Another DUI questions

I have a question about dui and job prospects. I know people really do look at your criminal records. Well, my friend is still an undergrad in college right now. He was hoping to get into engineering for the city (so a government job). But just recently he was charged with a DUI. He was wondering if this recent DUI will affect him very badly? I.e: would employers just throw the resume and application away?

what impact can a DUI make on job prospects? how do you guys view that?

Yes, it will affect him. Your friend is an idiot. I have no sympathy for people who drink and drive. You know before you pick up that glass of alcohol that you have car keys in your pocket.

However, that being said, he’s just been charged, not convicted. But we’ll assume a conviction will happen shortly.

Technically, an employer can’t hold a conviction against someone unless it relates to the job at hand. As I said, DUI proves you’re an idiot, so that pretty much applies to every job, although I realize that I couldn’t actually argue that in court. (At least I think I couldn’t win with that argument. I’m not a lawyer.) But, there are million and one reasons not to hire anyone, and this black mark will not help.

Employers will not just throw his resume away though. In the professional world, resumes are usually reviewed and phone interviews conducted prior to filling out an official appliaction. You wouldn’t list your DUI on your resume; You would have to list it on an application if they ask about convictions. (Although, more and more, companies are having you apply through their websites, which means filling out applications from the get go.)

A smart recruiter knows that it is illegal to consider information such as that (in most cases), and won’t inform a potential hiring manager. Applying for a government job may actually be a better idea than the private sector because they tend to have stricter rules in place regarding such things.

Still, the most important thing is to tell your friend not to do it again, and work his tail end off in school to get super good grades. Take whatever internships you can get (unpaid if necessary) because in a poor job market, with a DUI in tow, it’s going to be difficult to get a good job.

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77 thoughts on “Another DUI questions

  1. While I don’t necessarily disagree with EHRL, as her final advice is spot on, I do think that a single mistake does not always have the dire consequences described. Early in my HR career I was shocked at the number of people applying for my jobs (unskilled, skilled trades, and professional) who had DUI convictions. Over time, I’ve realized how prevalent a problem is and decided that it wasn’t so much an issue for me if they had one. If I couldn’t get over this, my pool of good candidates would be slashed by a ridiculously large percentage. What became important to me, and a source of good probing questions, was they dealt with it going forward – did they learn a lesson. Make no mistake, I’m not condoning such behavior; it is an idiotic decision to drink and then drive. However, people, particularly young people, are prone to mistakes of this sort. Now, if you’re 45 and just got your 3rd DUI and working on your 4th under a suspended license, that’s a different story. Not only is this type of person extraordinarily lucky for not having killed themselves or someone else, they are extraordinarily short sighted and stupid – these are the real idiots. Dumb people make dump mistakes repeatedly. Sensible (notice I didn’t say smart) people learn from mistakes and are better because of it. If your friend has done well in school and proven him/herself a good student engineer with potential, someone will give them a change. What your friend really needs to worry about is the overall poor job market…

    1. For future reference, please know that in some states, such as Oklahoma, you may not even be able to get the license to practice engineering with a DUI. Any non-traffic related offenses must be listed on your application and on each subsequent renewal period. I bet this is the case for other licensed professionals, too..

  2. Anonymous makes a great point that people make mistakes.

    Bottom line: if I have 2 candidates who are equally good in all other areas, I won't pick the guy with the DUI because that's a major judgment error, plain and simple.

    EHRL is right.

  3. A DUI may prove you're an idiot, but it may indicate that you're an alcoholic. Alcoholism can be protected under ADA as long as you're not under the influence on the job. Tread carefully if you're considering not hiring someone because of a non-job related DUI.

  4. I've worked in the public sector since I got out of high school in the mid-70s – US Navy as a nuclear propulsion tech, and one county and three cities as an environmental regulator. Public jobs are not normally filled in the manner EHR talked about. The first thing filled out to apply for an opening is the application, a resume may or may not be requested as additional information (usually not.) Sometimes, especially in technical jobs, there will be a supplemental questionnaire to flesh out the applicants' knowledge and skill set. HR will look at all this stuff and compare to the qualifications and experience requested in the call for applicants. For entry-level positions where there may be hundreds of applicants there will usually be a written test to which everyone who met the minimum qualifications will be invited. Then typically the top 12 or 15 applicants (either through testing or evaluation of the applications and questionnaires) will be invited to an interview board. All the ones I've sat on were three or four people plus an HR person to keep things moving. The interview board has a chance to review each application then a set list of questions that will be asked so each applicant is judged equally. The board rates each applicant immediately after the interview. Once all this is done all interviewed applicants are given their ranking and have an opportunity to appeal. Once the appeal time is over, a ranked list will be sent to the Civil Service Commission for approval. When we get an approved list usually the top three will get interviews with the actual hiring manager.

