SOLAR Resource Guide
Employment Guide for People on the Registry (U.S.)
Stable work is possible on the registry. This guide gives you step-by-step actions, fair-chance employers, in-demand industries, training paths, remote options, and programs that meaningfully improve your odds.
1Know Your Rules, Then Plan Your Search
• Check state/local employment limits first (distance rules). Some states bar registrants from working near schools/daycares/parks (often 1,000–2,000 ft.). Examples: Alabama (2,000 ft. from schools/daycares) and Georgia (no employment at or within 1,000 ft. of schools/daycares/churches for many registrants). Tennessee restricts employment within 1,000 ft. of schools/parks when the victim was a minor. Read your state statute (or ask counsel/supervising officer) before applying so you don't waste time on ineligible roles.
• Background checks are common—honesty is required. Plan a brief, factual disclosure (what happened, what you've done since, what you offer now) and pivot to your skills. "Ban-the-Box" and Fair Chance laws in many places delay conviction questions until later, giving you a chance to show fit first (e.g., the federal Fair Chance Act for U.S. agencies/contractors; broader overviews via NELP and state-by-state maps).
Know your rights: For detailed information about your legal protections during the job search process, see our Your Rights at Every Stage guide.
2Fair-Chance & Second-Chance Employers (Where to Aim First)
• National "Second Chance" coalitions & pledges. The Second Chance Business Coalition (SCBC) includes major brands—American Airlines, AT&T, Bank of America, Best Buy, Cisco, CVS, Home Depot, JPMorgan Chase, Koch, Kroger, Lowe's, McDonald's, Microsoft, Target, United, Verizon, Walgreens, Walmart, etc.—that are working to expand hiring of people with records. These firms have scale and process maturity; start here. Explore the SCBC partner map to find organizations in your metro.
• Why an employer should hire you (mention incentives). Flag the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) and Federal Bonding Program in interviews; both reduce risk for the employer and can nudge a "yes." (Per IRS, WOTC is authorized through 12/31/2025: IRS WOTC.)
• American Job Centers can match you. AJCs routinely help justice-impacted jobseekers and know which local employers hire. Ask for "justice-involved" services and reentry job fairs.
Pro tip: If you're preparing for reentry, our Reentry Checklist covers employment planning alongside housing, health, and legal obligations.
3Industries & Roles That Often Hire (and Why)
🔥 Fastest Path to Employment
Skilled trades offer the quickest route to stable employment. These industries prioritize skills over background checks and often provide paid training. Many positions start at $15-25/hour with clear advancement paths.
• Skilled trades (fastest pathway). Construction, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, welding, heavy equipment. Hiring is skills-first; apprenticeships and short certs get you in quickly (see §5). Use Apprenticeship.gov and funding via your AJC.
• Retail, grocery, warehousing. Big-box chains (and their distribution centers) regularly onboard second-chance applicants for stocking, fulfillment, and operations. Many are in SCBC.
• Food service & hospitality. Restaurants and hotels hire for kitchen, housekeeping, and maintenance, with room to advance. (Always avoid roles that conflict with local child-focused restrictions.)
• Logistics & delivery. Warehouse roles at UPS/FedEx/Amazon are common. Important: rideshare (Lyft/Uber) generally disqualifies applicants listed on the National Sex Offender Registry; see Lyft's policy (and Uber's background check overview here).
• Other avenues. Agriculture, animal care, small local contractors, and family-owned businesses can be flexible because decisions are made locally (fewer blanket policies). (Use AJCs/networking to find them.)
⚠️ Avoid These Platforms: Rideshare (Uber/Lyft), TaskRabbit, Instacart, and most gig economy platforms automatically disqualify registry individuals. Always verify policies before applying to save time and avoid disappointment.
4How to Search (and Actually Get Interviews)
💡 Smart Search Strategy
Start with fair-chance platforms first. You'll get better response rates from employers who are already committed to second-chance hiring. This approach can save you weeks of rejections.
Fair-Chance First
• Start with fair-chance platforms. Honest Jobs is a large fair-chance job board built for people with records; sign up and set alerts.
Smart Keywords
• Use general boards with smart keywords. On Indeed/ZipRecruiter/LinkedIn, search "second chance," "fair chance," "felon friendly". Then cross-check each posting on the company's careers site.
Get Professional Help
• Go where the help is. Visit an American Job Center (search by zip) for resume help, training money, and employer leads who already hire justice-involved applicants.
Network Strategically
• Network on purpose. Ask mentors, faith communities, reentry groups, or past supervisors for referrals. The National HIRE Network directory lists state reentry orgs that can connect you.
Success Metric: Aim for 5-10 applications per week to fair-chance employers rather than 50+ applications to general job boards. Quality over quantity gets better results.
5Training, Certifications & Apprenticeships (Weeks to Months)
• Quick credentials that move the needle: CDL, forklift, OSHA-10/30, HVAC, welding, IT support (CompTIA A+/Google IT), medical billing/coding. AJCs often fund these.
• Earn while you learn (apprenticeships). Use Apprenticeship.gov to find registered apprenticeships; DOL specifically promotes these for justice-involved applicants (ETA programs).
• Education access. If you need a GED/adult-ed refresher, AJCs and community colleges can help; many aid programs have expanded to justice-involved learners. (Ask at your AJC.)
6Remote & Flexible Work (What Works / What to Avoid)
• Good targets. Remote customer support, tech support, sales development, data entry, content moderation, and freelance work (Upwork/Fiverr) often have lighter location/foot-traffic issues than on-site roles.
