Life is hard for everyone. You probably had a long day, and are relating like crazy to the sentence before. Maybe your family members were not particularly understanding and considerate, or your employers failed to empathize with you. In any case, today might not have been easy for you.
However, you might have had a harder day, and might have been driven to madness if you’re a felon. Being turned down over and over in interviews and job recruitments must probably be driving you mad. It can even go to the extent that you probably even considered going back to your past life, albeit for a split second.
But worry not, for the solution to your problems could be here, and all you need to do is read further. While looking for employment, you might have overlooked certain firms and foundations because of their respectable name in society. You probably thought that such big names would never risk their reputation by hiring an ex-felon, no matter how long ago the felony was done. And this is where you would be wrong. A lot of these big firms look to uplift society and actively recruit ex-felons if they’re fit for the job opening.
A company that might be of particular interest to you (considering you’re here, reading this piece), is Lowe’s.
Company Overview
The company is one that is second only to HomeDepot in the US, in the category of home improvement stores. Being a chain of retail stores specializing in home improvement products, the establishment has over 2,000 branches cumulatively in different states of the US and even in some parts of Canada. It has over 300,000 employees and is always on the lookout for more employees to expand to other places in the US.
They hire people in five categories, so to speak and these are loading and stocking, management, sales, customer service, and retail. Entry-level jobs are mostly available in the categories of loading and stocking, low-level and customer service retail with average salaries ranging from $12 to $14 per hour.
Will Lowe’s Hire You?
Yes, Lowe’s does hire felons. Like most other establishments, there are no special programs for felons, so you’re just recruited as people with no felonies. However you might be given an entry-level job if your qualifications are not very much, but it is possible and more to make your way up the managerial chain if you put in time and effort, and develop the skills required to move to the managerial sector in Lowe’s.
According to recent updates, it has also been found that they are supporters of the ban-the-box movement. Ban-the-box is a movement where establishments refrain from asking job applicants about their criminal records up until the interview stage.
This gives everyone a fair chance of getting a job when sitting for an interview. So, in conclusion to the question of whether Lowe’s hires felons, it is certain that they hire felons, and do so without discrimination. However, unfortunately, they did not participate in the Fair Chance Business Pledge.
Does Lowe’s Do Background Checks?
Considering the size, scale, and reputation of the company, it is obvious that they do conduct background checks before hiring someone. These checks mostly only go back to a period of seven years in some states, while they go back to way longer periods in other states. However, this is nothing to be afraid of, provided you do not lie at any point in the interview about your past. The background checks will reveal any criminal record and convictions along with your financial standing. So, as long as you hide nothing from your potential employers while in the recruitment process, this step is something you do not have to worry about.
It takes around a week for the test results to come back, and if your employer hasn’t contacted you by then, then it would do you good to call upon them (only if it is necessary) and enquire about the status. If you badger the person, it would do you more harm than good. However, in the case where there is no reply for an extended time, you need to make the call to get some sort of closure, and for you to move on and apply to other positions in other establishments.
How to Get a Job at Lowe’s with a Felony?
1. Consider Proposition 47 If You’re a Resident of California
Proposition 47 was an act of sorts passed in 2014. This act allows for the conversion of a felony to a misdemeanor on paper. This increases your chances of getting a job at Lowe’s (or any other establishment for that matter). This is because misdemeanors are way milder than felonies. Also, the conversion would indicate that you did not commit any felony of the higher-order.
Once you file for Proposition 47, you can say that you have never been convicted of a felony, which would technically be true, considering the conversion of your felony to a misdemeanor. However, this is something valid only in California, and the location might not always work in your favor.
2. Acquire Necessary Skills
While applying for any job, even before you fill out the application, you must be able to give yourself reasons as to why you deserve the job. Reasons excluding the fact that you are in need of money badly. You should ask yourself this question. Only if the answer is satisfactory to you, can you apply for the job in a guilt-free way. Else, all you’ll be doing (in case you get the position) will be hogging the seat of someone more deserving than you are.
And what do you need to do to deserve the job? Make yourself the best person available for the opening. You can do this by taking online courses or taking hands-on informal training. Even if there is no certification on paper, you’ll have gained the skills. If you can talk your way through the interview, and into the job, the future that you long for is all yours.
3. Be Honest to a Fault
While filling out the application form, and in the interview, be straightforward about the truth. Do not say anything but the truth. You might think that a fabricated tale might sound better, and it probably does. However, your background check will reveal all of what you hid anyway. Now all you’d have done by lying is create a bad name for yourself. This, in all essence, works against getting you the one thing you desperately need – a job.
Considering that hiring managers look for integrity and enthusiasm in their prospective employees more than the skillset (note here, more than the skill set does not mean that a person with zero skills will land the job), lying is only undoing everything positive that you have to offer. So stick to the truth, and nothing but the whole truth, no matter what. As they say, honesty is the best policy.
4. Stop Using Drugs Before The Process (and Forever)
Almost every establishment of the present-day conducts a drug test before they hire you. It is almost always the last step of the recruitment process. Getting to this stage means that you’re very close to getting a job. However, on the off chance that you fail the drug test, then they disqualify you immediately. The job that you almost got will most definitely be given to the next deserving candidate.
Also, some establishments tend to conduct regular random drug tests. They do this even after you’ve got the job, but Lowe’s is not one of them. It could be really bad for you even if you’re a recreational consumer of drugs. So, it is better to give up the habit altogether. Start a new lifestyle free from any habits that are derogatory to your health.
5. Prepare for The Interview
An interview is the one place where you get to make an everlasting impression on the interviewer. You can make them think you’re the most boring person ever, or the best one suited for the job. This depends on how you choose to answer their questions. It takes time and effort to be able to answer questions in a way that impresses people in interviews.
In some places, they’ll need you to convince them you’re capable of the job. In others, they’ll want you to stick to your own principles and not sway just for the sake of landing a job. Thus, you’ll need to prepare how to answer different questions beforehand. This is so that you don’t get flustered or dumbfounded in the interview. Also, do answer the questions confidently. This will make sure that the interviewer does not mistake you as being one among millions. They should instead remember you as one in a million.
In a nutshell, it is very much possible to land a job at Lowe’s. You can even rise to higher positions with time. You will have to put your mind to it and do not lie anywhere in the process. All the best!
>>> Click Here to Apply for Available Jobs at Lowe’s
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- Check out our latest list of companies that hire people with criminal records.
- Apply at other companies in the same industry as Home Depot, Target, Dollar General, etc.