(Guest post by Christian Moore)
When you’re preparing for a job interview, there’s a lot to think about — what to wear, what to bring and what to ask, for example. As you’re preparing, though, don’t forget this crucial detail: the background check. Leave it to chance, and you risk all kinds of surprises and snags that could disrupt the hiring process. Worse, if false information were to appear on your report, it could damage your credibility enough to derail the job prospect entirely.
For certain jobs, such as those that involve working with children, background checks are required by law. In other roles, from the employer’s perspective, background checks are a form of protection. By running your information, a company gains insight into your criminal and driving records, past employment histories and more. This can sometimes help the employer mitigate risks, as well as protect against liability in the future.
The good news is, there are steps you can take to prepare for a background check. Think like your future employer and pull your records — credit reports, court records, social media content, etc. — to see if there’s anything that could be damaging. This helps you protect against problems before they occur. Likewise, if you encounter any incorrect information, you can file a dispute or contact the source to get it corrected.
In today’s competitive job market, planning for background checks is a necessity. To learn more about what is and isn’t included in one, who conducts them and what to do if your check has discrepancies, check out the accompanying guide.
Author bio: Christian Moore is COO at Global Verification Network. He has more than 20 years of investigative and business experience with competencies including surveillance, competitive intelligence, pre-employment and course-of-employment background screening.
