If you have been charged with a DWI, you are likely trying to make sense of its ramifications. In the state of North Carolina, you are required to complete a DWI Assessment and classes as part of reclaiming your driving privileges. You are also about to wade through the legal system, hopefully with an experienced DWI attorney as your guide. But can a DWI impact your job? The answer very much depends on you, your employer, and the nature of your employment.

A DWI and Your Career

A DWI can have devastating consequences. Not only are you liable to serve possible jail time, but your career can take a major hit both now and in the future. Here are five ways a DWI can damage your employment:

1. You Can Be Fired: In 2015, NBC reported on a Lee Country deputy who was fired for receiving a DWI with a child in the car. As a law enforcement officer, drinking and driving effectively ended her career after an internal affairs investigation. Depending on your employer’s policies, you could find yourself being handed the figurative pink slip.
2. Transportation Can Be Problematic: DWIs usually result in a license suspension. Unless you receive an exemption for driving to and from work, then transportation can become costly and inconvenient. You will have to rely on publication transportation, hire a private driver, or depend on carpooling. Unreliable transportation could put your job stability in jeopardy.
3. Insurance Might Not Cover You: Did you know that some insurance companies do not insure people with DWIs? This becomes very problematic if your job requires you to drive. A DWI charge could cause required insurance coverage to cost more or be denied, both of which could put an end to your current career.
4. College Education Financing Gets Tough: Maybe you are thinking about changing careers and some college or university time is in order. Think again if you have (or have had) a DWI because the charge can impact your financial aid application. You may have to prove that you completed a treatment program to qualify for financing.
5. Future Employers Will Scrutinize: A DWI charge and conviction will show on your record. It will come up on a background check, and this blemish on your record could sway a prospective employer not to hire you. Here’s a fact you might not know: a DUI will show on a commercial driving record for 55 years.

What if your DWI is ancient history? It can still come up when in between jobs. The best course of action is to be honest and upfront with an employer. Be confident when explaining the incident. Everyone makes mistakes, and if your DWI was an isolated incident, it doesn’t have to become a career roadblock. But it will impact your career.

Don’t drink and drive. It’s the best advice around. Alcohol and vehicles do not mix. You can safeguard your current and future career, your life, and the lives of others simply by not getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.