These Web sites are all free and have proven to be very useful
in searching for a job in the Dallas area.
They maintain a list of local job openings that can be searched by any
number of parameters. Most of them allow you to create a profile that stores
your resume information and job requirements so that you do not have to
re-enter them with each job you apply for.
They also allow you to publish your resume and a cover letter on their
site so that employers will view it. You will need to register with each one
and provide a user name and password for your account. This will allow you to
access the site at a later date to update your resume, or to conduct new job
searches. Keep an accurate log of each site you register with that includes
the user name and password!
http://www.careerbuilder.com/Default.aspx
http://www.dallasnews.com/classifieds/jobcenter/
http://my.monster.com/Login.aspx
http://www.job-search-engine.com/browse/category/
https://www.expresspersonnel.com/app/applogin.asp?cc=1
http://www.dallasjobs.com/altsearch/jobseekers.asp
Here is a helpful hint for presenting yourself to
prospective employer. Use all
applicable prison job assignments to enhance your resume just as if they
were free-world jobs!
If you were a clerk for 3 years then put that down as your job. Put your supervisor's name and the unit and department you were on just as if they were all civilian positions. Your acquired job skills are valid regardless of where they were obtained. Listing them this way provides you with an acceptable source of experience and solves the problem of a large time gap in your work history.
In a related note, do not try to hide your prior convictions from an employer! Tell them up front, in plain language, that you have priors. The Internet has made it possible for an employer to view your criminal and credit history at will. Many times they will check it before you leave the office. Always assume that they will check. If you lie about your past, you will lose all credibility and not get the job. If they say they do not hire ex-cons, tell them thank you and move on to the next employer on your list. Texas has over one-hundred thousand people in prison on any given day. There are many ex-cons out there working and many employers who hire them. Almost everyone in Texas has a friend or family member who is either in prison or on parole. You would be surprised to see how understanding many employers are toward people with priors.
Obtaining an e-mail Account
You must have an e-mail account in order to make use of these Web sites. Most of them will utilize your e-mail address as your user name. Most will also allow you to create an automated job search agent that will e-mail you a list of all new openings that match your selected criteria.
I have found that yahoo.com is a good place to set up a free e-mail account. Their spam filter is effective and they make a pretty good customizable home page for your browser.
Finding Things on the Internet
Ask.com is a very useful site. You can obtain much useful information there, including maps and travel directions.
http://www.ask.com/?o=333#subject:ask|pg:1
Securing transportation
If you are in need of public transportation, DART is the way to go. Daily unlimited rail and bus travel is $2.50. And an unlimited monthly pass is $40.00. DART has a good Web site with all the information you need to plan a trip to and from anywhere in Dallas. You can print maps, schedules, and customized turn-by-turn directions. This site covers all the bases, rail lines, bus routes and schedules.
Telephone & Electrical Service
It seems like everyone you see on the street has a cell phone glued to his ear. Unfortunately, these phones can be very expensive to maintain. Monthly fees can be enormous and you usually are forced to sign a multi-year contract. The fine print and conditions are so obscure and confusing that it becomes an exercise in frustration to sort through all the available options.
However, you may cut to the chase and purchase a Motorola GO! Phone (about $29.00 at Fry’s). You may then choose the pay as you go option where it starts with a $10.00 credit. You pay for minutes in advance, and you never pay any other fees. You must purchase some time each month in order to rollover your balance, but as long as you do this you will have a reliable means of communications. As long as you use it for things you really need then the cost is very low. ( $0.25 a minute for all airtime.)
There is no ID or credit card required, and no contract or obligation to continue using it.
The activation process is not so easy. To be frank, you must be somewhat of a geek to figure it all out for yourself. But once it is activated you are always in touch with the world.
A home phone is easy to obtain. AT&T used to be the only option available, and their requirement for a hefty deposit was a burden to people on a tight budget. Deregulation has opened new doors for telephone service providers, and now you have many companies that will provide you with home phone service for prices as low as $19.00 a month. There is no deposit required and usually no contract to sign. There is no credit check. All you need is the first month's fees and setup charges. This usually amounts to less than $50.00.
You can find these company's advertisements in the Green Sheet, a free publication available on many Dallas street corners and at the exits of grocery and department stores.
Along with the ads for telephone service, the Green Sheet has advertisements for electricity providers. Once again, deregulation has opened the door for competition and there are a multitude of companies eager for your business. You can usually get your power turned on for under $100.00. (one bedroom apartment) This will cover your security deposit and setup fees.
Opening a Checking Account
Everyone will eventually need to open a checking account. Most of you will need one very soon after your release. Do not bother attempting to walk into a bank and open an account unless you have two forms of photo ID. Your TDCJ-ID is no good here.
