Finding a job in today’s competitive marketplace is already hard enough but a DUI can make things even harder for your career. Most employers run a background check to verify whether the candidate for the job has been charged with a felony or a misdemeanor in the past. Thus, your job prospects may be narrowed in case you have a DUI and start looking for your dream job.
It may be hard to accept the fact that a mistake from the past can have life-long consequences that will affect your career. Thus, it is always wise to avoid these types of situations as much as possible. Read on to find out what are the real consequences of a DUI and how it can influence your professional life.
What are the consequences of a DUI?
Having a DUI charge can have a multitude of consequences that will affect you both in your personal life and your career. While your loved ones may be more understanding regarding your mistake, employers don’t show as much empathy when it comes to hiring a candidate that may affect their business. Here is how a DUI can influence your professional life:
– Narrowed job opportunities – A DUI may be a past mistake that doesn’t define who you are in your everyday life or how you behave. However, many employers that offer job positions more sensitive pay a lot of attention when hiring a candidate. Sensitive positions such as working with children, teaching, daycare or driver will most likely be inaccessible for you once you have a DUI in your record. Moreover, there are many companies that are very strict about not accepting any employee that has a criminal record because it may affect the company’s reputation or the employer-employee partnership.
– The failure of background checks – Whether they are hiring for sensitive job positions or not, many companies run a background check before hiring a candidate. Thus, a DUI charge can make the process of finding a job a lot more difficult for you. Although the background check may not show any other problem about your finances or the previous jobs that you had, a DUI is a reason good enough for the employer to decide to give the job to another candidate.
– Misperceptions – You need to be aware of the fact that the job interview is the very first time an employer gets to know you. Thus, they don’t know what type of person you are in your everyday life so they rely on the background check to determine whether or not you are a trustworthy person. A DUI charge is often perceived as a result of an alcoholism problem. Although you may know that it was a one-of-a-time situation and mistake, the employers may avoid trusting and hiring you by having the wrong perception that you may have an alcohol abuse issue.
– Losing your job – Being charged with a DUI can also affect your current job. Your employer may decide that your DUI can affect their business’s reputation or that they can no longer perceive you as a reliable employee.
How to get a job if you have a DUI?
Having a DUI can make the progress of your career a little more difficult as you will be unable to get sensitive job positions and may have to deal with many refusals. However, it doesn’t mean that it will be impossible for you to get a job even though you have been charged with a DUI. If you are hunting for jobs, it isn’t wise to try to hide your DUI. In fact, lying about your criminal record may prevent you from getting the job once the employer runs the background check and finds out about it. It is better to be honest about your past mistake as it proves that you have acknowledged the fact that you were wrong and that you are now trying hard to fix it. Yet, while disclosure about you DUI can make an employer trust that you are willing to do everything to fix your mistake, you should never talk about your DUI unless you are asked to by the employer.
How to avoid a DUI charge?
It is always better to be safe than sorry no matter what situation you are dealing with. It goes exactly the same when it comes to preventing getting a DUI. Here are a few tips that can help you avoid such a situation that can have tremendous consequences on your career.
– Cooperate with the police if pulled over – If you get pulled over by the police when driving under the influence it is always better to cooperate with the enforcement officials in order to avoid making your situation worse. Also, you should refuse the field sobriety test and ask for legal advice from a dui attorney san Diego immediately.
– Don’t drive under the influence of alcohol – Obviously, the best thing that you can do to avoid a DUI is to never drive after you have been drinking. No matter you had just a drink or a couple of more, it is wiser to get a cab or ask someone else to drive. In fact, not driving after drinking should be avoided primarily for your own safety. While you are under the influence of alcohol, your body and brain cannot perform at optimal levels which can put you and the other traffic participants in danger.
– Keep your eyes on the road – Unfortunately, driving after drinking can sometimes not be avoided. You may be dealing with an emergency that forces you to get behind the wheel after you had a few drinks. If such a situation occurs, at least make sure that you are sober enough to drive and drive safely once you get on the road. By respecting all traffic rules and regulations, you lower the chance of being pulled over by the police.
