After being charged with drunk driving, your first step should be to contact an attorney experienced in DUI and DWI defenses. The outcome of your case is partly determined by the legal representation you hire. In this blog post, we will go over questions you should ask a drunk driving attorney during your initial meeting.
Our criminal defense attorneys help individuals who are worried about paying heavy fines, going to jail or losing their jobs. Let our years of experience work for you! Get a free case evaluation here or call us right now at (616) 459-5344.
56 HOURS OF DUI TREATMENT: Interview Tips
Do I have to disclose my DUI?
Having a DUI on your record is not the end of the world. Many people with long and successful careers have had a DUI in their past, yet it hasn’t prevented them from moving onward and upward. Most job applications ask directly whether you have been convicted of any crimes (in fact many potential employers now even ask whether you have ever been merely arrested). In doing this the potential employer is attempting to prevent any wiggle room when it comes to the information you must divulge about your prior run-ins with the law. Since you are human, however, you will be tempted to simply not disclose your prior DUI. Failing to do so when asked on an application about your prior criminal history is a lie. The fact of the matter is that the potential employer is going to find out about it anyway as most have extensive resources regarding background checks. If you fail to disclose your DUI and it is discovered by the potential employer, you won’t be hired, plain and simple. Why would a potential employer take a chance on an candidate that lies to it even before being hired? Worse yet, if you do not disclose your DUI and are hired, when your employer subsequently finds out about your DUI conviction, whether its 2 weeks, 2 months, or 2 years later, you will certainly be terminated. For the length of your employment, you’ll anxiously be waiting for the other shoe to drop.
What Will the Potential Employer Do When I Disclose my DUI?
Each potential employer is different thus each will look at a DUI differently. The significance, or lack thereof, a potential employer places on a DUI depends on the industry, company culture, and type of job to which you’re applying. Some potential employers will not be concerned by a DUI. They may not ask you about it even after you have disclosed it. Others will refuse to hire someone with ANYTHING on his or her record, let alone a DUI.
Many potential employers though will fall somewhere in between. When compared to other candidates with clean records, a DUI will not help you; however, if you are highly qualified in other ways, it can be overlooked. In this case, they will probably ask you about it in the interview.
What Are Potential Employers Allowed to Ask About?
Each state has different rules regarding what information can be inquired about during a job interview. In Wisconsin, potential employers are not allowed to ask about an individual’s prior arrests or convictions. They can, however, ask about any pending charges.
Although they cannot ask you about your conviction record during the interview process, that doesn’t mean they will never find out. After they offer you a position, they may conduct a background check. Those results will show your past offenses, and the employer will decide whether or not to follow through with hiring you based on the new information.
Something important to note is that in Wisconsin, it is illegal for an employer to not offer someone a job due to their criminal record except in cases where the conviction is substantially related to the job (i.e., a DUI conviction on record for someone applying to be a school bus driver).
For more detailed information about what prospective employers can and cannot ask about your criminal record, click here.
How Do I Talk about my DUI?
If on the application the potential employer provides you an opportunity to explain, or in other words, downplay your DUI conviction, do it! Provide all the information you can about the community service and other volunteer work you did as a result of the DUI. Explain the lessons learned and how you’ve changed, grown, and bettered yourself since the incident.
If you receive an interview, you should expect a question about your DUI .at the interview, and prepare for it ahead of time. Think of it as just one more of the tough interview questions you will have to face, like “What is the biggest mistake you made?” and “Why are you leaving your current employer?” You can plan for these questions and give a strong response.
The best tactic in discussing your DUI is to say it was a mistake and that you learned your lesson. If it was long ago, you might point out that you were young and did something foolish. Even if it was recent, you can tell them what you learned from your DUI. The point is to show that it’s in the past, and move on. You are a strong, qualified candidate regardless of your DUI.
Remember; however, DO NOT talk about the DUI unless you are asked about it. Remember, it is the past and you have moved on from that silly mistake; therefore it is not something you worry or even think about. If you received an interview, the potential employer is interested in you in spite of the DUI. If it doesn’t care about your DUI, neither should you.
FAQ
How do you explain a DUI in an interview?
Should I mention DUI in interview?
Should I tell hiring manager about DUI?
How long does a DUI stay on your record in Kansas?
