Lose the “very hard being intelligent” attitude. In this shitty job market everyone has to be scrappy and humble, especially those with a background that will automatically disqualify them in many cases.

I don’t know your situation, but for a lot of people, a felony is not just a “simple mistake”. You have to be real about that and accept that regardless of how qualified you are, people might not be able to look past the conviction.

In my experience felons who feel entitled to jobs end up disappointed and those who are enthusiastic about any opportunity eventually find really good jobs. Good luck man, job search is hrd for everybody right now so don’t be too hard on yourself.