    At least that's how it works in most cities and counties; patronage places like Chicago are very different and more mirror private employers. Yes, it's a long convoluted process, but it's mandated by law and allows for objective rating of the applicants. The "soft" stuff like personality fit into a particular work group come at the hiring manager stage.

    This was a long way of saying to the questioner, "Yes, the city will know about the conviction before any interviews." I've sat on probably 30 hiring interview boards over the years and could probably count the number of people I've interviewed who had a DUI on their application on one hand.

  5. I would recommend that your friend not consider applying for jobs that require driving or a valid drivers license as a job requirement as this would be a fast disqualification. As time goes on the DUI should not be a problem assuming your friend does not have a recurrence.

  6. considering the hazard from cell phone use is comparable to that from DUI, will you also not hire anyone with a cellphone usage ticket?

    For the vast majority of jobs, what someone does outside the job doesn't have a whole lot of connection with what they do on the job.

  7. "For the vast majority of jobs, what someone does outside the job doesn't have a whole lot of connection with what they do on the job."

    Except a recent DUI does show bad judgment. Ten years ago? Big deal. People can mature. But last year? I would hesitate.

    And if this means the person is an alcoholic (the protected class you get from open bottles), how can you be sure that person won't drink on the job? At lunch? And then hit another employee in your parking lot and open you up to all kinds of litigation?

  8. WHile I agree with Evil that DUI = dumbass (assuming your homie really was over the limit, not uncommon for false DUI charges to be placed), it has been my experience that most people don't care and will sympathize with the "poor person" and the fines and classes they may now have to take. Frankly, I find this disgusting but there it is.

    So it make not, in terms of future employment, affect him that much. If he's pretty young (under 25), people may be even more forgiving of it as long as he doesn't do it again.

    All of that said, if I were in charge of the world, he'd lose his license for life if convicted. I've lost more than one good friend to drunk drivers and the only people with DUIs I have any sympathy for are those who got a bad cop with a worse breath test machine.

    1. I received a DUI because of a legal prescription med, that WAS NOT in excess according to a blood draw… the cop, the system, being unemployed… ALL this hurt my case! To every one of you judgemental SOBs… don’t throw stones when I know you live in glass houses…

      1. Also, my lawyer told me to remember the phrase “There but for the grace of God go I”. Texting and driving is just as dangerous as a DUI, but no one seems to think that’s as big of a crime.

        How many of you can honestly say you’ve NEVER gotten into a car and driven while you were impaired, either by sleep deprivation, meds, alcohol, or texting? If so, hooray for you and I give you a halo…

        Give people a break. Especially when the offense had NOTHING to do with their job. And it was an aberration, not something ever done before or again.

        1. Well said. People who don’t drink regularly or of certain ethnicities or who even take certain kinds of supplements don’t break down alcohol as well as other people. Yet, many look at this as a black and white case. I think EVERYONE, unless they don’t drink period, has had a glass of wine and driven. For some people that’s it and you’re at the legal limit. These blanket judgments are easy to make but so far many of you have just been lucky…until they mandate breathalyzers in all cars I would guess most people have driven at the legal limit without realizing it.

          What I want to know is whether a person should address the DUI (after filling out the application) on their CV.

          Sometimes people scare me…not for making a mistake but for how quickly they judge these mistakes.

    2. “All of that said, if I were in charge of the world, he’d lose his license for life if convicted.”

      My DUI came because I got into my car to grab something before walking home. In many states you can recieve a DUI just for entering the car on the driver side. I drink less than 3 to 4 times a year. I usually drink less that 2 to 4 drinks. And, I have never started a vehicle after having taken a drink. Yet, I still am percecuted for a DUI when I never even drove. Your comment is horrible when you look at DUI laws currently in effect, and how they are enforced. Most DUIs are targeted at a small select group, those leaving bars at close to closing. But, most DUI related accidents come from people leaving domestic related functions (more than 80%). The whole system of issueing DUIs is inherently flawed. Cops get overtime for border line stops, but usually no overtime for clear cut DUIs (because there is much less court time). Because of this, many cops target the borderline stops as well. Also, cops have a lower tendancy of giving cops DUIs. Officers have one of the highest alcholism rates, and one of the lowest DUI rates. And, it’s not because they don’t drive.

