You will find in this section:
- information about some organisations that help with getting employment. Help comes in a variety of forms, with some providing support or training that begins before you leave prison. Almost all provide one-to-one support or mentoring, and some offer structured opportunities for volunteering as a route into a job.
- an article on writing a CV and approaching employers directly or through a recruitment agency
- an article about people friendly employers
- a series of entries showcasing a number of people friendly employers
- information and articles about becoming self-employed
For Ten things to know about criminal records, see the Directory's Appendices.
You may be fortunate and be leaving prison knowing you have a job already lined up.
For those wondering how you are going to find a job, here are a few words from a prison leaver who eventually found paid work. He thought it would be easier, but he never gave up.
"Searching for employment can be a daunting prospect, particularly so for we prison leavers who have the obstacle of a criminal record. It is human nature to form expectations. We all create expectations all the time, but we rarely do so consciously. The problem is that many of us who have spent time in prison, may have unrealistic expectations when it comes to finding a job. When our expectations are not met, we are left disappointed and disillusioned.
I began by volunteering and I later learnt a lot from the recruitment organisation, Ex-seed that is run by an ex-prisoner. They may be able to help you get an entry level job which is a stepping-stone to a career job and then who knows, your dream job. You’ll see a page on Ex-seed a little further along in this section of The Hardman Directory. Eventually I was able to tell a company that called me for interview and that knew I’d served a long prison sentence, that I volunteered at a prison charity. They were impressed and ended up giving me a paid job.
All I can say is, I tried to take every bit of information and help that was offered to me and remember – even on bad days – not to give in. The information in this section of the Directory helped me. I hope you find, at least some of it, helpful too."
Obi
