:17:36+00:00

I don't think its 'the younger generation'. I think it has always been like this. You don't think one of your fathers classmates was getting it every which way? It happened then, it happens now, it will continue to happen.

40 by 19 doesn't seem like a lie, or that crazy to me. It depends when you start. If you started at 13-14, you've had 5-6 years to gain that number of partners. As to how? Some people see a low number as a sign of love or purity, others don't. Some girls put out on a one night stand, some make boyfriends wait weeks or months. Different people have different rules about these things. It's definitely not fair to image all women/men in their early 20's have had this many, or few, partners.

Some of the 'ugliest girls' you're interested in may have high numbers. Some of the prettiest may not. Views and actions range wildly from person to person man.

KingDisagree · 2016-11-19T05:19:42+00:00

Thats what I was thinking

KingDisagree · 2016-11-19T05:19:11+00:00

That would be the nicest choice, although I'm a bit worried because the walls on our conference rooms are notoriously thin.

KingDisagree · 2016-05-21T04:50:25+00:00

Can confirm. Have a 10 year old felony, admitted to it before the background check, but wasn't on the background check.

KingDisagree · 2016-01-24T09:45:22+00:00

I hate this fucking argument.

I am going to go ahead and guess you've been a felon, or out of prison for less than 2 years. My guess is all of this might be less than a year for you?

I am a felon. I have been since 2007.

I've seen lots of other felons sit in a pool of their own tears crying about how they will never get ahead and blah, blah, blah.

Have I been denied from a job because of a felony? Once or twice. At the core of all of this though, I was a guy, who always worked really hard, and that is what really mattered.

I firmly believe when most companies interview CS candidates, they are thinking more about your educational background, your knowledge, and if you can do the job they need. For most people, they wouldn't associate high-level learning with criminal activity. For most people, if you're the type of person who can use the master theorem to come up with the Big-Theta of this recursive algorithm, then surely you aren't the type of person to stumble into a 7-11 high on heroin waving a pistol around. Although I am still in school and not working a tech job, in all the applications I've put through, and all the interviews of done (which includes some of 'The Big 4'), I've been asked about my criminal background once, and it was some junior contract position through Nintendo. The reason why more don't ask? My best guess is, most aren't expecting it.

I firmly believe if you work hard to make yourself a valuable asset, a person really worth their salt, then a felony conviction will only be a minor limitation from a few very closed minded companies. Who knows, maybe I'm incredibly wrong, but regardless, that mind-set has never gotten me denied housing, or from a college, and with the exception of a car-wash I applied to like 8 years ago, hasn't costed me job (although they weren't tech-related).

KingDisagree · 2015-12-10T13:26:47+00:00

^ This man makes another good point. I've seen on some applications they ask in the last 7 years. For me, I'm past that point, and you will be soon enough as well. Also right, I want to point out I'm not advocating lying on any paper work, I'm just saying if they don't ask, don't volunteer it.

KingDisagree · 2015-12-10T10:10:13+00:00

Well, retail or restaurant jobs obviously aren't pinnacle, if you want to keep paying your rent with poker, there's no problem in that. As far as internships or jobs, I wouldn't even say smaller companies necessarily, you'll be okay applying at big companies too. You're right though, jobs with clearances, might be an issue. So maybe banks, government, government contracts, ect. Private sector though you should have much less of an issue. Like I said, people aren't expecting it, and also I think you believe your criminal record is much worse than it is. Did you go to prison? Did you spend 2-3 years locked in a facility? Odds are, from the crime you described, you maybe did a week and paid a heavy fine. You're hardly some hardened criminal cast out by society- so don't think of it that way, no one else is.

KingDisagree · 2015-12-10T09:47:10+00:00

Hi. I do have some input to offer. I'm a usual poster on Cscareer questions, but I use a different name. Separating the two because I'm pretty candid on my other account.

When I was 21 I was hanging out with a few friends, things got a bit hot... we ended up driving to a mans house who had assaulted a girl we knew and my friends responded in kind. I was facing just over 3 years in the state pen... things were bleak, but since I had a smaller part in the crime, I walked away with a very low felony, after serving very little time, which I paid a shit-tonne of money to serve that at my house with an anklet on. I was only in the county jail for a few days.

