Do you need a job and are you looking for companies that hire felons? It can be a tall task to locate a job that fits your needs. Normally companies that hire felons don’t like to advertise the fact because it may lead to image problems.

However, you will probably be able to find a list of companies that hire felons if you know where to look for it.

Prison programs that help ex-felons reenter the workforce should be the first place that you look for a list of local companies that hire felons. Your parole officer will probably be able to help you also.

You can also try calling your state employment office or labor department. Companies that hire felons are eligible for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit so hopefully if you contact the appropriate local government office, you will be able to get more information about felon friendly jobs.

Non-profit and church-based organizations may also have programs that help ex-felons find employment. Try calling up your pastor and ask him if he knows of any programs for felons in your area or if he knows of any local companies that hire felons.

Temp agencies and some employment agencies may also have a list of jobs for felons.

Sometimes a company might not be widely known to hire felons but you can till try to apply. Many industries are known to contain loads of companies that hire ex-convicts. These include growing industries where new staff are always needed like the trucking, delivery, food service, construction and other such industries.

Even the US Military hires ex-felons through its criminal history waiver program. In actual fact, it has been reported that one in eight soldiers in the Army needed a waiver to enlist.

Non-profit organizations, especially those that are already involved in work-release programs, are also very likely to hire ex-felons who have been rehabilitated.

One option that you can explore is to work as a freelancer or independent contractor. That way you won’t even need to be regularly employed by one of the companies that hire felons.

How does that work? If you learn a trade or profession that is in demand, then you can hire yourself out for jobs instead of working for just one employer.

To give an example, most companies don’t employ a videographer in their daily business but if the company holds a big event and they need professional quality videos, then they will need to hire a freelance videographer. This example shows that all companies can supply jobs for felons – if only for a few days.

Examples of freelance workers or independent contractors are photographers, journalists, web designers, graphic designers, programmers, computer technicians, masseuses, personal chefs, personal trainers, etc.

Another alternative to looking for felony jobs is to start your own business. Entrepreneurship isn’t exactly easy but it is definitely something that ex-felons can try if they have a good head for business.

In the end, what matters when it comes to finding a job with one of the companies that hire felons is that you need to be proactive. It is true that the economic slowdown has made finding a job a lot harder than before but there are still quite a few jobs available. The companies that hire felons are those that are growing and therefore they are always hiring. Lastly, if none of the jobs that are open to you seem attractive, you might not need to find companies that hire felons because you can always look into the possibility of starting your own business or working freelance.