Don Christian spent 23 years in prison. When he was released in his early 40s, he had zero regular work experience.
“I had to start from the very, very bottom,” Christian says. “I was willing to work anywhere. I just wanted to change my life.”
He’s not alone. An estimated 1 in 3 American adults have a criminal record. For them, the job hunt is a maze of licensing hurdles, parole meetings, housing instability, and outright discrimination. Even with skills, formerly incarcerated people face fewer opportunities and lower pay.
But it’s possible to beat the odds. Christian is now a welder and mentor at an auto parts manufacturer. Here are four strategies he and other reentry specialists use to successfully rebuild careers.
1. Build Skills (and Translate Them)
Education is a game-changer. Incarcerated individuals who pursue college programs have a 48% lower chance of returning to prison, according to the Vera Institute of Justice. Thanks to restored federal Pell Grants, inmates can now earn degrees and certifications while inside.
Ryan Cuellar used federal aid post-release to learn paralegal skills, seal his record, and eventually earn a master’s degree. “I can’t drive home enough how much determination you need for yourself,” he says.
Already have prison work experience? Spin it. Laura Rivero of Leap for Ladies advises translating institutional work into corporate speak. Worked in a prison kitchen? List your employer as the “State of Florida” and highlight “high-volume food preparation.”
2. Target Second-Chance Employers
Corporate giants like JP Morgan Chase and Virgin Atlantic actively hire people with records. With baby boomers retiring, the Business Roundtable and U.S. Chamber of Commerce are pushing “second-chance hiring” to fill labor gaps.
Look beyond the Fortune 500. Restaurants, warehouses, manufacturing, and healthcare tech are notoriously open to second chances.
Don't ignore your network, either. Rivero urges former inmates to swallow their pride and reach out to old teachers, bosses, or relatives. “Some of my students have a lot of shame about their conviction,” she says. “But you don’t know if they’ll help until you try.”
3. Own Your Story
You can’t hide a record in the digital age, so don't try. When Joe Anderson left prison, he walked into a welding plant and told the manager point-blank: “I got out of prison, I really need a job, and I will show up because I need this to stay out of jail.”
The manager appreciated the honesty. Anderson kept the job for four years—even when parole officers showed up unannounced to check on him. He’s now a commercial plumber with a pension and a 401(k).
In interviews, Rivero tells her students to frame the narrative: Briefly highlight your strengths, acknowledge a rough patch that led to your conviction, and pivot back to your value. “You’re not your conviction,” she says. “You’re not the worst day of your life.”
4. Rewire Your Habits
Getting the job is step one. Keeping it requires a total lifestyle reset.
Christian’s first post-prison job required grueling 12-hour shifts. “You’ve got to learn how to shift your sleep patterns,” he says. “You’ve got to get proper rest.”
Cuellar had to actively unlearn prison slang, recognizing it as a survival mechanism that didn't belong in the professional world.
For Anderson, it meant trading late-night raves for 4 a.m. wake-up calls. “It is 100% harder to get up every single day and bust your body,” he says. “But it’s a lot more rewarding at the end of the day. My children are very proud of me.”