Career Searching with Felony

Is this an April Fools joke?

ok, serious or not, I’ll bite,...

With your RAP sheet being as long as it is, equally you have a long row to hoe to get into engineering. To be honest,... I’m going to answer this, because HR would toss it and go to the next applicant.

Now you’re looking for a career in engineering?, what type of education do you have?

As long as you've paid the price and keep your nose clean, you could probably find something....How will you pay for college? How were your grades in HS? What is your approximate age? How long is your parole, if any?

i would pay for college by financial assistance using fasfa, im 24 and i have a ged which the scores are equivalant to a 3.5 gpa and i have probation for at least the next 18 months

Fasfa will not cover all of your expenses even if you receive an EFC of 0, the maximum...So I would plan on some way to secure additional income or funding...

https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types

There was a time, and it probably still is a student loan would cover education expenses, but not living expenses.

A first job in military aerospace engineering immediately after graduating any school with only a bachelor's degree is rare for anyone. Now if you get exceptional grades for your under graduate degree followed by a similar post graduate degree(s) with multiple cited publications then time would have long flown past the 10 years to allow for an expungement. A military contractor may even help you to clean up the record if you get to this point. So while it is certainly possible I'm worried you may be setting yourself up to fail by expecting things to happen quick and easy.

My real point here is that you are looking much to far down the road to commit to a fixed plan of action. Don't go for the quick answers. That's probably how you got your record in the first place. Grind away on your schooling as you also perform side, part time jobs to keep yourself fed and housed.

With any job, honesty is crucial. Your road will not be an easy one, as I am sure many will immediately dismiss you as a candidate. Be upfront and candid about your past and how you are motivated to move on.

However, I am sure you will find an employer who will be willing to take you on. My recommendation is to start with smaller companies. Smaller companies are able to be a lot more flexible than a large bureaucratic corporation. There are smaller companies that support the large aerospace corporations and that is where you can gain experience in the field. Once you have experience, you begin to establish a name in the field and you can expand your horizons.

Aerospace engineering might be limiting in your job choices. In most aerospace companies, a security clearance is very helpful, and that may be tough hurdle. If you were a mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, etc. you can do work in aerospace companies in those disciplines as well as a lot of other companies as well. Also nothing says you have a to work in the same field as your degree. There are two electrical engineers that work with me whose degrees are in mechanical engineering. And they are very good electrical engineers !

Work hard and keep on learning. Learning just begins after you graduate college.

Best wishes.

To echo some preceding comments, I too suggest starting small. Maybe think about hands-on engineering such as on oil rigs or fishing boats, etc. If you are spunky and resourceful, your past record may be overlooked. But don't ever cheat again! Be up front about past mistakes, and show your resolve to follow a right path in the future.

I'm retired, and thus no longer a hiring/firing person. I would scrutinize closely anyone in your circumstances, but I wouldn't automatically rule you out. As with others here, I wish you success. If possible, please keep us posted.

I’m not going to paint a colorful picture for you, but Your not answering... that’s bad and don’t look good.

you need to establish yourself as dependable and of high moral standards. The military may be your first step. If they are willing to waive your history. And meet other requirements where your able to get through it... there will be benefits for you when you get out.

Just invest you time in business, its easy arithmetic and you can manage your own. Auto-mechanic, painting, carpentry and masonry, all other technical jobs will do.

Part of a resolve is never fly too high, you wont be able to forgive yourself when all turns you down.

Start low.

I read somewhere

"Do you see someone skilled in their work?
They will serve before kings;
they will not serve before officials of low rank."

Being "engineer" sounds good though at the middle of year economic term, you will realize, those who gamble in business are better off just after a few years. While, others retire still broke.

I would suggest a career change. Try journalism or politics. If that doesn't work out, one can always teach.

This is very good advice. I agree with you

yes, it was very helpful

As for specific engineering careers, there are plenty of options out there. Aerospace engineering is just one possibility. You might also consider fields like mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or civil engineering.

Thanks for reaching out about your career aspirations. It's understandable that you're worried about your felony convictions affecting your chances in the aerospace engineering field. Unfortunately, I don't have a straightforward answer for you. It's possible that your convictions could limit your job prospects, but it's also possible that with the right skills and experience, you could still land a great job in engineering. One thing to keep in mind is that having a college degree can make a big difference in terms of job opportunities and pay. In fact, there's about a 60% percent difference in pay between a high school and a college graduate. So if you're able to go to college and earn a degree in engineering, that could open up a lot of doors for you.