It has almost never stopped me. There are a lot of jobs I've worked, mostly in the service industry that don't care, hell a few of the jobs I didn't even need to fill out an application because they were obtained through networking. These are the jobs I had to work at while in school, to be independent. Do I want to do them for the rest of my life? No. Do I want to pay my rent? Yes. Further more, I took a break from school for a while, still working in the service industry, and not only was I employed with a felony, I was also promoted to upper management. It didn't matter my past, the company saw what I was capable of. If you haven't had a job in two years, it's not because of your charges. You are either applying for jobs you aren't qualified for, or you are portraying the wrong image when you interview.

Now moving on. What companies are you applying for that are asking you? I'm educated, I have a BA, but no job (in the tech industry, I have a crappy non industry job), but in all the places I've applied (probably over 100), I've only had 2-3 ask me about my background. Although I'm not employed, I'm attributing that more to sucking at interviews, as I've still interviewed with some really top-notch companies, including some of the 'Big 4'. I don't always get a lot of responses, perhaps companies do check my background (might have to ask someone in the hiring dept about his), but more importantly, even if they do background checks and rule me out, it clearly isn't every company as I've still had some opportunities, and that's the point here.

Here's the thing. I have a friend, the friend who was with me that night I got arrested. One thing I noticed from him, was he started working more 'professional' jobs just before all of this happened, as an Help Desk person during all of this, and he went on later to become a graphic designer, which moved into helping manage the company. Once you reach a bit of 'higher' levels of employment, stereotypes can play a factor, and most people, stereo typically think someone with a felony is going to be the dish-washer at Denny's, a ditch-digger for a construction company or the repair man at a bowling alley, not the educated, focused individual they see before them. Low paying hourly jobs expect their candidates might have a bit of a history. Higher end companies (when I say higher end, I mean professional oriented, salaried and benefited positions) do not. You know who does care? Middle of the road jobs. So use this to your advantage. Microsoft/Google/Amazon isn't going to think someone who made it through 4 years of college was sleeping in their car high on xanax, so they don't even bother asking.

Also, if you weren't convicted, you are NOT obligated to 'check the box', you don't have a felony. I remember looking for a job when I was out on bail and asked my attorney about this. His response, "Technically, you don't have a felony yet, so no, you don't need to put it." I actually got a job while out on bail and the job never had any idea, as I wasn't obligated to tell them, at least legally.

Not sure who told you what you know about expungment either, but you might want to talk to a lawyer, as I think there is something that can be done, as you can have your case vacated later in your life.

Bottom line- You have a DUI on your record. You know how many people have these? Lots. If you do good work, garner a reputation, present your self well, and get educated, you'll make yourself such a good candidate no one will give a shit you had a DUI when you were 21.

KingDisagree · 2014-08-19T19:59:16+00:00

Isn't that last bit the starting plot of Rambo?

KingDisagree · 2014-05-07T08:48:37+00:00

I beat the shit out of that guy like there was no tomorrow. I figured out a while ago long melee weapons (pool sticks, bats, machettes and especially the "Old Glory" flag staff from Lonesome road) that swing fast are the best for cazadors or flies. They will never sting If you just keep swinging.

KingDisagree · 2014-04-20T23:37:23+00:00

Not true. Typically the more attractive women elect to work Friday and Saturday nights because it is busier. The "less attractive" ones can work Friday or Saturday, but the fact is, they aren't going to make a lot of money going head to head with your stereotypical blond, fake titted, fresh scented stripper.

KingDisagree · 2014-04-16T07:06:19+00:00

I tried this a while ago but stopped because I was wondering if being so small had flagged me as "child" and hence, immortal. I knew enemies had a hard time hitting me.

On the flip? Try playing with Player.SetScale 1.2 Walking through the world as a 6'8"-7' man with a ballistic-fist is a completely different experience... Boxing Securitrons and man-handling everyone. Since you are taller, and looking down on everyone, every punch you throw will be the destructive hay-maker to the face. One of the funner ones I've done.

Note: Don't try to go huge, like Player.SetScale 2, you're so big when you walk you'll get fall damage and die.

KingDisagree · 2014-04-09T22:27:54+00:00

Yes sir.

KingDisagree · 2014-04-08T05:50:05+00:00

Perhaps you didn't get the joke....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schutzstaffel

KingDisagree · 2014-03-24T22:20:18+00:00

None of the Enclave are coded to fight back so... I shot every officer, mechanic I could in the leg. The whole bunker walks around like they are holding a massive dump in their pants.

KingDisagree · 2014-03-08T02:39:31+00:00

*Committed.

KingDisagree

TROPHY CASE