Have a friend who is having real trouble getting back on his feet, looking for job idea suggestions out there:
50 yrs old, male, very (VERY) fit, attractive, well-dressed. College educated but has bad dyslexia (so jobs requiring filling out a lot of precise forms or lots of written communication would not be his forte).
Excellent interpersonal skills, charismatic. He used to make very good money in inside sales (although, looking back, I suspect some of those jobs were not so ethical - think Wolf of Wall Street). He also had a drug and alcohol problem so spent it all, and acquired a criminal record (all drug-use--related convictions, no thefts or assaults.)
He got out of sales several years ago when he was living with a girlfriend and built up her vending-machine business into a very successful concern. That relationship ended badly and he was left with nothing.
He's been sober now for 3 1/2 years and has been trying to get back into sales but finds the industry has changed, plus he's not willing to work for any unethical companies anymore. Plus many jobs are closed to him because of his criminal record. (For instance, he would not be able to get a license to sell insurance or real estate). He also cannot take a job right now that requires driving.
The sad thing is, he's a fine upstanding citizen now, a very fit, energetic worker, well-spoken, intelligent, a good salesman and someone who would be great working with the public. Before knowing him, I had not thought about how difficult re-entry into society could be.
So - I guess I'm asking, what ideas do people have for his employment? He lives in a high-cost-of-living city where a minimum wage job would not cover food and rent. Plus, he has a lot of ground to make up in his remaining work years, so he needs to get into something that pays reasonably well.