Job Interviewing Lessons from Prison

May 22, 2006 — -- I went to prison last week.

The Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Conn., which houses 1,300 female inmates, asked me to visit to discuss employment prospects and job search strategies post-release.

I made my first faux pas within 15 minutes of my arrival.

As I talked to a group of felons, I told them in no uncertain terms that they'd need to hustle to find work. A prison official tapped me on the shoulder and motioned me to the side. He politely explained that "hustle" had a very different meaning to these women than the one I intended. While I meant pounding the pavement and working hard to land a job, they interpreted hustle to mean drug dealing and prostitution. You can be sure I didn't use that word again for the remaining four hours of my time behind bars.

Another group of women told me they were scheduled for release in the next couple of months and they were eager to get to work. "Why should an employer hire you?" I asked. The answer from all of the women was the same: "Because I did my time and I deserve a chance. I need a break."

I warned them that such a response wasn't good enough. Employers don't make charity hires, sympathy selections or decisions based solely on the needs of prospective applicants. Instead, companies extend offers to the people they believe will successfully fulfill the obligations of the position.

That's not unique to how employers evaluate ex-convicts: Just like service men and women in the military seeking to transition to civilian work or stay-at-home moms desiring a return to the workplace, ex-cons re-entering the job market must be ready to explain the hard and soft skills they offer a potential employer. This includes behavioral traits gained through challenging experience. Conflict resolution, extraordinary discipline, respect for authority, and growth and maturity developed from intense self-reflection are among the valuable skills many of these inmates will take away from their punishments and rehabilitation.