Project Rebound

If only getting a job were as easy as writing a resume, buying a suit, and pounding the pavement. For seasoned professionals, this can work fine. But for young adults with only a high school diploma or GED and part-time, minimum wage job experience to their credit, launching a career can be a far greater challenge. Add a background spent in the foster care or criminal justice systems, and the job outlook can become even more complicated.

Some employers stand fully behind their decision to reject ex-offenders early in the review process, and there’s not much you can do to combat deeply ingrained employer bias. But there’s a fine line between a job search being difficult and impossible. If you’ve repaid your debt to society, you deserve a chance to navigate the job market and start rebuilding your life and your career.

Between earning his bachelor’s and finding a job he loves after prison, Perez persevered through difficulties and now shares his career wisdom with us.