      The system is broken. DUIs are meaningless. The real way to promote fewer people getting behind the wheel intoxicated, is to provide better/cheap transportation. Germany, which has one of the highest drinking rates, also has one of the lowest DUI rates. This is because public transportation there is great. It costs between 2000 to 5000 euro to get a license. And, a DUI in Germany results in a loss of license, a 2000+ euro fine, and that you need to go to driver school again, paying the 2000 to 5000 euro a second time. That means a DUI costs you around 10,000 dollars. While the public system is cheap.

      Anyway, don’t diss someones DUI until you know the facts. I have seen too many people get behind the wheel and get lucky. While I am stuck suffering without ever even starting the vehicle.

      1. Nice rant but it won’t get you anything, least of all a job. Accept responsibility, let people know you have learned from it, and never ever go near a car on the drivers side after having even a sip of alcohol. Making excuse to justify it will get you eliminated from every job you go after. It is what it is so man up and move forward.

        1. So what was he supposed to learn from this incident, exactly? Opening a car door does not prove intent to drive, no matter what the state may say, and I fail to see how this person was acting irresponsibly if they had a plan (walk home) and didn’t know it was against the law to “go near a car.”

          I have a friend who got a DUI for choosing to sleep in the backseat of his car because it was snowing, and he didn’t want to walk, didn’t have cab money, and wasn’t about to drive. The cop woke him up to cite him WITH A FELONY – for NOT driving drunk.

          Our laws are absolutely idiotic.

          And no, I have never driven drunk or gotten a DUI. I even worked for MADD for a while!

  9. "For the vast majority of jobs, what someone does outside the job doesn't have a whole lot of connection with what they do on the job."

    If a job requires a valid drivers license a DUI is very relevent. Typically, a DUI means you will lose your license for at least 1-2 months. As an employer I don't want to risk having to fire this person when and if it happens again and they can not do their job.

  10. I must have missed the part of the question where the asker condoned his friend's behavior, and then asked for a holier-than-thou sermon into the bargain.

  11. We must be more attentive and more determined with our jobs, all valid id's must be present.

  12. Your friend should obtain a lawyer to try and get his record expunged. I do not know what state you are in, but in PA you can attend ARD classes after a first offense (If he's eligible). I am not a lawyer, but I work for one and we have a law blog with a lot of information on DUI's.

    http://www.lancasterlawblog.com/articles/duiard-1/

    Feel free to check out the DUI section linked above for more information on his legal options.

  13. A sermon? It was three sentences. It's hardly "holier-than-thou" to say that driving under the influence is stupid. If Evil HR Lady said taking a hair dryer into the shower was stupid would that be "holier-than-thou" too?

    As for the alcoholism thing, I think it's a huge leap to go from DUI to alcoholic and an even bigger leap to go from not hiring someone due to a DUI to an ADA violation.

    – RP

    1. It is holier than thou as in judgemental and unprofessional to use inflammitory terms such as stupid and invest your comments with an emotional slant.

      Answer the question or leave it alone, but go somewhere else if you just want to vent your feelings about people accused/convicted of DUI (which is not necessarily the same thing as DUI).

  14. Although I agree that DUIs are horrible, I'd like to know how many of you who are saying how stupid you have to be to get one has NEVER (as in not one single time in your entire life) gotten behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking. The difference is that you didn't get caught. You may say you "were under the limit" or "not impaired" but unless you were stopped and tested – how do you know for sure. It's a bad decision to drive after drinking and the risk is not worth it; however, I highly doubt that no one here can honestly say they have never driven after drinking.

  15. You do the crime and you do the time, that should be it. This B.S about holding things agaisnt people is discrimatory. I don't condone drinking and driving, but I also believe people should not be sterotyped and discriminated agaisnt for something they served there time for. If the gov decides that a DUI should = no job ever after the fact, then let it be written in the laws. If people say that person may do it again, well let them, then let them serve there time again. People are living creatures who need to eat and tend to family. They make a msitake, let the "laws" take care of them, it is NOT right for citizens to start punishing people, it is not there place, if people think they should, then start a revolution and overthrow the gov, because you are anti-gov and maybe a "terrorist" ? ? ? Don't like how that sounds eh? haha.. This conversation is a joke and people need to STOP policing each other, let the law do that.

