I was completely up front about my past and what I was doing to keep myself on the straight and narrow. To my surprise, my interviewers appreciated my honesty and gave me the job!

I have long been in the restaurant business, working my way up to a managerial position. But after almost eight years, I developed a serious addiction to drugs and alcohol that landed me in jail facing some pretty serious charges.

I was able to get (and stay) clean, but with a criminal record, my fear of never being able to be a manager again became incredibly real. I was qualified, but due to my record, I was unhireable.

I was devastated until a friend of mine mentioned that he needed an assistant at his restaurant in the sales department. I nervously applied for the position even though I had no relevant experience. During the interview I was completely up front about my past and what I was doing to keep myself on the straight and narrow. To my surprise, my interviewers appreciated my honesty and gave me the job!

It changed my life! Soon after that my friend decided to leave the company, which left me alone in the sales department. I worked tirelessly and after six months, the company was hiring again. They were not going to give me the position due to my conviction, but I called our national sales office and pleaded my case. About a week later, they offered me the job!