Does anyone have information on Akron/Cleveland area employers who are hiring ex-felons?? I have two seperate money felony convictions and am having a hard time finding work...Thanks

Jay

Jaymor,

I cannot answer your question directly about employers in your area but... Often people overlook all the options that are out there for job search... You have to use and get into each and every option - looking for a job is a job....

I don't know what your background is or what you are looking for but your search should include the following:

Online search - Monster / Hotjobs / all job boards that you can find that service your area. Not only search the listings but post your resume. Secret here is that a resume is seen by employers as being 'stale' in this market after 72 hours! You MUST remove your resume and repost every two to three days so that it comes up in a new search and does not show that it was posted three weeks ago... "OLD" resumes are often passed by because the thought is that if you were good you would not be sitting there for so long. This is work to do this every 72 hours - it is time consuming - but it pays dividends...

Change your resume. Rewrite it. Show your skills in a different way. If your resume is not bringing results then you need to try some different approach. I have seen people reword their resume after weeks and months of search and all of a sudden they get results.

Temporary Agencies - as many as you can register with because they often have temporary to permanent opportunities.

Direct Hire Recruitment Consultants - again - as many as you can register with.

Newspaper - a daily search of all listings in your area - look at all the local papers - one will not list all opportunities.

Networking - one of the most useful and productive activities in job search. Contact everyone that you know - ask eveyone that you meet about job opportunities that they may be aware of. MANY jobs are never advertised online or in the paper.

Hit the streets! You have to have a regular system of going door to door with your resume. Walk in and leave the resume or ask to see someone.

Check out local community centers and groups and organizations - many of them list jobs.

Government agencies and job offices. List your resume and check the listings daily - they do change often.

All of the above needs to be a daily routine! It is a numbers game. The economy sucks and the jobs are few and far between in relation to the number of job seekers! You have to be diligent about the search and hit the numbers. If you contact enough people on a regular basis then you will get results. It is a momentum thing too - you need to keep the pace up. I know that it is easy to get defeated and slack off but this is when you loose traction. You must keep the search and the variety of sources up and current.

Most of all - keep the faith. Job search is depressing and draining. Keep a positive attitude and keep on keeping on. Your attitude is important and is reflected in how you present yourself - even if you don't think it is showing. Give yourself some positive talk and you will get there!

Good luck and I hope that some of this helps...