  16. Drinking and driving endangers public lives, but it is not the only way people place others at risk. Falling asleep at the wheel statistically causes more deaths than vehicular alcohol incidents. People who drive tired are not referred to as "idiots" because they are not perceived to have a weakness in moral character like people who drink and drive. Alcoholism is not loosely referred to as a disease. It is a researched medical condition with underlying pathology. Obviously, if the reason someone continues to encounter drinking and driving arrests can be attributed to stupidity, criminalizing and branding them for life would be effective. Treatment is now court ordered with a first arrest because it has been determined that being an "idiot" is not the reason a person drinks and drives. I don’t mean to sound harsh, but it is really important that we change our attitudes towards substance abuse for our own safety.

  17. People who fall asleep, talk on cellphones, and my favorite…soccer moms yelling at the kids cause more accidents than drunk driver's with a B.A.C below .16. The limit is to low to crucify people and if people want to crucify drunk drivers because of deaths then they should be consistent and crucify the people who fall asleep, talk on cell phones and especially MADD soccer moms yelling at the kids in the car and not paying attention to the road. Put the soccer moms in jail for a year and take their license away forever since they are to stupid to watch where they are driving and yell at the kids when they get home!

  18. Having been on the receiving end of a DUI 3 years ago at age 37, I can assure you the consequences for my actions have far outweighed the .12 that I blew. I can also tell you that I certainly did not think that I was in a state not to be able to drive after attending a family BBQ where I consumed 5 beers in 3 hours. The state police officer who asked me to drive a couple of friends home using his vehicle certainly did not feel I had too much to drink either. I do not feel that my actions were a result of stupidity, nor alcoholisim. I have never been in trouble with the law prior or since and all though my DUI was reduced to a Driving while impaired in the state of Michigan I still received 1 night in jail, 4 points on my license, restricted driving priveleges for 90 days, over $1600 in court costs and fines, 6 months probation and a drivers responsibility fine of $500 per year for 2 years. Since I am in the securities business, this must be a part of my public disclosure record for both my insurance and securities licenses. I am also on two youth sports league boards and coach both baseball and football and must report and disclose this information and explain the incident every year.

    I have been denied the ability to sell for or through several carriers. I have tried applying at several firms and immediately upon disclosure of the incident, I have been told that they cannot hire me. I have also just recently been offerred a position outside of my industry after two months of interviews, accepted the position and the offer was retracted two days later when the impaired driving was disclosed as part of a background questionaire and investigation. Apparently I can be president of the United States (George Bush) with a DUI but I can't be a salesmanager, where no aspect of my job description is related to driving??

    The beauty of this, is in the State of Michigan any alcohol related driving offense is non-expungible and will remain on public record for life. Does the punishment meet the crime, ask the over 20% of the male population of the State of Michigan, which is the number of individuals according to many of you are "stupid alcoholics", that have received a alcohol driving related ticket.

    As a prior service Marine, an active volunteer within my community, a charitibale and church going person and well respected business man in my community and a graduate of the University of Michigan I will put my intelligence, integrity and moral fiber against anyone.

    For all of you who feel it is stupidity or alcoholism that causes a person to receive a dui, I will just leave it at …"you are all very wrong!" Also anyone who feels my right to work or support my family should be taken away because of this should truly be in no position to make hiring decisions.

  19. ^I totally am with you on this. The main issue I think is the ability to find work. It's been seven years since my DUI and the difficulty in finding work has been formidable. I'm ABD working on my doctoral dissertation and I actually want to work in the private sector in computer graphics and IT. But a DUI in Florida stays on the record for 75 years. It cannot be expunged. I completed DUI school, counseling, community service, jail work camp, paid fines and yet I still have to reference this seven years later on job applications: long after I have paid my debt to society. I made a mistake but I should not be punished for life, especially when I did not take a life: all couda or wouda conjecture is immaterial.

  20. while all doors closes for an ex DUI offender he will be thinking,now what am I goin to do rob you car and house,come on think about it the that exactly what we may push people to!!!everybody deserves a second chance to get bette,it is up on the law to enforce severe punishment!

  21. Two people walk into the hiring managers office. Candidate A has a PHD, is a former Marine, youth league coach, church goer, has 25 years experience in his field, has several awards and references regarding his/her character and has been married with kids for 20 years. Candidate B on the other hand, is has a community college degree, has been all over the map when it comes to employment, has never been married, smokes pot recreationally, does not have any references whatsoever and is single.
    The hiring manager makes a decision and decides to hire Candidated B, the reason is although candidate A was very qualified he had a 3 year DUI on his record.

    Now if this is not Discrmination I don’t know what is !

