Many teenagers are well acquainted with their guidance counselor in High School. For some students, they receive help in terms of succeeding at testing and filling out college applications. Others receive help to simply survive another day at school. Unfortunately, some students choose to survive their days by taking and dealing in drugs. Being caught for drug possession and distribution can lead to life-altering ramifications.
Should this happen it is crucial that you immediately contact a criminal lawyer. Navigating criminal law can be a complex process and therefore it is vital that you have an experienced legal professional on your side. Therefore, when seeking legal support it is fundamental that you do as much research as possible. For instance, a good marijuana attorney or drug possession lawyer will not only help you prepare for the challenges that lie ahead but will also see to it that your rights are protected throughout the proceedings of your case. In addition to that, you need to do whatever it takes to be completely free from your drug addiction.
There are detox centers, both state and private. Once you detox, you need to find a program that will help you change the parts of your life that led you to drugs in the first place. There are faith-based institutions that have residential centers to help get a person back on their feet and ready to enter society. There are also psychologically based residential centers that do the same thing. Whatever you choose it is crucial to stay the amount of time that is recommended for you. People who leave the program early usually fail at any lasting change.
The Next Step
When you apply for a job you may be asked if you have a criminal record. You must not lie about that: it is essential that you speak the truth. A criminal conviction for a drug offense may hurt your chances of getting a job in certain industries such as:
- Commercial driving
- Jobs having to do with working with children
- Medical practice
- Law enforcement
- Legal practice
Although any felony will hurt your chances when applying for a job, a drug conviction is considered a more serious felony than other charges. Sometimes those who have drug charges in their past don’t understand why a business owner won’t hire them for a job.
The Employer’s Hesitancy
Even if you have successfully completed a detox and rehab program, an employer will most likely be worried about you relapsing and looking for your next high. Even if you have full confidence in yourself, the employer doesn’t and would rather find someone to work for them that don’t have these same issues. It is important to not take these rejections personally. This is not a reflection of your work ethic or job skills. It is because your felony drug conviction scares the employer too much for them to be willing to give you a chance. If you take it personally, it most likely will discourage you from persevering in your search for a job. You will need to consider a change in the kind of jobs to look for as well as how to go about getting one. Jobsforfelonshub.com is a website that can be extremely helpful in finding jobs.
Specific jobs that require certain traits or skills are what you should be aiming for. Speaking to family and friends is essential. If they can’t personally help you, they may know of others who can. It is important to understand that many people will assume that you are trying to earn money to buy more drugs. Explaining how you went through detox and residential programs in order to be completely free of drugs and start a new life will take care of that assumption. It is wise to avoid going through a company and instead get online training. You can then find clients for the skills you have newly acquired. The following job skills are in high demand:
- Music editing
- Sales
- Accounting
- Website design
- Graphic design
- Copywriting
In addition to those, people working with online marketing are always in high demand. Ways to best market a business online keep changing and workers have to be on their toes to keep up with all the changes.
A good way to receive training is online where you can learn at your own pace from the comfort of your own home. One platform that offers this is Lynda.com . The courses in this platform are taught by industry experts who not only are extremely knowledgeable but have a real passion for what they are doing. After you have taken the courses necessary to acquire the skills needed to pursue your interests it is time to find work as a consultant. People that hire you won’t ask for a background check. They will be concerned with the skills you have and how hard a worker you are. One place to find jobs that need your skills is a website called Upwork.com. It is wise to start out working at a low hourly rate to get clients who can give you good reviews. Then you can keep on raising your hourly rate. You can actually make your full living from the jobs you find on this website.
It is no secret that moving on with your life is very difficult after receiving felony drug charges. It means lots of hard work and getting back up each time you are rejected. You may never make a lot of money, but even money can’t buy the self- respect you will attain.
