Arrested - No Chance of a Job?

[NYCPilot]

More than 10 years ago I was arrested a few times for minor things when I was in my late teens. Hung with a bad crowd and have since learned and moved on in life. Most were sealed after not getting in trouble for 6 months and after doing some community service.

The airlineapps site asks whether you were convicted of a felony or one of the crimes listed in the past 10 years. I was never convicted of a felony or any of the listed offenses and it has been more than 10 years since I was in trouble. Legally, I would not have to disclose anything as far as that online application goes.

Here's my question.

Since I have never been to an interview I am ignorant about the process and what can be expected. If I am called for an interview are there any additional forms I would have to fill out which might ask more specific questions regarding arrests. Is the wording changed so as to determine if you were ever arrested or convicted of say a violation or misdemeanor or other than a felony? Do they verbally ask if you've been arrested?

I'm sure on the background check something may turn up and if it has been more than 10 years will they over look this since it was not explicitly asked?

I know honesty is the best policy, but I'd like to put this all behind me and get hired at a regional. I'm almost certain that if I disclosed this stuff they would not consider me for employment.

Has anyone else been in a situation like this.

Thanks.

 

[purduej]

You've never been convicted and it was more than 10 years ago, there's no reason to possibly jeapordize your career by mentioning stuff you don't have to.

 

[Dude]

Be open and honest about your childhood buffoonery and explain how those experiences matured you. I got my dream job with arrests from my college days and I was very forthcoming about the circumstances and what I learned from them. Good luck. If you have any doubts, have a P.I. do a background check on you and you will see what an employer will see plus some.

 

[crashpad]

You need to disclose EVERYTHING! The airlines have a program which links direct to the national data base and also matches your fingerprints. Yes, you will be cited for falsely reporting on an FAA approved airline application.
Is it worth your career, kid? Be honest about everything, your criminal history, your log book and sexual preference, and you'll do fine.

 

[Brasilia Flyer]

I was arrested a few times

Arrested one time and you can probably attribute it to childhood stupidity. A few times, and you sound like an adolecent disaster.

Sorry, but that's how I see it. Like it or not, there are always consequences. Sometimes the consequences last a short time, sometimes they last longer.

 

[Oakum_Boy]

crashpad, that's stretching it a little. Have a quality firm run a background check on you. They will find whatever the airline can find. The FBI background check only goes back 10 years. If the airline's own application asks for everything, you'd better admit that or fear your whole career that they may find out.

 

[chuychanga]

I've never seen an airline application or FAA form that asked about arrests. Convictions, yes, but not arrests. You are not hiding anything by not coming forward with them. If they ask, then yes you should give the details and be honest. But if they only ask about convictions (inculding pleas and deferred ajudication) then you are being completely honest when you say no.

I have a felony arrest, with no conviction. I've been through three airline interviews with job offers at all three. None of the applications asked about arrests so I never thought much of it. Only Eagle called me about the arrest when the background check came back. I told them that I never mentioned it because they never asked. They double-checked with the local DA office to make sure there was no conviction and caled me back the next day with an offer. At no time did they act like I had hidden something from them. TransStates and XJT never even asked about it. I've been with XJT for quite some time now.

Honestly answer everything they ask you, but there's no need to purposely bring up stuff they don't ask you about.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

If they ask for convictions within 10 years and you haven't any, then say no.

Displaying a clean record for the past 10 years should count for something.

With the desperate state these regionals are in, I don't think it should be a problem. I'm sure there are plenty of people with skeletons in their closet.

Think about it, why would they ask for convictions within 10 years if they cared about what you did beyond that. There has to be a line drawn somewhere and it seems that 10 years is what has been established. How long can you crucify someone for something in thier past.

I think you'll be fine.

 

[Tarzan]

As posted before; if they don't ask, don't tell them. It also depends on what state you come from. There are states that will disclose what happened as a juvienille, while others will not. Everybody likes to say that a FBI shows everything. Not true, my arrest doesn't come back on a background check. Although there was no conviction.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

You need to disclose EVERYTHING! The airlines have a program which links direct to the national data base and also matches your fingerprints. Yes, you will be cited for falsely reporting on an FAA approved airline application.
Is it worth your career, kid? Be honest about everything, your criminal history, your log book and sexual preference, and you'll do fine.