  22. Call me crazy, but didn’t GW Bush have a DUI? And that didn’t stop him from getting the highest job in the US–twice over…

  23. i screwed up a couple of years ago. came back from the super bowl and decided that i would have a bunch of drinks on the side of the road. the end result is that i have not had a job since. you cannot be a used car salesman, a garbage man, a landscaper, or most any job because of the god damned insurance. you can be a lawyer, a doctor, a president, an artist, a daddy, etc. i was never in trouble before, but now i am losing my house, i have no insurance, and either i take up a life of crime, or die a slow death along with my family.

  24. The effect s of having a DUI can truly ruin a persons life now but there is noone to tell you that beforehand. Not all DUI offenders intended to drink and drive nor had much choice. In may of 2009, I was staying at my girlfriends house and we were entertaining a few friends for the night. One of her friends bumped into her with a wine glass severing a vain in her wrist. She had to go to the hospital that nightmand the police officer who arrived to take a report insisted that we all had to leave and that I could not leave my car there or it would face a 30 day impound. He would be back in 25 minutes to make sure we were gone and would arrest us for drunk in public if he saw us walking. That night we could not get a cab for at least an hour and a half and the only available towing company were was chartered out to the police department for the night. At the time, I lived in a different city and staying with my girlfriend was regular thing half of the time. I wasn’t about to drive home out of town and had to chose the lesser of two evils. One of our friends there lived about a quarter mile away and so that is where we went, having no choice, we had to go somewhere. We made it to his house without a problem and as soon as I pulled into his driveway, the same police officer pulled up behind and arrested me without any questions.
    Since then my life has been ruined. I would have rather crashed and died that night even if it meant killing someone else. Since then, I lost my job and am unemployable. It has been 3 years now that I have been out of work. I have lost everything. I have been living on my mothers couch for 2 and a half years now, there really is no hope left. I cannot go into school for a new career because everything is insurance regulated now and I am considered a liability. I talked to every military recruiter I could about joining a branch. At this point I would easily risk my life for my country for minimum wage of it meant a small paycheck and some hope for a future. But I can never join the military now because of this. Funny how undocumented illegals can join the service, so can serious felons, but I can’t. Why can’t I give my life for my country at the frontlines of battle? Apparently, my life is worth absolutely nothing now. Yet if I were to be commit suicide, I would be committed as insane or mentally unstable. Really, tell me what is insane about ending a life with no hope, no future, nothing ahead but homelessness, hunger, inability to acquire healthcare?
    So often I hear the same general solutions, start up a business, go work at McDonalds or TacoBell. Believe me I have filled applications and submitted resumes to every restaurant, fast food diner, clothing or grocery store, state agency, post office, temp agency, construction company, etc. Every employer conducts background checks, and believe me, restaurants do not just hire anyone who walks in just because you need a job, contrary to some peoples stupid generalizations. With all of the government and state agencies created to rehabilitating this and preserving that, there is not a single one to help a DUI offender reacquire employment. I guess I’m just as evil as a terrorist. If there was true education of the after effects of having a DUI, I can guarantee you there will be fewer of them, because if there’s any chance that you are DUI, then a police officer may as well be Jason Vorhees, run. Run every stop sign, red light, cut off pedestrians, do whatever, just don’t get caught. Seriously, you may as well be in prison for the rest if your life because otherwise you will be just as unemployable and unable to provide for yourself or a family. At least in prison you will have clean clothes, a dry bed, 3 square meals a day. The DUI alone will just get you homelessness. Did the legislature ever consider these long term casualties of their policies? Of course not, they never take careful consideration of long term effects. This not fall under the category of cruel and unusual punishment. I have had all of my livelyhood taken away and there is nothing left of me. Do you perceive my frustration to be …unreasonable? Am I “mentally unstable” in your eyes? Go to hell you vindictive pile of crap. You have your vengeance. If I could give my life and give you back your daughter or son, I would. But guess what, it wont. Nothing will. THEY ARE GONE. Now your mission is taking the families, the hopes, the dream, the futures from others.

  25. I received a DWI in Texas in 1998. No accident but $10,000 in court costs only to be found guilty. I have NEVER driven intoxicated since and never intend to! To the HR folks that are so judgmental- you don’t need to be in HR! If you accept the fact that a person has made a single mistake in which no one was harmed then I shudder to think what the morale is like in your company!

