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EVEN WITH GAPS, JOB HOPPING, OR A RECORD.
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10+
Years Direct Service
Justice-Impacted Employment Since 2014
0+
Research Citations
Neuroscience-Backed Methodology
0
Live Platforms
The Forge, The Refinery, JBS Portal
HOW IT WORKS
THE FORGE
Upload your resume. AI analyzes your experience, goals, and challenges. Get a free Career Intelligence Report in 5 minutes.
FREE
THE REFINERY
Your free career workshop. Resume builder, disclosure planner, interview practice, job board, and resources -- all saved to your account so you can keep building.
FREE
HUMAN TOUCH
Want a human to review or write it? Troy writes resumes personally -- real person, real attention. Text or call for pricing.
CONTACT FOR PRICING
YOUR FREE CAREER TOOLKIT
AI-powered career tools built specifically for justice-impacted job seekers. Grounded in neuroscience and desistance theory. Free, always.
THE FORGE
FREENarrative reconstruction in 10 minutes. Not a resume scanner. A tool that helps you understand your own story, then tells it strong.
- •Tell your story through guided questions about your experience, goals, and barriers
- •AI analyzes your strengths first, then addresses barriers with real resources
- •Get matched career paths with salary ranges and next steps
- •Download a resume and cover letter built from your narrative
- •t.ROY, your AI career guide, is with you on every page
No signup, no credit card. Your data stays yours.
Start Free Report →THE REFINERY
FREEYour career workspace. Every tool loads what the Forge learned about you. Your skills, your barriers, your next move.
- •Resume Builder -- job-specific resumes with scaffolding that fades as you get stronger
- •Disclosure Planner -- when and how to talk about your record, with rehearsal mode
- •Interview Practice -- AI mock interviews tailored to your target role
- •Job Board -- fair-chance employers matched to your situation
- •Resources -- verified local organizations for housing, legal aid, transportation, and recovery
Your dashboard saves everything. Come back anytime.
Open The Refinery →WHO WE HELP
Not people with perfect work histories. Real people with real situations.
Criminal Record
Your past doesn't define your paycheck.
Employment Gaps
Incarceration, caregiving, health, life. We frame it so employers listen.
Recovery
The discipline it takes to get clean is exactly what employers need.
Trauma Survivors
DV, trafficking, exploitation -- your history doesn't own your future.
Job Hopping
Multiple jobs? We show the pattern, not the noise.
Career Change
Transferable skills, told the right way.
No Degree
Experience beats paper. We prove it.
Returning to Work
Caregivers, veterans, anyone starting fresh.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE TOOLS
This isn't a resume template with a chatbot bolted on. The Forge is built on peer-reviewed research across neuroscience, psychology, and desistance theory.
NARRATIVE IDENTITY
McAdams' research shows that identity is built through story. Incarceration fragments that story. The Forge helps rebuild it through structured autobiography.
AFFECT LABELING
Lieberman's neuroscience research shows that naming emotions reduces amygdala reactivity. The Forge uses this to help people process barriers without being overwhelmed by them.
DESISTANCE THEORY
Maruna's research on how people move away from crime shows that redemption narratives are central. The Forge surfaces strengths before barriers, building redemption sequences naturally.
TRAUMA-INFORMED DESIGN
Built on SAMHSA principles: safety, trustworthiness, collaboration, empowerment. Every page has an exit. No data is shared without consent. The user is always in control.
150+ peer-reviewed citations. Published methodology. Try it yourself.
HOW WE WORK
Designed for the Hardest Day
Every tool is built for someone on a cracked phone, in a library, with a 6th-grade reading level and ten minutes before their kid needs to be picked up. If it works for them, it works for everyone.
The Resume Is Not the Product
The person who can write it is. The Forge doesn't hand you a document. It helps you understand your own story, name your strengths, and address your barriers on your terms. The resume is what comes out the other side.
I'd Rather Give You an Uncomfortable Truth
Than a comfortable lie. If your resume has red flags, we address them directly. A decade of honest strategy and real scripts that work.
The system broke people's ability to tell their own story, then blamed them for not having one.
Incarceration damages the part of the brain that builds narrative. The hippocampus. The thing that turns scattered experiences into a coherent story you can tell an employer. That's not a metaphor. That's peer-reviewed neuroscience.
I built the Forge because the system should have built it first. A tool that helps people reconstruct their story, understand their strengths, and walk into an interview with something real to say. Not a resume scanner. Not a chatbot. A narrative reconstruction tool designed for the hardest day someone will have.
COMMON QUESTIONS
How do I write a resume with a felony conviction?
Lead with your strongest qualifications, not your record. Use a functional or combination format that highlights skills and certifications. Address the gap honestly but briefly. We specialize in framing criminal records so employers focus on what you bring to the table.
Is The Forge really free?
Yes. 100% free, no signup, no credit card. Upload your resume and get a Career Intelligence Report in about 10 minutes. The Refinery career toolkit is also free -- just create an account. Human resume services are also available if you want Troy to write it personally -- text or call for pricing.
How do I explain employment gaps from incarceration?
Frame the gap around growth and preparation. Mention certifications earned, skills developed, volunteer work, or programs completed during that time. We create specific scripts for addressing incarceration gaps in interviews.
What does Steel Man Resumes specialize in?
Justice-impacted employment. People with felony convictions, incarceration gaps, addiction recovery, trauma histories, homelessness, job hopping, career changes, and no-degree candidates. A decade of direct service helping justice-impacted job seekers.
What are ban the box laws?
Ban the Box laws prohibit employers from asking about criminal history on initial job applications. Fair chance hiring policies delay background checks until after a conditional offer. Laws vary by state. We maintain a detailed guide.
How much does a professional resume cost?
All AI tools are free -- The Forge report and The Refinery toolkit cost nothing. Human-crafted resumes by Troy are also available -- text or call for current pricing. The tools are free because they scale. Troy's time is what costs money.
More questions? Check our free guides or contact Troy directly.
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