I've never heard of the application process being an "FAA Approved" one - but maybe I'm misinfomed. Also, if the application asks for arrests within the last 10 years and omits anything beyond this time frame, then the person is not actually falsifying anything.

 

[BrickTop]

Your career is not over nor unachievable by any means. Time that has passed since, circumstances surrounding the conviction and current conduct in the last 5 years will be most determining in their decisions. I myself have been convicted of simple misdemeanors when I was young and have been employed by 3 121 Carriers. Disclose all your information, what you have learned from it and constructivly sell yourself and your lifes current character. However if you fail to disclose you "WILL" be terminated if hired and you will destroy your reputation in this indusrty and label yourself as an un-trustworthy employee to any potential employer.

 

[YourPilotFriend]

It is really no big deal, in fact once you disclose your information you will be placed in the CEO application file.

 

[Blucher]

It is really no big deal, in fact once you disclose your information you will be placed in the CEO application file.

Now that's funny!

-Blucher

 

[JimNtexas]

I think the advice to confess all may be very bad.

You need to talk to an attorney who knows about labor law.

I don't have time to look it up now, but there are very specific laws about what a company can and can't ask, and what they can and can't consider when evaluating applicants

In particular I'm almost certain it is illegal to ask about arrests, or to deny employment on the basis of arrests without convictions.

It is, I'm pretty sure, legal to ask in an interview if have ever been convicted of a specific crime directly related to the job you are applying for. I think there are time limits even on directly related convictions. Remember, felons are a protected class for employment.

There are strict rules about background checks, there are many 'no-nos' that employers must follow when using them.

Before you take the interviewer down memory lane talk to a qualified HR lawyer about your concerns. It will cost you a hundred bucks or so, and it will be worth it.

 

[Flyer1015]

This may be just rumor, but I've heard 'JO the Clown' loves to hire anyone jailed (or convicted) on SEC violations...

 

[VxClimb]

I've never seen an airline application or FAA form that asked about arrests. Convictions, yes, but not arrests. You are not hiding anything by not coming forward with them. If they ask, then yes you should give the details and be honest. But if they only ask about convictions (inculding pleas and deferred ajudication) then you are being completely honest when you say no.

on a somewhat related note. lets say you got a speeding ticket or two and you know a lawyer who took them to court and got them thrown out. technically you were found not guilty of those speeding tickets. so should you reveal them on an interview that you got them when asked?

 

[andym037]

The background check only goes back 10 years. If your arrests occured PRIOR to this period, there is no need to mention it. Period. Besides which, if its a juvenile offense, in many states it won't even show on a standard background check. And even if it did, I doubt anyone would care. We all did dumb things as kids. Unless you were tried/convicted as an adult or something drastic like that... I wouldn't sweat it.

 

[NYCPilot]

Thanks for all the responses. I appreciate the support.

Right now I just want the opportunity to live out my aspirations and have worked very hard since my late teens to get through college on the deans list and acquire all of the certificates to fly professionally. Now that I've finally gotten to a point where I'm competitive, its casuing a lot of anxiety.

One thing no one has mentioned was whether once you are called for the interview if they ask anything further about convictions. Is there a paper application that needs to be filled out which readdresses the convictions and whether you were convicted of a misdemeanor or violation which is what one of them amounted to, albeit, beyond 10 years ago. Basically, how much more do they delve into this topic at the typical regional interview.

also, is there actually a legal statute of limitations for convictons beyond ten years?

Thanks again for the responses and for those who PM'ed.

 

[Whataburger]

These days stuff can be found out about that happened more than 10 yrs ago. Be honest. Period. Good luck. Most airlines understand that boys will be boys. They just wanna see that we grew out of that stage.

 

[bigbird]

Only tell them what they can find out. If its been expunged then you dont have to disclose it. They wont find out. Trust me. You are applying to some crappy airline, not the CIA