Arrested for Computer Forgery

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BreakingOutOfPWM

Human

Most Helpful

You screwed up. You learned your lesson (I hope). It happens.

I believe you only need to report a CONVICTION, not an arrest. If the conviction is dismissed, I don't think it will be a big deal in your background check. Young people make mistakes. Half the consultants you'll interview with are still finishing their cocaine stash from senior year.

If it does show up:

Yes, there is a high likelihood that this will affect your offers. But there might be a hiring manager/HR department willing to overlook. So just carry forth as normal, there is nothing you can do about it. A few pieces of advice:

DO NOT LIE about the arrest. It will 99% come out in the post-hire background check. There will be a place to discuss prior felonies on your application portal - this is where you should input the arrest.
Do not bring up the arrest during any networking or informational chat.
Do not bring up the arrest period.
Expect to be asked about the arrest. If asked pre-hire (this is the scary situation), be upfront and honest and have a compelling story about why you did it, admit your regret, then most importantly, talk about what you learned from the mistake and why you would never do it again. If asked post-hire, it's a similar story line, but you're already halfway over the goal. HR should have caught it in your app before, so it's much less likely they will rescind.
Again, DO NOT LIE about the arrest if asked in the portal or directly to input the arrest. If it is discovered post hire (again, 99%, unless the background check company fucks up - this is really easy for them to pull), and you lied on your application, this will blacklist you. 5-7 years from now, post-MBA, they might be willing to overlook a dumb mistake when you were a kid, as long as you don't blow this.

TL:DR - don't bring it up, don't lie about it if it does come up, and have a story about what you learned from the experience. It might not be a big deal. Don't let the experience prevent you from applying to jobs, there is no way to know ahead of time without asking HR, and that's not something you want to do.

Authored by: Certified Consulting Professional - 2nd Year AssociateCertified Consulting Pro

George Orwell

Gorilla

Is there no method in your state to expunge the arrest, given the felony conviction will be cleared? I imagine you’ve entered a deferred adjudication program.

All in all, as long as you’re not convicted, it won’t have much impact at all to your consulting applications. Relax and focus on what you can control for. Follow advice given above. High finance might be a different story due to forgery - not sure there.

Authored by: Certified Consulting Professional - Engagement ManagerCertified Consulting Pro

blank112

Gorilla

Expunged. Talk to a lawyer worth their weight.

mrharveyspecter

Human

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