• Companies with remote corps + fair-chance efforts. Several SCBC members hire remotely in corporate/ops roles (e.g., Home Depot, Microsoft, Target, Verizon, Walgreens/Walmart, AA/United). Search each careers site and filter for "remote."
Caution zones: Rideshare and many in-home service platforms screen out anyone on the National Sex Offender Registry (confirmed by Lyft policy). Verify policies before investing time.
7Resume, Disclosure & Interview (Scripts You Can Use)
📝 The 3-Part Formula
Resume → Disclosure → Value Proposition. Lead with skills, acknowledge the past briefly, then pivot immediately to what you bring to the team. This approach works because it controls the narrative.
Resume Strategy (1 page for now)
Lead with skills, certs, and recent experience or training. Keep the record off the resume unless asked in the application. Use numbers ("managed 200+ SKUs," "cut waste 15%").
💡 Pro tip: If you have gaps in employment, fill them with volunteer work, training, or "Personal Development" sections. Employers want to see you've been productive.
Disclosure Script (keep it short)
"I made a serious mistake in [year]. Since then I've completed [training], kept [work/volunteer], and I'm focused on showing up, learning fast, and adding value."
✅ Do: Keep it under 30 seconds
✅ Do: Pivot immediately to skills
❌ Don't: Over-explain or make excuses
❌ Don't: Bring it up if not asked
Employer Reassurance (reduce their risk)
Mention WOTC and the Federal Bonding Program as employer benefits; offer to connect them with your AJC to process it.
💰 Financial incentive: WOTC can save employers up to $2,400 per hire, and Federal Bonding provides free insurance. These programs exist specifically to encourage second-chance hiring.
Follow-up Strategy
Send a 4–6 sentence thank-you note within 24 hours, reiterating one concrete way you'll help the team.
📧 Template: "Thank you for your time today. I'm excited about the opportunity to [specific role task]. Based on our conversation, I believe my [specific skill] would help [specific team goal]. I look forward to hearing from you."
Remember: Every "no" gets you closer to a "yes." Most successful job seekers with records report 20-50 applications before landing their first position. Stay persistent and keep improving your approach.
8Programs & Help (Bookmark These)
• American Job Centers (finder). Resume help, training $, employer intros, job fairs: Find an AJC.
• CareerOneStop: Justice-Impacted hub. Step-by-step guides, job search tips, and training info: CareerOneStop.
• Apprenticeship.gov (finder). Registered apprenticeships across industries: Apprenticeship.gov.
• National HIRE Network (directory). State reentry orgs and legal resources: HIRE Network.
• WOTC (official). What it is and who qualifies: DOL WOTC • IRS WOTC.
• Federal Bonding (official). Free fidelity bond for your first 6 months on the job: Federal Bonding Program.
Need mental health support during your job search? Our Mental Health & Support Directory includes resources for managing stress and anxiety during this challenging process.
•Company Job Boards (Quick Links)
These are large employers with public fair-chance commitments or SCBC membership. Search each site (add "remote" where applicable) and apply broadly:
- American Airlines Careers (SCBC) — see SCBC
- AT&T Careers (SCBC) — see SCBC
- Bank of America Careers (SCBC) — see SCBC
- Best Buy Careers (SCBC) — see SCBC
- Cisco Careers (SCBC) — see SCBC
- CVS Health Careers (SCBC) — see SCBC
- Home Depot Careers (SCBC) — see SCBC
- Indeed (jobs marketplace) (SCBC partner) — see SCBC
- JPMorgan Chase Careers (SCBC) — see SCBC
- Koch Industries Careers (SCBC) — see SCBC
- Kroger Careers (SCBC) — see SCBC
- Lowe's Careers (SCBC) — see SCBC
- McDonald's Careers (SCBC) — see SCBC
- Microsoft Careers (SCBC) — see SCBC
- Target Careers (SCBC) — see SCBC
- United Airlines Careers (SCBC) — see SCBC
- Verizon Careers (SCBC) — see SCBC
- Walgreens Careers (SCBC) — see SCBC
- Walmart Careers (SCBC) — see SCBC
- Randstad (staffing) (SCBC) — see SCBC
- Honest Jobs (fair-chance job board) — honestjobs.com
Tip: If a posting looks promising on a general job site, always click through to the company's own careers site to apply (and search for "Fair Chance," "Ban-the-Box," or "Second Chance" in their policy pages). Many SCBC members also partner with local reentry orgs—use the SCBC partner map to find connections in your metro.
✓Quick Start Checklist (print this)
- Look up your state's employment distance rules (or ask your supervising officer). See examples: Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee.
- Create a 1-page skills-first resume (add any certs or volunteer work).
- Register at Honest Jobs and set job alerts: honestjobs.com.
- Visit your American Job Center for resume review, training $, and employer leads: Find an AJC.
- Apply to SCBC member companies (filter for "remote" as needed): SCBC.
- Practice your 30-second disclosure + pivot.
- In interviews, mention WOTC and Federal Bonding to reassure employers: DOL WOTC • Bonds4Jobs.
Key Reminder:
The path may not be quick, but persistence pays off. Thousands of registrants have secured stable jobs by targeting supportive industries, preparing with training, and using second-chance resources. Every application is a step closer to stability.
For additional support during your job search, explore our complete resource library including housing assistance, mental health support, and family guidance.