Tip No. 211
Q. How do I get passed a drug arrest from a year ago. I have straightened my life out (drug free) but I am unable to obtain employment because of my prior mistakes.
A. Thank you for your inquiry to our career web site. The type of offense you referenced is taken very seriously in today's business world, as you are discovering, especially safety-related positions. A prospective employer is not entitled to know by asking in the interview, whether you have been arrested - unless the arrest resulted in a conviction. What is not illegal is to find out if there was a conviction. However, employers who complete background checks will definitely discover the event you referenced whether there was a conviction or not (note: except where the record has been expunged???). Most job applications today ask if "you have ever been convicted of any thing other than a moving violation". If you have, you must answer in the affirmative. Should a background check be made and your answer does not correspond with what the employer learns about you, that is grounds for termination. Large organizations will always do background checks where smaller companies may forego this process. Therefore, you might want to target smaller companies in your search. I suggest that you consult an Employment lawyer to determine the legal guidelines regarding your question. We wish you the best of luck in your search.
CMI Career Management International
If you have a question for CMI, please send email to tips@careermanagement.com with "Question for CMI" in the subject line.
TipsArchive | About Our Counselors | Career Management International