What a Background Check Can Uncover During Your Job Search

If you’re currently searching for a job, you know how daunting the entire process can become. Most of your time is consumed with finding job openings, networking, sending in resumes and hopefully going to interviews. If you have a successful interview and are being considered for employment, there’s another step you will most likely have to prepare for – undergoing a background check.

In today’s society, nearly every employer conducts a background check on potential employees. Not only does it serve as a way for employers to ensure they’re getting the best candidate possible, but it also is a way for employees to prove they are who they say they are. But what a potential employer can find during a background check might surprise you.

The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act dictates what is and what is not allowed to be included in a background check. Typical background checks can allow employers access to such information as your social security number and employment history.

Information that can be found through a background check includes: driving records, bankruptcy, property ownership, past employers, vehicle registration, education records, character references, military records, personal references, credit cards, court records, neighbor interviews, state licensing records, incarceration records, criminal records, workers’ compensation, medical records, drug test records and sex offender lists.

There is some information that can’t be included in background checks as dictated by the FCRA. This includes: bankruptcies after 10 years; civil suits, civil judgments and records of arrest after seven years; paid tax liens after seven years; accounts placed for collection after seven years; and other negative information, except criminal convictions, after seven years.

Some people might feel that some information allowed to be included in background checks is an invasion of privacy. For instance, some might ask what credit card records have to do with work ethic? While this is often a valid argument, all the information included in a background check ultimately leads back to the makeup of your character. In other words, if you’re unable to pay your bills on time, you might have trouble completing simple projects on time as well.

Regardless of whether or not you feel a background check may invade your privacy, it’s an important part of the hiring process for both the employer and the potential candidate. Ultimately, a background check will help an employer feel confident about their hiring decisions. As long as there is nothing to hide, an employee should feel confident about the outcome of their background check as well.

Guest Expert:

Jennifer Carpenter is a junior copywriter for Cheezhead. In addition to writing posts for the main Cheezhead blog, which deals with the employment and recruiting industries, she also writes search engine optimization content for various companies and contributes articles and blog posts to a large network of Cheezhead-owned blogs and those owned by other professionals in the industry. Jennifer has a degree in journalism and mass communication from St. Bonaventure University. She is originally from Wellsville, New York and currently lives in Lakewood, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb.

Career Rocketeer Recommends

For 2012, Write Goals, Not Resolutions for Your Job Search (MBA Highway)
The #1 Enemy Of A Successful Job Search? (TimsStrategy)

Guest Expert

We are grateful to all of the career experts for the top advice and experience they share with our readers. Career Rocketeer couldn’t “take off” without them and their contributions. Want to write for our blog? Want to further build your personal brand and your business? Learn more ► about applying to our career expert program!

Comments

Noel says:
July 23, 2009 at 2:26 am
I agree with most of the contents of this article, except second last paragraph. I think its very lame. My ability to complete my work task and ability to pay the bills has no connection whatsoever. I am good at my work and all family bills are taken care of by my partner and she is clumsy., then what? I can come up with tons of arguments like this.
Sorry, the employer or whoever is asking for my credit card data have to come up with more 'buyable' argument.
Cassandra says:
July 23, 2009 at 12:11 pm
As a new grad who paid for my education with a line of credit from the bank, I would personally be very offended and hurt if I was turned away for a job based on my credit history. It sucks right now because I had to struggle through university and I often had to choose between paying the monthly payments on my line of credit or credit cards (which I foolishly used during my first year of school before I caved and applied for a line of credit), or paying rent and buying food.
pistedoff says:
July 25, 2009 at 12:46 pm
This is why criminals reoffend. This keeps them from finding gainful employee and turning their lives around. What else would be expected from a country built on discrimination, racism, and hate!
Woodhull says:
August 8, 2009 at 4:56 pm
My 33 year old husband stole a car when he was 18 and was in prison for over a year over it. He is again job hunting, and it is so frustrating that he still has that on his record. He was a dumb teenager! But now he's a father, husband, and provider for us. We have excellent credit…but he just needs a job. I wish there were some way that foolish prank crimes could be erased after 10 years of proving you were just in a stupid phase of life. (not that that is an excuse.) I just hate to see it always be a black mark on his record and our family's future.
Hilda Carlsen says:
August 20, 2009 at 11:10 am
I agree on the second paragraph potential employees can be surprised. I know some cases that applicant has committed a simple traffic accident but still when he applied for a service crew his employer background check him and found out his past record including some car incident. Applicant should anticipate this consequence.