Piper Kerman, author of Orange Is the New Black (on which the Netflix series is based), recently spoke about the difficult employment options for ex-convicts after they get out of prison.

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Kerman spoke at the Fortune Most Power Women Next Gen Summit Tuesday, revealing that employment after imprisonment is "often the most significant challenge."

Having a felony on your record is obviously a huge deal to many employers, which is often the biggest barrier for convicts.

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Kerman was lucky enough to find employment after getting out of prison, which she chalks up to her friend circle.

"When I went home, I didn't have a cent in the bank, I literally didn't have any money, but what I did have was an incredible network of friends," she shared. One of those friends helped to get her hired, working in the marketing department at a VOIP company only one week after being released.

"A job is an essential thing," Kerman stated.

Ultimately, though, being in prison was not entirely a bad experience for Kerman.

Kerman noted "the incredible ability of women to step up for each other, and to be resilient and to share their resiliency with other people," as what stuck with her the most from being in prison.

Orange Is the New Black is slated to return to Netflix for its third season in mid-2015, though the streaming site has not yet made an announcement on a specific premiere date.

Tags: Orange is the New Black television netflix