There’s been consistent growth in the marketing industry in Australia lately and the prospects in terms of job creation in this field for the next few years are quite encouraging. Choosing a career in marketing is considered a very safe move at the moment. The work can be stressful at times, but it is also fun and intellectually challenging, and the pay is good. If you’re wondering if you can get a job in marketing if you have a criminal record, the answer is yes. Maybe. Most probably, but it depends on how well you play your cards.
What type of offenses might make you unsuitable for a marketing job?
The most important thing you need to know is that, under Australian law, employers are not allowed to reject your job application if the offences on your record have nothing to do with the requirements of your job.
An old traffic offense is quite irrelevant for a career in digital marketing, for instance. Even a public disturbance you were involved in back in your college days, bears no relevance for marketing experts.
On the other hand, any sort of offense related to theft, fraud or embezzlement might prevent you from getting a job in marketing, especially if you’d have access to company funds. Likewise, a sexual assault or harassment charge on a police check will be a serious obstacle for a marketing career as often enough this type of job requires interacting with customers or business partners. No company will take the risk of hiring someone with a history of sexual assault to represent them in front of their partners.
Also, any offenses that reveal a drug or alcohol problem might constitute a serious impediment in getting a marketing job.
Know how to sell yourself
What does a marketing specialist do? He understands what the customers are looking for and knows how to make a case to convince them to buy a certain product, rather than one from the competition. If you have a criminal record, consider the job interview as a marketing opportunity and sweet-talk them into hiring you.
This is not about lying. On the contrary, you need to be honest as they’ll probably ask for a police check anyway. You can get one online from organizations like Australian national character check or you can do it the old-fashioned way and get it from a local police station. Come clean about your past and explain the circumstances that led you into committing a certain offense.
If you’re any good at marketing you may very well convince them you’re worth hiring, irrespective of your past.
Do a background check
When you work in marketing you need to know everything about the products or services you need to sell. In this case, you’ll want to know exactly what the employers will see on your record. Keep in mind that some offenses will no longer appear on your record if enough time has passed. The Spent Conviction Scheme was created exactly to give people like you an opportunity to bury the past and build a future.
Use an online character agency to order criminal history checks on yourself to see what offenses are still disclosable and what offenses are already spent.
If you go into the job interview with the national police check in hand and make a convincing case for yourself, you might have a good chance of getting the job.