After months of looking for jobs and being rejected because of his criminal background, Marquon got the first job he applied to on the Honest Jobs website. Now he has a chance to have a stable life and take care of his family, and follow his dreams to become an electrical engineer. Learn more about his experience in the video below:
Read the whole interview with Marquon here:
What is your experience with the criminal justice system?
Marquon: "I wasn't convicted. It's an adjudication. My charge was felony domestic violence. So even though it was adjudicated, it's still a felony on my background. Adjudication is a plea deal. So basically, what it did was, they said you either do jail time to a misdemeanor, which I really didn't want because I have children. So I decided to take the deal. I'm currently on probation."
What was your job search experience like before and after finding Honest Jobs?
Marquon: "Yea, I did a couple of interviews with a couple of jobs paying around the same amount that I was looking for. They were temp jobs, which they both denied me due to my background. I got the referral [for Honest Jobs] from my probation officer because I was looking for work. I first did my application on Honest Jobs in October. Then the recruiter gave me a call right away, and she helped me through my application for Koch. This was the only job application I actually did."
Tell us about your new job!
Marquon: "The job that I applied for was a machine operator. I drive forklifts and the amount of pay I'm making is $17.50. The job is with Koch Engineered Solutions. The job so far is a loving community. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted with warm welcomes. It's not as overbearing as most warehouse jobs, I would say. When I got here, they took the time to show me, they made sure that I understood the material that I was learning. They also let me know that I'm not just another employee. They want me to grow in this company. So they're not just hiring me as another body. They're hiring me to see if I can also help myself grow, but also help the company grow as well. So I can honestly say that with this job I found a good fit for work. My insurance starts on the 1st of January, which allows me to put me and my son on there."
What are your career goals?
Marquon: "The goal is for a year from now to get back to where I was before I got unemployed, just to be stable and to be able to financially take care of my family. Five years from now, I do plan on going back to school, and they [Koch] do offer tuition reimbursement. So hopefully, in the next year or two, I hope to apply back to school so I can go to school to be an electrical engineer, which I have wanted to pursue for a long time."
Would you recommend Honest Jobs to other formerly incarcerated job seekers?
Marquon: "Anybody else that I know that have criminal record, I have definitely referred to you guys. Because you guys helped me in a great way to, you know, rebuild my life. Wonderful communication, always checking in and seeing where I was, even before I got the job. The recruiters are friendly and open. So there's nothing I would recommend you guys to change, just stay great and keep the positive attitudes that you guys do have with people."