What are some entry-level jobs?
The two main entry-level job categories are technician and sales consultant.
As a technician, you’ll be repairing and maintaining vehicles. While previous experience in the field is a big plus, training positions are available to those who have a passion for cars and are willing to learn. Technician jobs range from general to specialized. This can be to specific parts, a particular brand or an engine type. Your dad teaching you how to change brake pads will come in really handy here.
Sales consultants do not require any prior experience and the job is pretty self-explanatory, though it does say in the requirements that you should have a clean motor vehicle record and criminal history. Going by their statement, your record will presumably count as clean if seven years have passed since the felony. As with technicians, you can specialize in a particular area such as pre-owned cars, family vehicles or a specific performance type of car.
Additional jobs include receptionist, cashier or porter/valet. None of these jobs require a college degree or a lot of previous experience. That’s always a plus in a world where you can’t get a job without experience, but every job requires experience, right?
Tips to get hired here with a felony
First and foremost, you’ve got to head to their careers section, find a job you like and ace your application. You may think that that’s easier said than done, but we’re here to help you get it right.
Whenever you apply for a job, you’ve got to try and set yourself apart from the competition, starting from your resume. Make sure it’s specific to the given job — many people send out generic resumes to all sorts of companies, which is never an advantage. You want to show you’ve made an effort.
Before sending it in, you might want to show your resume to someone you trust or take it down to a career counseling center. Remember, that’s what places like that are there for. For more tips on how to make your resume stand out, see our guide.
The hiring process at Sonic Automotive goes from the application to a phone interview, after which you may need to take an online test or go straight in to meet someone at HR. Many online reviews detail tricky questions, such as: How would you describe a bad boss? So it’s a good idea to prepare for questions like this. Who wants to be surprised with that?
If you’re a motorhead, now is your time to shine. Try to focus on the fact that you love cars. This will show the person interviewing you that you’re passionate about their business and will make a good match.
But don’t worry if cars are not your passion. When applying for a sales position, remember that you’ve got to sell yourself first. If you can make the company want to hire you, they will likely assume you can sell a car, too.
This is one of those situations where having a criminal record can even be useful. Show them you’re the right person regardless of your past by putting a positive spin on it. Detail what you’ve learned and how you’ve grown because of your time in prison. This will show to Sonic Automotive is that you will be able to make a minivan appealing, too, which is what they want you salespeople to do.
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