Applying for a job with a criminal record.

[taylor7]

I have a criminal record for shop-lifting (first offense), and im finishing my studies soon and need to apply for a job soon. Does every job interview you go for ask you if you have a criminal record? Or only for certain jobs?
Thank you

[Law Man1856]

taylor,
A criminal record is only relevant if you are applying for a secure job. ie cash handling, police, courts solicitor or working as a nurse etc or bank.

One offence of shop lifting is significant only if the punishment was imprisionment. When were you dealt with fo it? Are the sentence discharged ( spent ).

If the application form says any previous convictions or cautions you can answer NO if the convictions are spent.

A criminal record is a conviction at court. If you were cautioned by the police this is a police record and not a criminal conviction.

Some interviews will not need to know if you have a record.

Hope this helps.

Lman

[suzie2119]

most employees will ask in their application form for any prvious convictions. They may ask you to fill in a ciminal convictions form which wll be kept in a sealed envelope and wil only be opened if you are successful. it is up to the employer and the nature of the job you are applying for How old were when u did this?

[aims1202]

I have been through all this myself. There are certain types of jobs that you have to disclose all previous convictions even if they are spent. This is usually jobs working with vunerable people eg children, elderly, disabled etc For other jobs you do not have to disclose any spent convictions. To find out whether yours is spent you can look on this website www.lawontheweb.co.uk and go to rehabilitation of offenders act
Even if you do have to disclose your conviction it does not mean you wont get the job, most employers will not be worried about a minor offence you committed in the past. Its good to write a letter explaining what happened and how you have changed!

[taylor7]

Thank you to all who have answered my question, it really is appreciated. Man 1856, sorry but dont understand what it means to have your conviction spent so i have no idea if it is. This offense happened 9 months ago.

[aims1202]

I did say in my answer that you can find out if your conviction is spent by going to this website www.lawontheweb.co.uk and go to the rehabilitation of offenders act. There are different lengths of time given for when a conviction is spent. It goes by what you got for your offence, for example if you got community service for your conviction it would be spent 5 years after you were convicted. so until that time is up you would have to disclose it to every job you went for.

[taylor7]

thanks you aims.
Iv been chatting to lawman, and he seems o think i may not have a criminal record, as i didnt got to court and plea guilty. He seems to think i have a misdemeanour or a police record. If i do have one of the two, do i hav to disclose those?

[taylor7]

Aims i looked at the website but couldn find the rehabilitation...... section. I live in south Africa, would that website still apply to me?

[aims1202]

i'm confused now, not sure what youve got? you got caught for shop lifting right? and they charged you with it? this would mean you would go to court though, can you explain what happened, if you were cautioned ( which you do not have to disclose) or convicted and the punishment if any?
If you live in south africa then there might be different laws about this which i do not know, sorry