  26. I got a DUI when I was in the navy in 1978. I was 18 and everyone on my ship was an alcoholic from the Captain down. Up until the mid 1980’s it was legal to drink and drive in Florida as lang as you were not drunk. When I was in Jax Beach FL. there were several drive through liquor stores! Honastly you could drive up like McDonalds and a girl would bring everybody mixed drinks to the car! Then came MAD in the 1980’s. Unfortunately in 2000 I was driving home after a14 hour day and stopped to get a beer at a circle K on the way home. I was at a light and was rear ended. The cop smelled beer and asked me to blow. I refused because I was told long ago by a cop never to blow. Result was another DUI. I should have realized it takes $5000 to start to defend a case. Didn’t have the cash. So they took my license for one year I payed $$$ in fines. Attended DUI school and lost my job, house, wife and kids. Plus in Florida DUI stays on your record 75 years. There are people with armed robery that have their records sealed, not DUI suckers. To you HR folks and other anal retentives, if you live long enough, you will have some humility. I have been a business owner for years now because I couldn’t get a job even after completion of my MBA. I wouldn’t hire a butt-head like you because you have no soul. This country was built by people like me, it will be brought down by people like you.

  27. DWI will not ruin your life. Going to sites like this will just get people upset. If you have a job that does not require driving and you have a lot of experience and good references you have a good shot at getting hired. This HR lady is full of crap.

  28. First of all I want to say that I AM NOT AN IDIOT I AM NOT STUPID…..I got a dwi when I was 25 im almost 28 now. Yes the decision to drive was retarded even if I was one point over the limit. But that doesnt make me an idiot or a waste of human life it makes me HUMAN like everyone else and like everyone else I made a mistake. Stop acting like you people are saints and idols what mistakes have you made? Yes a dwi sucks but it sucks for a reason….so you will NEVER do it AGAIN…EVER. if your reading this and you got one like I did its okay to beat yourself up you made a mistake pay your fines and surcharges and move on and learn from it….Over time it will become less and less of a problem. Dont listen to negative mf’s……and the evil HR lady can go eat a brick. You can get a job with it on your record….keep on moving and F the naysayers!….good day!

  29. Dui will ruin your life.You will never get a job and live in the park. Jimmy knows. Jimmy sleeps on a park bench and gets Internet access at the Mickey D’s.

  30. I have a DWI and I told my job about it. I got the DWI while I was already working there but I disclosed it anyways. The (Head) HR lady did not even flinch, she shrugged her shoulders and said it was not a big deal. 1 is considered a minor traffic violation. She compared it to a speeding ticket. It only gets tricky if you have more than 1, meaning you really are stupid and do not learn from your mistakes..

  31. What is so stupid about getting a DUI. I got a Masters in computer science graduating at he top of my class. I got a DUI 3 years ago only because I got caught in check point going 12 miles over the speed limit. I paid my dues have stopped drinking, and attend Alcoholics Anonymous 2x a week. Yet this charge on my record will haunt me for years to come. How fair is that ?

  32. People who show no forgiveness should receive no forgiveness.
    All people who posted here–including St.Evil HR Laddie–have somehow endangered another person or used bad judgement. As for St. Evil, cowards like you are the reason for so much hate in this nation. You are such a coward, hiding behind your blog. Would you like to step into the an MMA ring with me tough HR Laddie? I’m a Woman who knows how to fight and you talk tough but you wouldn’t last long.

  33. I find it interesting how some people judge others and label them as stupid or bad. I think that I have endangered more people with my driving while sleepy or distracted than when I received my DWIs.I actually had an accident because of my child misbehaving in the backseat once. I think that because of the new crackdowns on drinking and driving, people will eventually be more careful. But for now, so many still do it and I think employers will see a lot of that on applications. Maybe the discrimination will ease up a bit? I hope so. Because I too have become despondent about my life due to unemployment. I’ve struggled so much, with depression and just to make ends meet after my divorce and found that although I got my Bachelor’s degree I seem to have no future. Disappointment after disappointment is like the Great Depression for those of us who suffer from this. I work at McDonalds and thank god for my parents’ support and kindness. My kids are also happy and always rooting for me. I have them to live for.

  34. You know who’s a really ignorant..the evil hr lady. There are reasons why people drink and drive that don’t make them idiots. Bad decision maker? Yes. Perhaps alcoholics? Yes. I am not condoning drinking and driving, but to cast this all in one category is misleading and makes her sound like the biggest idiot of all.

  35. Well heck I just got an offer last week despite my 3 year old DUI. I was upfront with the hiring manager so when it came time to fill out the paper work, I asked him if my DUI would be a problem. He said well at least I was up front with it and told them first hand. He also said he was caught in the same predicament years ago himself. This is the second job I got after my DUI ! But I got to admit I lost out on about 4 sweet high-paying jobs because of it. Those 4 months of unemployment were sheer hell, I’ll never forget them !

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    Stipulations from the Center that most will not
    Hire.

