Don't Let Your Past Spoil Your Chances Of Getting A Good Job

Based upon my Human Resources experience, it seems as though a sizable portion of the population has some type of criminal record on file. Sometimes, candidates for positions do not realize that they have an active record. For the candidates who know they have committed an offense in the past, were caught and arraigned, a certain measure of disclosure on application forms needs to occur, to remain eligible for a position.

The bottom line is if you have committed a crime, and were caught and arraigned, you need to indicate that on an employment application. Many companies do thorough background checks as well as drug tests, so there is a strong probability that an offense will be found. Some companies look only at the past seven years for any offenses, but some states and counties will list any past offense that has been committed. In order to stay in contention for a job, it is best that the candidate admit to any past offense on their application.

One thing candidates have to realize is that some types of traffic offenses are considered misdemeanors. In some states, failure to register or vaccinate and animal, failure to wear a seatbelt, driving with a suspended license and driving without insurance or registration are misdemeanors, which many people may not realize. Candidates should check to see if they have any records on their background.

Other people have open warrants for their arrest, for past offenses. A company will not hire someone who has a warrant out for their arrest. Warrants can be anything from contempt of court, to missing a court date, to not paying a fine. One of my co-workers had a seemingly excellent candidate who had two bench warrants out for her arrest. She managed to resolve one of the warrants by paying a fine, but could not successfully resolve the other warrant, and was not hired. Job seekers need to ensure that they have their legal issues straightened out before the search begins.

If a candidate has a past record, and was convicted of it, they should notate it on the application. Some people write “sob stories” explaining their position at that time and why they did the offense. It is best to list something short such as “I had a DUI in 2003. Please call me for details”. If you admit to something, and it shows on the background result, there is a strong chance that you won’t be called to discuss the incident, if everything else checks out. In this case, unless you really want to explain something in detail, the shorter the explanation, the better.

Other times, if a candidate was convicted of fraud, and wants to work in a finance position, there may be a conflict of interest, depending on the exact description of the position. Candidates, please be aware of this, and discuss any concerns with the recruiter and hiring manager at the beginning stages of an interview.

Some companies check credit reports and driving records as well, depending on the nature of the position. Driving records are checked if the position will require the use of a company or personal car, or if the candidate will be in a position where they have to rent a car. If a candidate only has a few or no violations, then that part of the check will clear. If a candidate has repeated issues with driving, then there is a strong probability that they won’t be hired. This can include repeated accidents or tickets. Credit reports are usually for high-level manager or director positions, or for positions that are in finance. Candidates who do not have good credit scores may not be eligible to be hired for certain positions due to their past mismanagement. I know that people who default on their student loans are not eligible to work in certain financial positions.

As a recruiter, I would tell anyone that the company uses drug tests as part of the hiring criteria once a candidate has reached a certain stage in the interview process. While I would recommend that candidates do not use drugs at all, I would definitely advise anyone currently looking for a job to not do drugs for the duration of their job search. Our company had several candidates recently fail their background check due to a positive sample in their drug test.

It is important to have several references on hand to give to recruiters. Please note that references do not include your parents, siblings, or extended family or friends. I recently had a physics candidate send me his references, which included his dad, brother and roommate. Needless to say, I did not call any of them and requested professional references instead. You can ask former co-workers or instructors to be a point of reference or preferably, a former or current supervisor. Choose references that will highlight your strengths, but will be honest. Also, let your references know they being used as a reference, so when they are called, they know how to respond.

Many people wonder if they can check the box on an employment application that says “do not contact my current employer”. The answer to this question is yes. Some people are lucky, and are able to speak to their current supervisor and let them know about their future plans and if they are looking for another job, but other people fear retaliation and do not want anyone knowing that they are looking for a change. Do not fear this option—use it! If you select this option, be prepared to provide the previous year’s tax forms, as well as the last two paychecks you have received from the company. Sometimes people select this option if they quit or were terminated from a company and fraudulently claim they are still working, so by requesting copies of pay stubs, companies can select the honest candidates.

Sometimes people put incorrect dates down for when they worked for an employer. This can be the result of data entry error, a candidate legitimately forgot, or the candidate could be fraudulently representing their past employment. Please ensure that your dates match your actual dates of employment, as anything you list will be verified.

Independent contractors and adjunct instructors who file 1099 tax forms will have to provide documentation to show that they were legitimately employed.

If an offense is found on your record that you admit to, depending on the severity of it, there is still a chance that you will be hired. Many companies are reluctant to hire murderers, sex offenders, and anyone convicted of abuse, assault, battery and domestic violence, so please take that into consideration. If you do not admit to a prior offense and it shows on your background check, you might be sent a decline (adverse action) letter, via email or home mail. At the company where I work, if an alert shows up on a background check, we will call the candidates to clarify, in case they forgot to mention something or can provide clarification. If the no action is taken on the candidate’s part, then the adverse action letter is sent to the candidate.