Best Jobs for Ex-Offenders: 101 Opportunities to Jump-Start Your New Life

I bought this book for my nephew, who has several arrests already at age 17. I flipped through this book before giving it to him, and realized all the author did was cut and paste job descriptions and outlooks from the Department of Labor website. He just represents data from other sources without researching how an ex-offender could actually get into the field. The best/worst jobs in America is nonsense. A parole officer is a "best" job, while the traditional trades jobs of welders, carpenters, and sheet metal workers are "worst" jobs? He does have a brief chapter discussing the barriers to employment, but fails to realistically evaluate the barriers for each of the 101 jobs he presents. For instance, in chapter 5 where he shows potential maintenance related jobs; would an airline really hire an ex-drug user to maintain their planes? Would a company hire an ex-thief to service their vending machine where there would be easy access to cash? Would any company hire an ex-violent offender to work with other people? Would a home healthcare service hire ex-thieves or drug users/dealers to go into someone's home?There has to be a better book out there. Don't waste your money on this one. I will send this one back to Amazon.

This book provides a good starting point for anyone with a criminal history and that includes any deferred adjudications. (Yes, these show on your record and even though you were not "officially" charged, in the view of the employer, you still did the crime.) I am a retired probation officer who spent a good part of my time doing resumes and giving job search seminars to present and ex offenders and to drug rehab groups. Sometimes you just need a lot of ideas to get started on your search. This book gives you just that...a lot of ideas that you may not have ever thought about. Some of these jobs will still be closed to you depending on your offense. BUT there are so many choices for you to look into given here with good descriptions of the work. Some of the suggestions may inspire you to return to school for some special training. Many government grants are out there for aid to those in need to go to school. Don't say you don't have time for school. If a GED or special training takes two years, two years will go by anyway and at the end you can either have training or still be where you are. I cannot advertise here, but because I saw so many people who wanted to turn their lives around, was the reason I started a business to specifically help those who are hard to place. Good book and very affordable. Amazon has several other books along this same line to help ex-offenders that are very helpful.

If you are fresh out of college with no record this book would be helpful. If you have a felony, this looks more like a fiction book. 99% of the jobs discussed are not available for an ex offender. Working for the police, working with money, and ridiculously, working with children!! You would get laughed out the door applying for jobs in these areas. I completely feel deceived by the title. I have to wonder if most of the reviews were written by the author's friends and family. They were certainly not written by any offender with a felony on his record. After reading this book, I am more lost than beforehand. The reading feels more like the author is mocking your shortcoming, rather than helping give insight. Super-waste of time and money.

I work with lots of ex-offenders to prepare them for finding employment. Most think the only jobs they can get with a criminal record are jobs in construction and the related trades. Although this resource is heavy on construction and trade related jobs, it also offers some options ex-offenders may not have known they had including jobs in computers, hosptiality and sales. Along with job descriptions, it offers salary and training requirements and a job growth outlook. I recommend all of Ron Krannich's books for ex-offenders, but I think this is an especially useful resource if you want options other than hard labor.

I got this for my son who will be getting out really soon ..He loved this book, and had said somebody else inside already had it, and borrowed it to him ...This is more of a reference book, and he was so happy I sent it to him for his own reference ....He made the comment , " when I looked at it before," " I had to hurry to return it" , and " I am so happy I have my own book to keep and use for reference " ...This is a very helpful book, and gives somebody ready to get out some hope for employment ....

It was ok most of the stuff in the book I already knew. So it didn't give me what I needed it needs to be up dated to laws and rule of today.

Stupid advice Did not work for find a job. Waste of money. They need to take it off the market.

Book is fine but the shipping was too long and very poor customer service!

Its OK, I think we all know construction jobs are available for ex offenders but we do not know the wages and outlook.