There are plenty of reasons why you should never drink and drive. Besides compromising your ability to drive safely and risking your life and the lives of others, drunk driving is also a criminal offense with serious penalties.
However, besides the legal penalties, a DUI conviction can also impact other aspects of your life. A conviction for drunk driving can impact your livelihood and hurt your career opportunities.
Here are two things you need to know about a DUI conviction and your career prospects:
DUI convictions and college
A DUI conviction can hurt your career long before it starts. These days, most colleges screen applicants’ backgrounds during the admission process. The extent to which a DUI conviction will impact your college admission depends on a couple of things:
- The institution’s policy
- The severity of the offense
If you are already admitted to a school, a DUI conviction can even lead to your suspension from the institution.
Employment and a DUI conviction
Maryland treats DUI offenses very seriously. Thus, a drunk driving conviction will remain on your record for life. If a potential employer runs a background check on you, this conviction will show up.
You risk being disqualified from all kinds of jobs if you have a DUI conviction on your record, such as those that involve:
- Driving: These include school bus drivers, commercial drivers, delivery drivers and sales jobs.
- Teaching: If you work with children, you will have a difficult time finding work with a DUI conviction on your record, since many places worry about optics.
- Security: Jobs that involve handling confidential information may be closed to you if a potential employer worries that your drinking could impair your judgment.
- Positions of trust: Nurses, lawyers, accountants and pilots may find it harder to get a professional license.
Being convicted of drunk driving comes with several severe repercussions. Find out how you can effectively defend yourself if you are charged with drunk driving in Maryland.