Marcus was looking for a job for three long years before he found Honest Jobs. Using Honest Jobs, he found a company within a month where his colleagues are very accepting and he can get back on his feet.
Read his interview below:
What experience do you have with the criminal justice system?
Marcus: “When I applied for the food stamps, I couldn't really understand what I was filling out. They ended up paying me more than what I was supposed to be getting paid during that time. So I was sent the notification by the county that I was overpaid and anything over $5,000 is a felony. So I ended up getting a felony charge for stealing money essentially from the food stamp offers, which I had no idea about. I didn’t even had a parking ticket my whole life. So once I got this, of course, I was devastated about the situation. I have never been in trouble for nothing ever in my life.”
What was your experience looking for a job before you found Honest Jobs?
Marcus: “I was looking for a job for three years. Three long years. It was incredibly hard to get any type of job opportunities with a felony hanging over my head when I never had criminal history. Everything I applied for, nobody wanted to hire me. Because I think they were thinking I would be stealing money, without knowing my history. It was extremely hard to get to even an interview. The criminal history played a huge role without knowing actually who I was. I have never been so disappointed in my life.”
What was your experience looking for a job after you found Honest Jobs?
Marcus: “It only took me one month to find a job. I'm blessed to have the opportunity that Honest Jobs gave me so that I can be able to be a blessing to other people.”
Tell us about your new job!
Marcus: “I work for Frndly TV, which is a streaming service. I'm a customer service agent. The benefits are wonderful. I'm getting paid about about $15 an hour but I'm going to get a raise pretty soon. It's a great job and I've never seen a greater place to work than Frndly TV. Everybody is just super nice at that job, and I love the fact that they don’t criticize you for what you've done in the past. They look at who you are as a person.”
What are your career goals?
Marcus: “I'm glad I'm working at Frndly TV because I have a Roku channel myself, and I want to learn. I would like to build my own personal business. I'll hire people who have a criminal history and I would like to give them a second chance to get their life together, just like Frndly TV has done for me.”
Would you recommend Honest Jobs to other formerly incarcerated people?
Marcus: “Oh, absolutely and I have. I recommend you guys to just about everybody I know that have a hard time searching for jobs. Honest Jobs is one of the best places I’ve seen so far that will give you a second chance and helps you getting your life back together. And that you're able to help people every day in your role. It's really wonderful. Thank you guys for the opportunity. I definitely appreciate. Just because they say you are a criminal on paper, don't mean you are an actual criminal in life.”
Do you have a message to fellow job seekers?
Marcus: “You can always get back to doing what it is that you are. Just living a productive life. A place like Honest Jobs can give you that chance to show that you can be a pillar of society and do the right things. You just have to find the right opportunity with the right individuals or companies that will give you a job to get back on your feet and get back to living a regular life.”
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