When you are looking for a job it is important to be in control of your information. Do you know what would show up on a professional background check if a potential employer were to do one? If you’re not sure maybe you should find out.
So, What Are Your Next Steps?
The best way to prepare for a background check is to be proactively aware of any potentially damaging information that an employer might find. Consider using a reputable third party to obtain an exhaustive background check on yourself. For example, the report generated by background and reference-checking experts Allison & Taylor (www.allisontaylor.com) evaluates over 30 different categories in your background history.
If you find false data about yourself in your background check, there is a written process for having such data removed. Contact the nearest Consumer Reporting Agency for details of this process.
Equally important, ensure that your resume and job applications are truthful and accurate. Even if you land the job with a falsified resume, it’s not worth it being uncovered at some later point and ruining your employment history.
Know that if you are ultimately not hired as the result of information contained within a background check report, the employer must offer you a disclosure that includes a copy of both your report and your rights. They must also serve you notice that they have decided not to hire you and inform you of the name and location of the nearest Consumer Reporting Agency, as well as information on how to proceed in disputing the report (should you choose to do so).
In summary, it pays to conduct your own due diligence in accessing and potentially acting upon the same data that an employer accesses about you. The career you save may be your own.