One criminal conviction can ruin your reputation

On Behalf of | Dec 12, 2018 | Firm News |

Your reputation is incredibly important to your career. Whether you’re trying to get a new job, bring new clients and customers to your business or ask for a promotion, your reputation plays a large role. That’s especially important in the modern era, when so much information is readily available on the internet. You can’t hide anything.

Experts agree that one of the fastest ways to ruin that reputation is to get convicted of a crime. It can cause you to lose your job. It can ruin your credibility. It can push potential clients and business partners away. Your career may never get back on track again.

A widespread impact

One thing to remember is that the impact on your career can have a wide reach. Don’t just look at the immediate ramifications. Think about how it is going to change the rest of your life.

For instance, perhaps your conviction means you have to spend six months in jail. You were facing a potential five years, so you were technically happy to get just six months. You hope you can get through it and start moving forward again.

However, that time in jail does cost you your job. They have to replace you. Your main source of income is gone.

Thinking you’ll just get another job? You now have a six-month break on your resume that you have to try to explain. If you worked for the company for 10 years and abruptly left, another potential employer is going to want to know why. Telling them that you got arrested certainly does not improve your chances of getting called back in for a second interview. That, in turn, makes the gap on your resume even wider and more obvious when you turn in future applications.

Plus, if you have a felony on your record, you may not even be allowed to apply for specific jobs. Those that you do apply for may go to other qualified applicants without the same criminal history.

Companies don’t take risks

Your reputation is so important because corporations in America cannot afford to take risks. They just can’t. The system is too competitive.

You may know that you’ve changed. That you won’t do it again. That you learned your lesson. That you’re not a risk.

But those potential employers don’t know that. All they see is your history. They may not want to hire you when they have other candidates, no matter how good you could be for the company.

Your options

When considering your legal defense options, don’t just look at the fines and jail time. Think about the big picture. Consider the full impact of a conviction and go through all of the options you have.

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