Bad experience with job

[Andy3536]

I agree you were treated unfairly from what you have told us, and i'm in no way defending the agency, they are all vultures at the end of the day. However i do think if you are offered an interview via an agency it is not a good idea to contact the company directly prior or following the interview unless you were offered the job. I say this because companies use agencies because they can't be arsed (cost, time, blah blah blah) to screen perspective employees themselves and more importantly don't want the task of turning people away or giving them the heave ho when it suits them.

My company uses an agency and i often find they send very inappropriate people. Just get the feeling they send anyone on the books.
They either want too much money or are completely crap. Might aswell do the job ourselves than go through agencys.
I did a trial for one guy i must have told him 10 times the right screwdriver to use and he still kept using the wrong one.

Not a great fan of agencys.......

[Kumagoro]

So you bought a broken 360 and fixed it... seems to me you should just buy broken stuff off ebay
fix it and sell it on again. Then form your own company, go into competition with them, run them
out of business, advertise a console fixing job then when said toss bag applies for the job do the
same to him. That'll learn em.....

[Saracen]

i did tell them after being offered the job that i had previous that was classed as spent, i had no choice as they do CRB checks !

no application form and wasnt asked during the interview.

If I remember correctly, other than certain sensitive types of employment, such as when working with kids, you're not required to disclose spent convictions, even if they ask about convictions.

[Knoxville]

If I remember correctly, other than certain sensitive types of employment, such as when working with kids, you're not required to disclose spent convictions, even if they ask about convictions.

You're right, I've had CRB checks done for my last two jobs and you should only be required to disclose previous convictions if you work in environment where you are in direct contact with children and vulnerable people like the elderly or disabled.

[Whiternoise]

Out of interest, do you have much work experience after your conviction? They'd probably warm to you better if you've held down a few jobs.

I can understand why companies hesitate to employ people with criminal records, but at the end of the day, what's the difference? If you've only (not that you should be doing it) got a cultivation charge, that doesn't make you a thief - though a LOT of employers won't employ you if you've got a history of drug usage so bear that in mind. I think if someone's got the qualifications, but has a spent conviction for something that's pretty minor, why employ the clean guy who's poorly qualified? That's my opinion of course, in reality i'd imagine there's paperwork and so on that makes it an unattractive option for some people.



Maybe they think that working with consoles counts as working with kids?

[Saracen]

I think, Whiternoise, that often it's not so much a choice of a well-qualified candidate with a conviction versus a less-qualified one without. It's more similarly qualified (or unqualified) people, one of whom has a conviction and others that don't.

The guy I talked to about it pointed out, as I said, that staff problems gave him more headaches than anything else, so why risk it?

[GoNz0]

If I remember correctly, other than certain sensitive types of employment, such as when working with kids, you're not required to disclose spent convictions, even if they ask about convictions.

your correct, but even a standard CRB check throws up all convictions, even spent ones.

most people think only an enhanced one does that, but an enhanced CRB is when the local coppers are asked if they have anything on file about you thats not a criminal record.

[TheAnimus]

even if you've got a spent conviction certain things will be out, just like if you've ever been bankrupt you'll never work on a trading floor.

Myself, i'd be honest about it, even thou plenty of people have prejudice, people get far more pissed off if you lie to them, misslead them, and make judgement about wasting their time.

[floppybootstomp]

toogoodtobetrue, as others have said, keep at it, you have the right attitude and eventually you should get lucky.

Doing private repairs seems like a good idea as well, you may be even able to get help and get benefit for the first six months or so, I'm sure the unemployment agency or whatever they're called would encourage that.

As for disclosing a criminal record, I'd say - whatever it takes.

Don't voluntarily disclose it but if they ask, tell the truth, would be my advice.

Hell, everybody who works for me has enjoyed an occasional toot (I hasten to add I only use guys when the job warrants it, I have about six fellow self-employed friends on call, it's not regular).

[santa claus]

The polish lady who registered me said that she didn't think i would be suitable for the position and that my cultivation charge would mean they couldn't put me forward anyway.

Out of interest, and you may prefer not to say, but does the "cultivation charge" relate to growing cannabis for personal use or to growing and supplying to others a Class C drug for profit? Just curious.

[alsenior]

all cultivation means is that he was growing it on the premesis. it could be for personal or for sale onwards.

[floppybootstomp]

all cultivation means is that he was growing it on the premesis. it could be for personal or for sale onwards.

Quite so.

Whatever the guy decided to do with the end product is his business.

All that matters to a potential employer is that the prosecution was made.

And as such, intended use is irrelevant.

[Saracen]

Quite so.

Whatever the guy decided to do with the end product is his business.

All that matters to a potential employer is that the prosecution was made.

And as such, intended use is irrelevant.

Not necessarily.

One potential employer might accept cultivation for personal use by a family member suffering from arthritis. But that same person might well be less happy if the cultivation was hundreds of plants on a commercial basis. Some people might not care, but others might.

That's one thing about the disclose or conceal decision. If you disclose and explain the circumstances, people are more likely to be less suspicious about it than if you don't disclose and they later find out. As I said earlier, if it comes to dismissal on the basis of having lied on the application form, the critical point is likely to be whether the trust between employer and employee has been too seriously damaged.

[Blitzen]

I'm sure you are a decent fella and it sounds like you know your way around electronics.
Thing is, anyone that comes to me for a job gets a criminal check done on them aswell. I can categorically say that i would not employ anyone with any kind of drugs charge. In fact, i don't even think i would waste my time interviewing someone with any record which relates to violence, drugs or theft.

Unfortunately for you, whether it was a stupid thing you did in your younger days, or something you did to earn good money, a good employer that has any sense at all will not give you a job.

An employer is taking a HUGE risk employing you as your past 'activities' could one day surface. If they did, then the company you work for would be looked upon in different light by its customers. Why would a company chance that?

Good Luck though.

[floppybootstomp]

Not necessarily.

One potential employer might accept cultivation for personal use by a family member suffering from arthritis. But that same person might well be less happy if the cultivation was hundreds of plants on a commercial basis. Some people might not care, but others might.

That's one thing about the disclose or conceal decision. If you disclose and explain the circumstances, people are more likely to be less suspicious about it than if you don't disclose and they later find out. As I said earlier, if it comes to dismissal on the basis of having lied on the application form, the critical point is likely to be whether the trust between employer and employee has been too seriously damaged.

A fair point.

I stand corrected, as they say.

Unfortunately for you, whether it was a stupid thing you did in your younger days, or something you did to earn good money, a good employer that has any sense at all will not give you a job.

I think I possess at least a few grams of grey matter and depending on how an interview went I'd be prepared to give him a trial.

I do stress 'Subject to interview'.

[Blitzen]

I think I possess at least a few grams of grey matter and depending on how an interview went I'd be prepared to give him a trial.

I do stress 'Subject to interview'.

If you own the business then fair enough. If you manage part of a global business it would be a poor decision to even consider it.

The risk far outweighs the potential gain.