However, Compass Bank allows you to open an account on-line. You can print out a signature card, sign it, put it in an envelope with your $50.00 TDCJ-ID check and mail it to them. Your account will then be open to you at all the Dallas Compass Banks. Checking is free, ATM usage is free, debit card is free, and the checks are free.
http://www.compassweb.com/personal/checking/freeChecking.cfm
Getting Your Driver’s License
You are required to get a photo ID very soon after your release.
There is no avoiding it… you gotta have it…so go get it! Here are the nuts and bolts of it.
1) You must have the use of an automobile that is registered, inspected, insured, and be driven to the DPS station by the owner.
( Have proof of insurance handy)
2) You must have an original or a certified copy of your birth certificate.
3) You must have your Social Security Card.
4)
You must have your TDCJ-ID or some other form of photo
ID.
5) You will probably need your Parole/Discharge certificate.
(Keep all these documents handy because they will ask for them 3 or 4 times.)
6) You will need $26.00 cash to pay the license fee.
7) Be ready to sit at a computer terminal and take a test on traffic rules, signals, safety, and highway traffic laws. You must pass this test or you won’t get a license. Obtain the Texas driver’s manual at a DPS station and study it.
8) Be ready to drive the car on a 15 minute trip through traffic while a DPS officer rides in the passenger seat and grades you on your skill and traffic awareness.
You will be required to parallel park and to show you are able to back-up safely.
Again, study the driver’s manual or you are bound to fail. It doesn’t take much to earn a failing test score. An improper lane change or failure to signal can do it.
But with a little practice...maybe in a parking lot or on private property… and an evening spent studying the manual, you will have no trouble with the test.
Renting an Apartment
Housing for an ex-con is a real pain. There is no way to avoid it, your convictions are going to return to haunt you every time you apply for a lease. If you are a sex-offender, the outlook is bleak. Almost no rental management companies will lease to a sex-offender. Most cities are rushing to impose restrictions on where sex-offenders can live. If you are a sex-offender, you pretty much have to buy a home or live in a private home owned by a friend or family. You may find a private owner willing to rent to you, but don't waste your time knocking on doors of established apartment complexes.
Non sex-offender parolees also face considerable housing discrimination. However, there are apartments available to you. Once again, the Green Sheet comes to the rescue. Find an ad for an apartment locater service and give them a call. Be up front about your conviction and they will provide a list of five or more apartment complexes that will rent to you. This service is free to you. They earn their money by charging the apartment complex a fee for every referral that signs a lease. Be sure to put the name of the person you talked to at the referral service on the apartment lease application so that they can get their proper credit.
Here is a helpful hint when it comes to disclosing your prior conviction to leasing companies. Those who rent to ex-cons often have a “5 years without priors” rule. Most of you will meet that requirement immediately upon release from the Walls. Disclose the date of your conviction, not the date of your release!
Generally, the apartment manager will require a $35.00 application fee. This is non-refundable, so be sure that they will indeed rent to an ex-con before you pay this fee. The security/background/credit check will follow. If you did not lie on the application and they accepted it knowing your priors, then you should be accepted. Having no credit record is not a problem, but you may need a couple of personal references. Have these names and addresses ready. They will most likely want the first month's rent and a security deposit up front.
Your up front expenses for getting your own apartment can be pretty stiff if you are on a limited budget. Count on paying out two to three times the monthly rent in order to move in. This will cover the apartment fees, security deposit, first month's rent, telephone and utilities. How about furniture? Check out the next section!
Clothes and Furniture
Most of you will be on a limited budget and will not be able to afford much in the way of new clothes or furnishings for your apartment. Welcome to Dallas, city of a thousand thrift stores! Both Goodwill and the Salvation Army operate very nice thrift stores in multiple locations in and near Dallas. You will be very surprised to see the great deals on quality items that they have on sale. These are not shabby places. The Salvation Army stores in particular are extremely nice, well lit, with decorations and displays like a major department store. You will see people from many segments of society frequent these establishments. There is no shame or stigma in shopping at a thrift store, and the prices are as little as 10% of the original. Check out any of the Salvation Army stores and private establishments like Texas Thrift and Garland Road Thrift, or any of the hundreds of other thrift and second-hand retailers around town. There is almost nothing you can't find at a thrift store. Dress shirts and pants for $3.00 each. Clock radios for $2.00. Televisions for $10.00 Lamps and toasters for $4.00. This is a good way to provide the multitude of small necessities for your new apartment.
Here is a helpful hint for parolees with little in the way of available cash. Check out the dollar stores. There are several chains in and around Dallas. Everything in these stores is $1.00 or less. You can get everything from laundry detergent to washcloths there, and some have considerable quantities of food items like soup and cereal. Save the department stores for later, start off with the thrift stores and dollar stores. Your money will stretch much further if you do.