Firstly, I'm not saying not to try, certainly you should, hard to get a job without applying. But I do not think its a fair expectation to say "most of them do

Firstly, I'm not saying not to try, certainly you should, hard to get a job without applying. But I do not think its a fair expectation to say "most of them don't cause they don't want to spend the money on them or down right don't care about your past." I've never seen anything that what would lead me to believe that "most" is accurate, and at best "some" would be closer to accurate. Basic background checks aren't expensive, and take almost no time to complete, goodhire is an example where even small companies can get a background check done for $30-$50 per applicant. Again, I'm not saying don't apply, but I don't think its a good idea to tell people "most don't care" because they are going to likely face an uphill battle, and that many people are going to hold a criminal history against them. I do agree that being upfront about it, is the best choice, and if I was to make a recommendation, it would be to seek expungement where possible, and stack your training, certifications, and references as much as possible to attempt to overcome the issue.