  38. Idiot huh? Your the reason why this country is why it is. Everyone has Static in their lives, its how you respond that makes you who you are.

    You Get a DUI, it sucks. But if you get through it, it makes you stronger

  39. There is no doubt that having a DUI on your record has a big impact on your future. It can jeopardize your job, enrollment in school, and graduate school. (http://www.springsteadbartish.com/practice-areas/criminal-defense/minors-in-possession/ferris-state-university-student-crimes/). In Michigan, an employer cannot fire you simply because you have been arrested or accused of committing a crime because the Constitution presumes that you are innocent until proven guilty. However, an employer can (for many legitimate reasons, e.g., liability and insurance) require an employee to report an arrest and fire that same employee if they fail to do so. Anybody charged with a crime, including a DUI, would be wise to consult with an attorney immediately. http://www.springsteadbartish.com/practice-areas/drunk-driving/

  40. Thanks this blog is helpful. I recently got a DWI, and I did lose my job because it’s a no no in my industry. I knew it going in and still made the dumb mistake. I think more about the decisions I made and how unhappy I was (I realize it was more of a personal matter).But everybody at my job, lawyer, family, and friends said one wasn’t that big of a deal. Family members who actually did HR said that one isn’t going to be frowned upon.
    Sure enough they were right. I did receive a job offer with a marketing company. I was honest and upfront. But I had to focus on myself instead of looking at the dui as deterence. Just my take for anybody that needs help!

  41. You are an idiot of you guys beilieve that sleeping in your car is idiotic..people on here who keep saying thay need to shut there mouth a dui doesnt prove anything not that your a bad person or a dumb person it just proves that you broke a simple law which in no way affects a job not involving driving. But you can move past a dui, and you can get a good job exspecially if just one a dui is a traffic offense though you face similar charges as a criminal al offense..either way you can come back fro. A misademananor dui..these people on here saying you won’t get a job or have no sympathy for people need to stfu and get off the blog because it’s a kid asking for advice not looking to people who clearly said they have no law degree, def not a engineering degree, and are just talking shit to make you feel bad don’t listen to anyone if it’s not violent, a felony, or drug related you can def get a job. a dui, and exspecially a physical control will not harm you..I have one qith a college degree if it’s physical control it’s a non moving violation no points on your liensce you usually don’t loose your L’s and you can get a job.

  42. I really think that we should give people a break. Believe me they paid for what they did when they spoke with the judge. It should not effect their job prospects the rest of their life when they do not even drive for a living. They did pay the price already for the law they broke. DWI is the one thing that can not be expunged from your record whereas drug charges, theft charges and many many other charges can be. And those charges that are expunged employers are unaware of. If everyone else gets a second chance when it comes to jobs then people who get 1 DWI should get a second chance too.

  43. It says on the beer packaging: “This product can impair judgement” yet we discriminate against people who act with impaired judgement after they legally obtained the product that impaired their judgement. Argue that one out HR lady!!!

  44. Hello, i apologize un advance for bringing this old topic up. Its just i have been doing my research after i was arrested for a DWI in NY state. I have taken full responsibility for my actions and i do not blame anyone but my lack of good judgement.
    I am 22 and graduating college, at this point i am debating whether getting my Masters in Public Admin is even worth it if i will have a misdemeanor after this trial. I dont want to drown myself in student loans that i will not be able to pay back because i wont be able to get jobs in my field of study. I have interned in many government agencies and currently employed in a large retail corporation in which i can find letters of recommendation where my supervisors can vouche for my work ethic. I just want to know whether h.r agents automatically disqualify a dwi conviction or my academic merits and experience can make up for that? This has really gotten to me, im going through a deep depression and i really feel like not wasting my time i have never been convicted of anything. Not even points on my license.

    Hope someone can give me a word of advice. No criticisms on my actions as i am already labeled a criminal.

