At the offices of Robert S. Muir, Attorney at Law, in Pennsylvania, we represent many people charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. We therefore know that if you face such charges, your best interests dictate that you mount the best possible defense. You do not want a DUI conviction on your record.
You likely already know that if convicted of DUI, you face significant jail time in addition to fines and court costs. But what you may never have thought about are the negative consequences a DUI conviction can have for your career.
Professional licensing
As FindLaw explains, one of the ways in which a DUI conviction can negatively impact your employment chances is with regard to any professional license you may need in order to work in your chosen profession. If you will need to apply for a professional license once you finish grad school, the licensing board may refuse to issue you one should it discover a DUI or other criminal conviction on your record. Should you already have a license, the board may seek to revoke it because of your conviction. If you require a commercial driver’s license for your job or for a job you wish to apply for, a DUI conviction will make it impossible for you to get a CDL.
Employment background checks
No matter what job you apply for, your prospective employer undoubtedly will run a criminal background check on you before offering you the job. This is where your DUI conviction can cause you to not receive any good employment offers at all. A diligent background check can result in prospective employers getting all of the following negative information about you:
- The records from any court(s) that prosecuted you for DUI
- The records from any jails and/or prisons that incarcerated you as a result of your DUI or other criminal conviction
- The driving records from any state(s) where a court convicted you of a DUI or other crime
- The driving records from any state(s) in which you received a license suspension or revocation due to your DUI conviction
- Your comments and those of your family and friends posted on Facebook and other social media with regard to your conviction
As you might expect, prospective employers do not look with favor on all this negative information about you. It makes you look like a troublemaker or, at the very least, like someone they do not want to hire.
For more information, please visit this page on our website.
