My screen name says it all. I have top-notch skills, but I will be forever haunted by white-collar crimes I committed over 20 years ago, and have even been pardoned for.
I stay with the company I hate (love the job, hate the politics) because it's almost insurmountably hard to get a good job somewhere else.
The pay is just okay here, but if someone else would give me a chance, I could easily make 20%+ somewhere else, for the same work.
I have another account on HN with lots of karma, but I'm still terrified that if I talk about my past openly, it'll be career suicide.
Here's the thing: you can "pay all your dues" to society, but if:
a. your crime is a felony
AND
b. you don't live in a state where their criminal code has a provision for felony EXPUNGEMENT (NOTE: that's not the same thing as only a pardon)
the simple fact of the matter.... you're SCREWED. It will follow you FOREVER.
There is no forgiveness, and the felony will make it very hard to get a good job unless you're lucky enough to find a company who will hire you in spite of it.
I have only had luck at companies where I knew someone who worked there already, and they vouched for me. Even then, it was VERY challenging to get past the gate that is HR.
Here's the thing, though... if (as a society) we're going to hold crimes against people forever... how do we expect them to be restored?
A good job is arguably the most important part of that work of restoring someone to society.
See my comment here to give some context. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25610810