  45. Howdy
    I’m a military veteran at Texas A&M university, majoring in Geology. I have essentially two DWI’s. Hell doesn’t describe what I’ve been through. I’m so emotionally worn out (although totally sober) that part of me should literally be in a hospital somewhere just doing nothing and eating apple sauce. I’ve been through a rehab for military veterans twice. I’m 24 years old and finally sober after the RIDICULOUS amounts of drinking in.the navy. I bet no one you have ever met in college drank as much as us, and Im not bragging, look what it did to me to live that life. It is a blessing on.gods earth to be.alive, everything else is a subtopic, seriously. If any of you have DWI’s just relax. I kill myself everyday because of this and im studying the hardest curriculum on.earth to prove myself to employers. The thing.about criminals who have cleaned up is we see what the long term consequences are. People who.have really not been to.jail even, just don’t know. Good for them. Its a living hell to continue with this shadow. And it is real. Remember what rehab taught you: Your sobriety is your gift. Your temperance is your gift. I don’t know if I.will ever get a job. When I.read these hopeless posts I LITERALLY see people burning in a living hell of their past, and the united states doesn’t.give a crap because there are powers that be which are influenced to the end of your life as you know it.you know what I’m talking.about: There are people that want you dead, or in.jail, and yes, they DO play favorites in.court. This whole system is SICK. its sick sick sick. I’m.supposed to.be BETTER, a literally better person because of my DWI STATE MANDATED REHAB, a BETTER PERSON and yet I’m trash to employers. I.live in constant fear of my future yet continue going, because I’m a red blooded American who would die for my country and in.being judged by hypocrites. We’ll see what happens when I graduate.

  46. I personally, have never had a dui but I’m not going to lie and say I have NEVER drove under the influence of alcohol. I’ve never drove more than a couple of miles but it was still wrong. I never would have drove if I had been stumbling drunk but I have drove while tipsy and knew I would not pass a breath alayzer. I have, though, drove while being extremely tired. It ended badly. I veered off and hit a bus stop before I snapped out of it. It was only by the grace of God that no one was waiting for a bus at the time. This happened in my mid twenties and I am 47 now. I still think about it to this day and wonder what “woulda” happened if there had been someone there. With that being said, let me tell you about the hell that I’m going through now. Two years ago, my husband got a dui because after taking an ambien one night, he had a bad reaction and (knowing better) had a night cap (several) , before going to bed. Just a warning. Even if you don’t feel sleepy after taking an ambien, it’s still in your system and reacts very badly with alcohol. He has no memory of getting in the car. Thankfully, he got no further than just down the street before running into someone’s brick mailbox and disabling the car. Long story short, he’s been out of work since. Retired military and a very smart electronics technician. He can pull apart anything from an appliance to a flat screen tv and fix it. He was in between jobs when this happened and was soon to be hired by someone. That incident put a hault to it. He’s been unemployed since. The depression of being rejected has sent him into a downward spiral and our lives have changed drastically. Thankfully, we paid off our mortgage years ago and we have health insurance but we have to pay for everything else with his retirement and whatever part time job I can find. He provided for us well enough for me to be a stay at home mom with only part time work as a dental asst.. After having our last child, I took off for 5 yrs and it has been hard to find good jobs, since. He is still unemployed and has turned to alcohol more than he ever did before. We struggle to pay our bills and here at Christmas, it’s more apparent than ever. We haven’t been able to afford dinners out, other than McD’s every once in a while and we can’t afford dental insurance. As I type this, my face is swollen because of a bad tooth, which is why I’m awake, and I can’t even afford to have it extracted. Which is ironic, considering I used to be a dental asst..I will definitely lose this tooth because we can’t afford a root canal and crown. My youngest daughter has not seen a dentist in 2 yrs. She needs braces, of course. What I’m trying to say is that the more punishment and suffering you put on someone for one mistake is actually making matters worse. The laws need to be changed because employers discriminate and judge too harshly. Families suffer because of one single mistake. It’s not just the individual who pays.

  47. Another thought that I forgot to mention. Why add to the homeless population? I wonder how many of our homeless are just people unable to overcome the adversities that come with a single dui?

  48. I can’t even imagine how hard it must be to provide for yourself, much less your family, with a felony. They may as well give you a dose of cyanide on leaving prison. Seriously, is one dui worth the inability to be hired for the rest of your life? Come on, people. Have a little more sense than that.

  49. very smart people make the mistake of a DUI, no wonder you have so much time to write these articles, cause a good employer would not hire your ass.

  50. Fantastic comments ! I was enlightened by the facts . Does anyone know where my company might get ahold of a blank DD 2558 example to work with ?

  51. You act like you’ve never made a single mistake in your life. That’s all a DUI is – a mistake. You’ve never done anything idiotic before? I mean a LOT of people who’ve gotten one DUI barely blew over, and probably would’ve made it home fine. Doesn’t make it okay, but the government ruins people’s lives over one DUI and that’s ridiculous.

  52. Wow, this lady is the ultimate in hypocrisy. I’m betting it’s just clickbait- nobody can be this dumb and hypocritical.

    If not, I’m sure this “author” is a real joy to work with. Just another person getting their rocks off to someone else’s mistake. Oh well, we see your kind and just don’t care.

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