Interview well

How can I succeed in an interview?

Here is a list of the essential steps to prepare for and succeed in an interview with a potential employer. For more detailed information about each of these steps, please see the Appendix D, PG. 622.

Thoughtfully answer each interview question.Ask your own questions.Practice beforehand!

If possible, you should try to do a practice (“mock”) interview before the real thing with your case manager, social worker, counselor, or even family or friends. Remember, even if you have your answers prepared on paper or in your head, things will sound different when you try to say them out loud!

Be polite and confident during the interview.Follow-up after the interview.

Additional Job Interview Resources:Here are some resources that can help you prepare for a job interview:

Understand & explain the benefits of Hiring People with Records to the Potential employer

Learn here about two government programs that are meant to encourage employers to hire people with criminal records: (1) the Federal Bonding Program and (2) the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC).

Bonding Insurance: What is it & how can it encourage employers to hire me?

Some employers require their employees to be covered under fidelity bonding insurance, which is a special type of insurance that protects the employer from money or property loss caused by employee dishonesty. If your employer requires fidelity bonding insurance, there are two options: (1) private fidelity bonding insurance, and (2) the Federal Bonding Program.

(1) Private Bonding Insurance—Many private insurance companies sell fidelity bonding insurance that employers can buy. The insurance will reimburse employers for losses due to things like forgery, theft of money or valuables, or fraud by a company employee. An employer can buy insurance coverage for ALL employees, or for only a few, specific employees.[1853] However, if you already have a criminal conviction record, your employer may not be able to get private bonding insurance for you.[1854] In this case, the employer may be able to get bonding insurance through a special federal government program (see immediately below).

(2) Federal Bonding Program—If you already have a criminal conviction record, your employer may not be able to get private bonding insurance for you. If you are applying for a job with an employer who requires employees to be covered by fidelity bonding insurance, the federal government has a special program to provide FREE fidelity bonding insurance for 6 months to cover individuals who are eligible for the program.[1855] In California, the California Employment Development Department (EDD)—the same state agency that runs America’s Job Centers of California—runs the Federal Bonding Program. For more information and instructions on how to apply for the Federal Bonding Program, see Appendix E, PG. 624.

Am I eligible for the Federal Bonding Program?

If you meet the following requirements, you may be eligible for the Federal Bonding Program:

    You have a firm job offer (or are already employed) at a job that is likely to be long-term or permanent.
    The job requires you to be bonded, and you cannot get private bonding insurance due to your arrest or conviction record, history of drug or alcohol abuse, poor credit or employment history, dishonorable discharge from the military, or other “risk” factors.
    The employer is ready to hire you (or keep you on the job) once you have insurance, so the only thing stopping you from working there is the lack of insurance.
    You are 18 or older and legally eligible to work in the U.S.

For a complete list of eligibility requirements, see Appendix E, PG. 624.

IMPORTANT: Your employer can only get free insurance coverage for the first 6 months that you work there; after that they will have to purchase insurance directly. If you switch to another job that also requires bonding, you will have to reapply to the EDD, and they will decide on a case-by-case basis whether you can get new insurance coverage at the new employer. If you left your previous job on good terms, you will have a better chance of getting bonding insurance for your next job, but it is not guaranteed.[1856] For this reason, it’s recommended that you only use the bonding program for jobs that are likely to be long-term or permanent—NOT for temporary positions.[1857]

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  1. 1853

    Here are some insurance companies that offer private fidelity bonding insurance for employers:

    Cal-Nevada Insurance Agency—http://www.cal-nevada.com/business-insurance/fidelity-bonds/

    State Farm Insurance—https://www.statefarm.com/small-business-solutions/insurance/surety-fidelity-bonds

    Nationwide Insurance—http://www.nationwide.com/crime-insurance.jsp. ↑

  2. 1854

    See U.S. Dep’t of Labor, The Federal Bonding Program: Program Background, http://www.bonds4jobs.com/program-background.html. ↑

  3. 1855

    See U.S. Dep’t of Labor, The Federal Bonding Program: Program Background, http://www.bonds4jobs.com/program-background.html. ↑

  4. 1856

    Telephone call with Gil Barkley, State Bonding Coordinator, California Employment Development Department (Feb. 17, 2015). The EDD will also want to make sure that the employer is not simply exploiting you for free insurance coverage and then getting rid of you after the first 6 months of free coverage is over. ↑

  5. 1857

    Telephone call with Maria Alexander and Mary Weaver, Friends Outside in Los Angeles County (Jan. 21, 2015). ↑

Work Opportunity Tax Credits: What are they & how can they encourage employers to hire me?

Suggest that your employer look into the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). The WOTC is a federal tax credit historically available to employers for hiring job applicants who face significant barriers to employment, including people with felony convictions who are hired within 1 year after their conviction or release from prison, veterans, and recipients of certain public benefits.[1858] (For this reason, be sure to answer truthfully if an employer or job application asks whether you receive public benefits!) The WOTC ranges from $1,200 to $9,600, depending on your hours and pay during your first year as an employee, and on the maximum allowed credit.[1859] For more information about the WOTC in California, contact the WOTC Coordinator at (916) 227-5163, or visit the Employment Development Department’s (EDD) website about the WOTC at: http://www.edd.ca.gov/jobs_and_training/Work_Opportunity_Tax_Credit.htm.

IMPORTANT: Although the legal authority for the WOTC expired on December 31, 2013, tell your employer that he/she should continue to submit WOTC applications to the EDD. In the past, when the WOTC expired, Congress eventually reauthorized the tax credit and applied it retroactively; so it’s recommended that employers continue to submit applications while reauthorization is pending.[1860]

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  1. 1858

    26 U.S.C. § 51. ↑

  2. 1859

    See 26 U.S.C. § 51; see also U.S. Dep’t of Labor, WOTC Tax Credit Amounts, http://Www.Doleta.Gov/Business/Incentives/Opptax/Benefits.Cfm. Employers may use the “WOTC Calculator” tool available online at: http://www.doleta.gov/business/incentives/opptax/wotcEmployers.cfm. ↑

  3. 1860

    See 26 U.S.C. § 51(d)(13)(A)(ii)(II); see also U.S. Dep’t of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter No. 8-13. In the past, Congress has waived the 28-day timeliness rule for applications that were eligible during the program’s lapse period, but there is no guarantee; see IRS, Work Opportunity Tax Credit Extended, http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Expanded-Work-Opportunity-Tax-Credit-Available-for-Hiring-Qualified-Veterans. To avoid a denial based on timeliness issues, employers should continue to follow the 28-day rule. California’s WOTC Authorization Center is continuing to process all applications, and expects reauthorization. For more information, see Cal. Emp’t Dev’t Dep’t, Employer Guide, http://www.edd.ca.gov/jobs_and_training/WOTC_Employer_Guide.htm. ↑