FirstEnergy Hiring Overview For 2023

Official company policy for hiring felons

As always, we went directly to the source to find out if they hire felons. Unfortunately, we have not heard from the company yet. We will continue reaching out so that we can update our information, though.

Until then, we have done some extra research in the hopes of learning more about the company’s hiring policies. Their website, for example, does profess positive attitudes towards hiring people from a range of different ethnic or religious backgrounds, but it says nothing about hiring people with felony convictions.

Otherwise, online findings leave little to report either way about their attitude toward hiring former felons

Has FirstEnergy hired felons in the past?

We do not, at this time, have information about whether or not they hire former felons. It’s possible that they do, but we don’t have enough information to say one way or another right now.

Does FirstEnergy hire people with misdemeanors?

People with misdemeanors also have a hard time finding work. We haven’t been able to find any direct accounts of people with misdemeanors working at FirstEnergy, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t.

Is FirstEnergy on the Ban the Box list?

The Ban the Box movement is an organized effort to take questions about criminal records off of job applications. The hope is that candidates will not be immediately disqualified from consideration if they have a criminal history.

There is another movement associated with this called the Fair Chance Business Pledge. Companies that make a Fair Chance Business Pledge promise not to discriminate in their hiring policies.

FirstEnergy is not involved in either effort, but this doesn’t actually tell us very much. Many companies that hire former felons have nothing to do with either movement.

Does FirstEnergy have special programs for hiring felons?

Some companies also have special programs that are designed to make it easier for people with records to get hired. You may, for example, see businesses that make a special point of hiring people on parole to help them re-adjust to life outside of jail.

These programs are very rare, but they can be impactful. Unfortunately, it does not appear that FirstEnergy has any programs of this kind. While it’s awesome to find companies that have special programs for hiring felons, most do not.

What are the odds someone with a felony will get hired?

Does FirstEnergy hire felons? Based on what we have learned about FirstEnergy, we can only say that your chances of being hired there are uncertain. The limited number of online reports didn’t help us here, either. Therefore, we just don’t know if it’s possible to get a job at FirstEnergy with a felony.

What are some entry-level jobs?

As a power company, many of FirstEnergy’s available positions are technical. They feature positions having to do with maintenance on power lines and reading meters, for example.

Some of these jobs may even require candidates to go up high on power poles, which, needless to say, may be nerve-racking for some people.

However, not all of their jobs require technical skills. They also have a customer service department if that’s more to your liking.

In any case, most of the positions involve shift work and can be on any day of the week.

Tips to get hired here with a felony

While we may not know how likely it is you will be able to get a job at FirstEnergy with a felony, we can still help you improve your odds. If you want to stand out, you need to first work on perfecting your resume.

A well-written application can go a long way towards impressing a hiring manager. As such, having a friend or a career center go over your application will help quite a bit.

Remember that the objective is always to highlight how you are qualified. If you are applying for a customer service position, any job where you’ve worked with customers may be of use. Even working as a waiter or a waitress might be considered relevant experience.

If you are applying for a more technically skilled position, you need to highlight any jobs you’ve had working in mechanical fields. If you’ve worked as, say, an electrician before, this will certainly help you stand out compared to other applicants.

Of course, if they select you, the next step is to go in for an interview. It’s important to show up looking professional. Cover tattoos, remove “unconventional” piercings, and wear office attire.

A professional appearance is important for any candidate, but it can be particularly useful for people with a criminal record. If you show up looking like a serious candidate, it may reduce the stigma of having a felony on your record.

No matter what, try your best to be natural. If you’re in for an interview, it means they like something about you. A little bit of confidence will prove that they were right to be impressed by your application!

FirstEnergy will do a background check. Their website confirms this.

However, not all background checks are the same.

For instance, if you live in one of these states, FirstEnergy will only see information about offenses that occurred in the last seven years:

• California
• Colorado*
• Kansas*
• Maryland*
• Massachusetts
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Hampshire*
• New York*
• Texas*
• Washington*

*Sometimes pay brackets can have an impact on what shows up on a background check.

These other states will not include information on offenses that you were found not guilty of:

• Alaska
• California
• Hawaii
• Indiana (limited check)
• Kentucky
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• New York

Unfortunately, however, there are still many states that include information on your entire history. This includes offenses that you were found not guilty of. If you live in any of these places, FirstEnergy learns everything:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• DC
• Delaware
• Florida
• Idaho
• Indiana (extensive check)
• Iowa
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• New Jersey
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

Company ratings

We also went online to find out what it’s like to work at FirstEnergy. To do this, we looked at glassdoor.com. There, they have an average rating of 3.4 out of a potential 5 stars.

The lowest rating is 2.9 for senior management. The highest rating is 4.1 for compensation and benefits.

What felony convictions might have a hard time getting hired here?

Because FirstEnergy employees may be put in “risky” positions (such as on top of a utility pole), candidates with drug- or alcohol-related offenses may have a harder time getting hired.

In the customer service department, candidates with violent or sexual offenses on their record will also have a harder time getting hired.

Does FirstEnergy test for drugs?

FirstEnergy does test for drugs before making a hire. They also reserve the right to randomly test their employees for drugs.

Have you applied for a job or worked here? Share your experiences!

If you have worked at FirstEnergy in the past, we want to hear from you! What is it like there? Did our guide help you figure out how to get hired at FirstEnergy?

Tell us what you know so we can improve our information and better serve the community.