Navigating Background Checks as a Job Seeker

Seeking a job is a long and tiring process. Most people have to go through several stages before receiving an offer. You write your resume, apply for several positions, go on numerous interviews, and feel nervous all the time. From the employer's perspective, nothing significantly changes.

A well-written resume is halfway to a job offer, so writing it well is crucial. Resumes usually include work experience, education, a list of skills, brief personal information, and details on the desired position. Another form of resume gaining popularity lately is a video resume. It is an effective way to create the right first impression and to stand out among other candidates.

If you find this topic interesting, you can read this article.

One more necessary stage of the job-seeking process, including writing a resume and passing an initial interview, is a background check. In this article, we will delve deeper into this topic and sort it out.

What is a background check?

We mentioned the things you include in your resume, right? So, background checks verify the information provided in your resume and some other aspects. Employers or their recruitment managers conduct research on you. Why would they do that? There are several justified reasons for it:

• Make sure you don’t lie. Since it’s a common thing when applicants exaggerate their abilities, employers have to pay extra attention to verifying the information.
• Safety reasons. This includes all kinds of safety, including the physical safety of employees and the privacy of information.
• A matter of reputation. Reputation is very fragile, and one wrong decision may ruin it completely.
• Laws and regulations. Some organizations are required by law to conduct background checks.
• Data collection. Since a resume is just a summary, some additional information may be very useful when choosing between the best candidates.

It’s very important to mention here that the company must inform you about the fact that a background check is being conducted. They may send you an email or another written form of notification. They also need to wait for your agreement. At the same time, it’s easy to imagine how they may pass on employees who deny the request. So, it’s better not to decline without a compelling reason.

Now we know that companies check the information, but what information in particular? While some specifics differ depending on the company, the most common consist of the following:

• Work experience, or in other words, your employment history
• Educational degrees and qualifications
• Criminal record
• Medical and drug test records
• Credit history
• Driving record
• List of references
• Social media and Googling (in some cases)

Some of these records speak for themselves. For example, they check your credit history to make sure you don’t have issues with loans and laws. While a driving record may not be obvious for every job opening, it also helps evaluate whether you are a law-abiding citizen or not. However, some parts of the list need further explanation. So let’s take a closer look.

• Background checks help employers verify the accuracy of candidates' resumes as well as make better evaluations
• Employers must inform candidates about the background check taking place
• Background checks verify a range of information available about a candidate to build a complete picture

Criminal record check

There’s nothing hidden behind the straightforward naming. They check your criminal background. What is important here, though, is that the amount of information an average recruiter may get varies depending on the state you’re living in. In some states, employers aren't allowed to ask about incidents that happened after a certain period of time. You can check with your State Department of Labor to understand the limitations on what an employer can investigate.

Another very important fact is that, according to the statement of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a company cannot deny your application just because of your criminal record. They have to think about the type of crime, when it happened, and how it's related to the job you are applying for.

Social media and Googling

This is not the type of check every company would do, and there is a reason for it. Private life matters, but only as long as you don’t post it. According to the CareerBuilder survey, 57% of employers who check job candidates' social media accounts report discovering content that influenced their decision not to hire them. Common types of such content are inappropriate or provocative photos or videos, alcohol consumption and drugs, as well as discriminatory or derogatory posts about managers and co-workers.

Employment history check

This one is tricky. The most popular method of evaluating the information about work experience you provide in your resume is to call your former boss. It can be very disappointing to realize that your application was declined just because of the challenges you faced with your previous supervisor.

Another common situation is that recruiters call or email some of your fellow workers, which is also not the best option because it is highly subjective and biased.

In this case, we recommend you to prepare a list of references in advance. You’ve probably heard of it numerous times or have one of your own, but we are here to give some advice that may make you rearrange it.

• Employers do not have the right to decline an application solely based on the presence of a criminal record
• More than half of surveyed employers have made hiring decisions based on candidate’s social media profile
• Checking employment history plays a crucial role in employer decision-making, so it’s better to have a prepared list of references

List of references

If a job opening has a low number of applications, employers may ask you for this list right away. However, most of the time, such checks are conducted after the first in-person interview, where a pool of candidates quickly decreases from hundreds to ten or fifteen people.

Significant changes have occurred with the list of references during the last decade. A standard resume is now better to be nothing more than one page, so spending precious space on the contact information of other people is meaningless. Experts recommend writing more about your qualities and skills. You should also avoid using the "References available upon request" phrase, as it has become obvious for most managers.

Having a list of references by your side as a separate paper is a big advantage, though. You never know when you’re asked to provide it. So let’s go into some details of how to create one.

Who to include

The list of references should include people who can genuinely confirm your qualifications and skills. Asking your closest friends, even if they describe you in the most positive light, may not be the best idea. The individuals serving as your references should be knowledgeable about your field and have had direct interactions with you. Here are some examples:

• Your current or previous supervisor. If you left your previous job not due to major disagreements with management, this will be the best and most relevant option.
• But if you have some misunderstandings, it’s better to choose between your co-workers. Make sure they understand your strengths and are not just someone you chat with during lunch.
• People whom you helped or places where you volunteered might be a surprising choice, but such references may show you as a genuine and respectful person.
• Professors. They are usually most willing to help and knowledgeable. Just make sure they really remember who you are if too much time has passed.

How to ask

Once you’ve chosen the people who will become your references, it’s better to know how to inform them correctly. Here are some tips:

• Ensure you really fit the role. Tell them about your latest experience, qualifications, and skills. Even if they know you well, it doesn’t mean they know everything they need to.
• Make enough effort yourself. Don’t email! It will be much more polite if you ask in person or at least call.
• Be grateful. After everything is done, thank them for being your reference and say how much it means to you.

Of course, the way you ask depends on the relationships you have with those people. However, by following these tips, you can show yourself as a respectful and dedicated person.

How to write

Everything’s ready; it's time to write a list of references. But how? Firstly, the information you provide should be short but meaningful. Secondly, the most important thing here is contact information because it makes no sense if an employer can’t reach out to your reference. So, make sure you include:

• Name
• Job title and company
• Your relationship
• Contact information
• Add your own contact information at the top, so it's easy to understand whose list it is.

If you do everything it requires correctly, it will give you extra points for being responsible. It may be surprising, but lots of candidates won’t go half as far as you with the preparation steps.

• People you include on your list of references should be well aware of your qualifications and abilities firsthand
• When asking for a reference, it’s better to avoid emails and choose direct calling or an in-person meeting
• Make sure to include all the necessary information about every reference, including their name, contact information, and your relationship with them

How can I control the situation?

So, background checks are unavoidable and may sound scary. However, there are things you have control over.

Don’t lie on your resume or during interviews. Now is the time when lies are very easy to check, especially regarding work experience. It is much better to persuasively and vividly tell the truth than to try to lie and nervously worry that this lie will be exposed.

Think before posting. Some employers find it extremely important to share the same life values with their employees. So, consider hiding particularly controversial posts from prying eyes.

Check your papers: your driver's license activity, credit history, and criminal record. You never know what you might have overlooked, so it's better to check and be prepared.

• Be accurate with the information on your resume - don’t lie or exaggerate
• Keep your public social media profiles clean and professional. Create a private profile for personal use if you need it
• Ensure your documents are up-to-date and in order, check for the latest driving and criminal records