Jobs for felons are few and far between these days so when you find companies that hire felons, be sure you make a good first impression. One of the most frustrating things about applying to jobs for felons today is that you apply for so many jobs and most of them do not even bother to reply to your application. This can change when you are able to get inside help when applying to jobs for felons.

At this point, many job seekers try to get some inside help. If you know someone who works for the company that you plan to submit a job application to then you can ask for their help. This can be easy to do if that person is a relative or a close friend. What if you do not know that person well? Think about what you would do if you were in his place. Would you really bend over backwards to help someone that is not family or a friend? In most cases, probably not and the same is true of most people.

With this in mind, here are three tips to get inside help when applying for a job:

First, make them feel good about helping. People will go out of their way to help others if it makes them feel good about themselves. Do not act full of yourself as though they were doing you a favor by helping you get a job. Simply make it clear that you would appreciate their help a lot but don’t ask in such a way that they will feel bad if they don’t help you.

Be reasonable and do not ask for too much. Do not make any unfair demands like asking someone who does not know you well to write a letter of recommendation for you.

The third tip is to just keep it simple and easy. Lets say you know someone from your church who works for a company you want to work for. Since that person has not actually worked with you, discuss your qualifications briefly when you meet and ask him or her to introduce you to HR as a friend from church. That introduction means that you already have a leg up on the competition. You can also ask for some tips on how to get the job.

When you do get a job for felons with the help of a friend, relative or acquaintance, remember to thank that person and perhaps treat him to lunch or give him a gift. Also, since you received help, you should pay it forward and be receptive when people ask you to help them get a job, too. Helping others can also lead to rewards down the road if you need a similar favor in the future. Now get out there and find companies that hire felons and use these tips to get hired.