• Don't give up. You must apply to at least 10 jobs per week, if you have a criminal background.
• Don't try to hide your background, be honest.
• Hold your vocational school's Careers Services department accountable! If that school [also] lured you in by "promising" to help you get a job. Hold them accountable! Ask for their supervisor and/or write letters, and/or contact the media, and/or contact the school's director. Don't let the school mess up your credit, sit on your Pell Grant and then don't connect you to a job that matches your credential/degree. YOU must empower yourself to not be victimized/exploited by opportunistic vocational schools that take your money and then don't help you obtain a job.
• Continue to respectfully call and ask your Project RIO counselor for HELP with your job search. You are eligible for those services and if you are not satisfied with the service, put pen to paper. Do not simply complain about Project RIO. You must take the initiative to make your voice heard.
• Create or re-create an email that is professional and appropriate for job searching. When you use an inappropriate email address name. Employers shy away from considering you for their work site. Employers do not want certain elements in their workplace. (sexual or radio music-influenced email names could be enough to turn off an employer). Simply use first initial and last name. 
• If you presently are working for a temp agency, don't assume that (on the 90th day) you will automatically transition from a temp to a permanent-employee at that worksite. Even though the temp agency is/was Misdemeanor or Felony-friendly does not mean that the worksite-Employer is; you should continue your job search strategy of submitting at least 10 applications, per week, while you are still working for that temp/staffing agency. You must not suspend your job search simply because you "get on" with a temp/staffing agency. It is a temp assignment and there is no obligation for them to retain you beyond 30 - 90 days. You also must work to make yourself deserving of a permanent offer. (ie. work hard, no absences/tardies, etc...)
• Simply answering the phone could make or break you. Employers listen and observe everything. Even though they may still continue the phone conversation...once they hang up, they are most likely not impressed with how you or someone in the household [unprofessionally] answered the phone and will not consider you for employment. Always answer the phone professionally!
• Get yourself a resume, NOW, and if you do not have one, visit your local workforce center for assistance in developing your resume. You must bring your resume to your pre-Career Fair job readiness workshop/orientation. If you show up without your resume, you will be turned away.
• Always [additionally] write down..."Willing to explain in interview" for answering the Criminal Background question on applications. Do not just check yes and turn in the application. You would want to answer all questions, but [also] add the "Willing to explain" in that same section.
• What if the interviewer asks you to explain/elaborate on your involvement with the criminal justice system? This is the MOST critical point of any conversation that you will EVER have with an employer. Be prepared to respond to the inquiry. But you never initiate that conversation with an interviewer.
• You must convey 4 points very concisely and succinctly without deflecting blame onto others:     (1) Take Responsibility (2) Positive things you've done since being "touched" by the criminal justice system or Positive things you did while you were incarcerated (3) What you learned from your past mistake and (4) What your Future Goal is (ie. "I hope to become a valued employee of your company Sir/Ma'am...")

 FOR THE EMPLOYER

• Research/Develop a "Case-by-Case" matrix for your company to tap into this, often, overlooked pool of motivated jobseekers, who will afford your company higher retention: Because it was so hard to find an opportunity, these jobseekers are more likely to stay longer than clear-background new-hires. 
• Most jobseekers that will be attending this career fair are eligible to save your company (at least) $2,400 in taxes, under the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit program administered by TWC.
• A ($5k to $25k) Fidelity Bonding incentive is also available, at no-cost, for employers who have concerns regarding the hiring of an "at-risk" applicant. (ie. a theft-by-check jobseeker is bondable)

 FOR OTHER JOB FAIR ORGANIZERS

• Please implement a standard-operating-procedure where your attendees (jobseekers) will have a way of visually distinguishing your participating employers' "Criminal Background" policies: (1) Felony and/or Misdemeanor on CBC; (2) Misdemeanor-Friendly Only (No Felonies); or (3) Clear Background is required for employment. This will yield a more effective/efficient job fair. Don't shy away from simply asking every employer what their policy is...and, in actualilty, most employers will appreciate you taking the time to appropriately direct jobseeker traffic, per their policy.