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A criminal conviction may narrow your job search

Because your future plans may involve tracking down the ideal job, your recent arrest rightly causes you some concern. For many, the job interview is the most stressful part of starting on the path to a new career. However, for those with a criminal record, the background check can be a stumbling block.

It may be possible for you to find some jobs that will overlook certain misdemeanors, but a DWI or felony conviction presents a new set of complications for some industries. If your goals include seeking employment in any of these areas, you would benefit from a strong legal defense strategy to avoid a conviction.

Working with children

If your dream is to work in the Texas school systems, day care or other fields involving children, your criminal past may come back to haunt you. Getting your day care license may be a challenge since Texas Health and Human Services will perform a criminal background check.

Teaching children in a school setting is another story. From the beginning of the process, you may encounter difficulties. For example, you may meet with resistance as you attempt to matriculate into an educational program at a college or university. Even if you make it to your degree and manage to obtain your teaching certification, you may find that schools, public or private, would rather not have to explain to the parents of their students why they added a convicted felon to the staff.

Handling people's money

Going into the world of finance may be a distant dream if you have a conviction related to money. This may include fraud or theft, among other offenses. While you may have heard many tales of wrongdoing in the marketplace, it is not likely that those accused of these crimes had criminal records before their firms hired them.

Even retail employers are reluctant to hire an applicant with a criminal record. Certain crimes may bar you from selling weapons, alcohol or pharmaceuticals. However, even if your conviction is for a different crime altogether, an employer is likely to choose a candidate with a clean record over one with a criminal conviction rather than deal with the complications.

Issues of trust

Government jobs may be especially difficult to obtain with a criminal record. These positions involve the public trust because taxpayer money typically funds employee salaries. This may be true for law enforcement jobs as well. Your background check will be a deal breaker in most cases involving government work or criminal justice.

Depending on the charges you face, a conviction could negatively impact the rest of your life. Having a legal advocate to represent you will provide you with a decided advantage. With a careful review of the evidence against you, your attorney could potentially work to have the charges reduced or, in ideal circumstances, dropped altogether.

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