Ragged Riches

So, I started to notice that my article on jobs for sex offenders actually got a lot of traction on my blog. Yay! While I have a lot of dislike for most offenders, I’m aware that some sex offenders actually made a mistake (such as those who got arrested for peeing in public or teens who sexted a partner) and need a leg up.

The majority of jobs for sex offenders out there involve hard manual labor or working as a “kitchen dog” in a restaurant. It’s brutal and frankly, not everyone is cut out for that kind of work. Office jobs (or really any indoor, cerebral job) are gentler on your body.

So, what office jobs can sex offenders feasibly get? I did a deep dive to find out the truth.

Customer Service Representatives

CSRs are the people on the telephones that help you figure out whether or not your oven is under warranty, help you get replacements for those defective things you ordered off a website, and track your purchases as they ship. In other words, they’re the people who make sure a business doesn’t upset its customers.

Most CSR jobs are paid minimum wage, but some can go as high as $60,000 a year. Finding GOOD customer service reps continues to be a problem for companies, which means that you have a striving chance at this.

Here’s why you might want to give this a shot:

• It can be a work-from-home position.
• You don’t need a degree for it.
• People don’t have to see you in-person.
• It’s generally safe and won’t have you around kids.

Here’s why it might not be for you:

• You need people skills.
• Angry customers can become a source of trauma.
• The pay is often low compared to other jobs with similar skillsets.

How to get the job: Apply, apply, apply. Consider calling a staffing agency.

IT Support/IT Experts

Believe it or not, companies do not always check the felony records of their IT support people. In fact, some might know and not even care. A good rule of thumb is that almost any job in InfoTech is going to pay well and be in-demand.

The more niche your IT work tends to be, the less likely it is that they will care if you’re a sex offender or felon. Netsec and IT recovery tend to be in perennially high demand, to the point that they are desperate.

A lot of tech companies will not want to have a sex offender on the books for IT services, but there’s a loophole here. You can usually get hired as a 1099 contractor on sites like Upwork or Workmarket.com.

Here’s why you might want to give this a shot:

• It’s ultra-high-paying, with many jobs exceeding $90,000 to $120,000 a year.
• You do not need a degree in IT to get a job in it.
• You get more job security with IT than with other jobs on this list.
• It’s less abusive than the average CSR job and more respectable.
• You do not have to deal with many people in the IT world, so being socially awkward is fine.

Here’s why it might not be for you:

• The tech skills you need might be aggravating and difficult to learn.
• The employment environments can be toxic if you are a woman or if you are a minority.
• The skills you learn constantly have to be updated.
• It’s tedious, boring work.

How to get the job: Get some IT certificates and start applying for jobs. More often than not, IT companies will not be strict on their hiring procedures.

Sales

Sales is the ultimate route for people who have it rough. While it’s not for everyone, a good salesperson never has to go hungry. It’s a skillset that works in every field, because everyone needs sales. Literally every single company needs sales people.

Otherwise, how are they going to sell their goods and services?

Salespeople go under many different names: account executives, real estate agents, agents, customer success specialists, sales staff, telemarketers, business development representatives, but the goal is always the same. Your goal is to sell, sell, sell!

If you have the gift of gab, it’s not unusual to become a sales rockstar who earns over $100,000 a year. Company owners generally will hire anyone for sales as long as they make those numbers and it doesn’t break the law to hire them.

Here’s why you might want to give this a shot:

• Easy entry, as anyone can start making money in sales as long as they put in the work.
• There’s no degree required and no tech work to deal with.
• You might actually help someone change their life through sales.
• It’s incredibly lucrative if you are good at it, with top salespeople making as much as $250,000 a year or more.

Here’s why it might not be for you:

• You have to deal with a lot of rejection.
• You need to have people skills and a good “look” to you in most cases.
• It’s high pressure.
• Many companies only hire on commission, which means your earnings can change drastically.

How to get the job: Apply for sales jobs on a major site like Indeed. At least one will hit you back up with an offer, even if it’s door to door.

Accounting/Bookkeeping

Believe it or not, having a sex offense on your record does not automatically disqualify you from working in finance. In most states, there are no laws that bar you from being an accountant or bookkeeper or even a CPA as a sex offender.

Much like with sales, accounting is one of those skill sets that never dies. Every business owner (and most people) need an accountant or a bookkeeper on their payroll. While browsing Reddit’s r/SexOffenderSupport forum, I found an entire thread about offenders who became accountants.

Many firms won’t hire you if you have a sex offense, but some will. Of course, a lot of people end up doing this as their own business. It’s a safe, reliable way to make ends meet.

Here’s why you might want to give it a shot:

• It’s lucrative and stable, perhaps one of the most stable options on this list.
• People generally respect accountants.
• Everyone needs an accountant or tax preparer.
• Most people will not expect accounting to be a job for an RSO, so you will be able to live a life of normalcy.

Here’s why it might not be for you:

• It’s extremely tedious, detail-oriented work.
• You may need to have a lot of face-to-face work and people skills may help you out.
• You will need to study, find a place to give you experience, or get certification to do it in most cases.
• It’s boring and you constantly need to update your knowledge.

How to get the job: This is a job that requires some proof of experience or education. College is ideal, but you might not have the money for that. Thankfully, you can either get certification via a local community college or start out as a tax preparer at H&R Block (or a similar company). From there, you can open up your own practice as well as apply to other companies.

Internet Marketer

Internet marketing runs a very wide gamut of services that you can specialize in: SEO, PPC advertising, social media management, keyword research, and email marketing, for example. Even graphic design fits under this umbrella, depending on who you ask.

No matter what route you choose, you’ll be happy to hear that there’s gold in those hills.

Most internet marketers learn their skills on the job or through bootcamp-style training sessions. Getting certified in your field can help you get clients immensely, but there’s a snag here. Most of the time, you’re going to have to work freelance.

Thankfully, there are no laws against RSOs having businesses.

Here’s why you might want to give it a shot:

• There’s a lot of opportunity to make serious bank in this field.
• You have a lot of creative opportunities that involve everything from design to writing.
• It’s a blend of STEM and the arts.
• You have a lot of freedom and can play to your strengths in this field.

Here’s why it may not be for you:

• Coding can be heavily emphasized and most of the work is tedious.
• You might need to buy up a lot of programs or platform subscriptions to work.
• Most of the time, you have to find your own clients and this means your work is going to be spotty at best.
• If you get bad clients, you can get stiffed on payments.

How to get the job: You can either get certifications in internet marketing, get a degree in marketing, or just get your portfolio started. Then, you can apply to companies as a marketer or get your own portfolio of clients. Best of luck!