Does Amazon Hire Felons?

Applying for a job with a felony can be tricky since not many organizations are open to hiring felons to work for them.

There are however a few organizations that are becoming more open towards hiring felons and Amazon is one of them. Apart from being one of the largest employers in the United States, Amazon doesn’t make a big deal of your felony.

If you are a convicted felon then working in one of the many Amazon warehouses that are scattered all over the country is a great opportunity.

Whether you are planning to work full-time or part-time with Amazon, you shouldn’t let go of the opportunity because it adds a lot of weightage to your resume.

While Amazon usually hires felons for temporary jobs, they later check their skills and decide to make them permanent. If you plan on becoming part of Amazon, then you will be pleasantly surprised to know that unlike most other organizations, Amazon pays $15 an hour. Apart from being associated with a large brand you also earn more money.

Can A Felon Work At The Amazon Fulfillment Center?

At any given point, there are over 200 entry-level positions available at various Amazon warehouse fulfillment centers in the United States.

Amazon is one of those companies that does not judge a person based on their criminal history. They do however choose to avoid working with felons due to certain factors.

1 Types Of Conviction That Makes It Difficult To Get A Job At Amazon

Felons with the following crimes have a slim chance of getting through at Amazon:

This however doesn’t mean that you will not get a job with them at all. Irrespective of your conviction, you should still apply at Amazon to try your luck. Considering the number of open posts at Amazon, they may give you a chance. You should try and apply for multiple positions since this increases your odds of getting hired.

2 Duration Of The Criminal Record

In most states, accessing a criminal record older than 7 years is not permitted. The Amazon application form has a clear question that asks you if you were convicted for a felony in the past 7 years.

If you were worried about lying about your conviction, this is something you won’t have to worry about if your crime is older than 7 years.

This means Amazon won’t know of your felony charges and since it won’t show up in background check either, you can leave it behind. This is however dependent from state to state. In some states, your records can be expunged or sealed after 5 years while others may take 10 years for the records to be covered.

3 Your Previous Work Experience

One of the major criteria while hiring for Amazon is your experience and skillset. If you have experience in jobs that are similar to the ones Amazon is currently offering, the chances of you getting the job increases automatically.

If you don’t have any experience, you can always get good recommendations to make up for it.

Amazon is always looking for individuals with good moral character. If you can prove you have good moral standing, it increases your chances of getting a job.

Another thing you can do to increase the weightage of your resume is to volunteer for community service. Although this doesn’t pay you anything, it contributes to your character which is a major factor in getting hired.

4 Your Honesty

As a felon, it can be difficult and embarrassing to talk about your conviction. You must remember that if you are not honest while filling out your form or during the interview, Amazon will still learn about your conviction since they run criminal background checks on all employees.

If your conviction was less than 7 years ago, it will come up in this background check. Lying about it during an interview or forgetting to mention it on the application will lower your chances of getting a job.

Whether it is a misdemeanor or a felony, you must be open about it because lying won’t get you anywhere, and the chances of you getting a job become negligible.

5 Establishing Rapport With The Hiring Manager

A major factor in determining whether or not you will get a job at Amazon or any other organization is the person who interviews you – the hiring manager. Make sure it is not a one-way conversation where the manager just keeps asking questions. Ensure it is a 2-way conversation, and try establishing a connection with the manager.

Talk to them about your felony and explain your situation to them. Try to convince them that you have changed for the better and looking to transform your life.

If the hiring manager is impressed, they will try and overlook a few flaws or even your lack of experience. While it is important to try and establish a connection with the hiring manager, it is also important not to push too hard. The safest way to play this would be to ask questions about the company, its policies, and revolve around the aspects of the business.

This is better than asking them what street they grow up on. Managers are looking for people who are interested in the business and not in their personal lives.

The Average Salary at Amazon

Amazon is known to be one of the highest-paying employers in the United States. At the warehouse fulfillment centers, you stand to earn approximately $15 an hour if you are working the day shift.

Employees who work the night shift or stay back for overtime can get paid anywhere between $16 and $17 an hour based on the location of the fulfillment center.

While $15 is the minimum pay for the Amazon fulfillment center, in cites or states where the standard of living (house rent & food cost) is high, the minimum wages are also higher. One of the perks of working at Amazon, apart from a high payday, is that you get tuition assistance.

Amazon is one of the few organizations in the United States that encourages its employees to study and earn a professional degree while working with them. Amazon also helps pay part of the fees.

Read more: Can A Felon Become a Bail Bondsman?

Job Requirements At Amazon Warehouse

Amazon has different setups. These include:

Deepening on where you are assigned, your tasks will be different. You get all the details about the job at the time of applying for the position. You will also receive training on the job to get accustomed to the workflow. Here are a few requirements Amazon has for warehouse employees:

1 Willing and able to handle and operate carts, moving equipment, hand trucks, and large quantities of merchandise

2 The ability to ascend and descend flights of stairs multiple times a day

3 Physically fit and able to bend, squat, push and pull

4 Be able to stand and walk for up to 8 hours

5 Able to lift up to 49 pounds without assistance

6 Read and communicate in English

7 Be at least 18 years old

8 Have a high school diploma

Securing a job at Amazon may not be the easiest however as a felon, your chances of bagging a job here are quite high. Take a chance and apply for a position you love the most at Amazon. This could be the launchpad you were looking for.