Pre-employment background checks are standard practice, with most employers conducting them after extending a conditional job offer. Checks may include criminal history, employment and education verification, professional references, driving records, credit history, drug screening, and social media review.
14 steps across 2 sections
1. Steps Process
- Understand what will be checked — Ask the employer what types of checks will be conducted. Common checks include criminal records, employment history, education verification, professional licenses,...
- Run your own background check — Conduct a self-check through services like GoodHire or Checkr to see what employers will find. This lets you identify and address issues before they surface.
- Verify your employment history — Contact previous employers to confirm they have accurate records of your job title, dates of employment, and salary (if applicable). Ensure your resume matches what...
- Confirm education records — Verify that your schools have accurate records on file. Order transcripts if needed to confirm degrees and dates.
- Review your credit report — If the role involves financial responsibilities, employers may check your credit. Pull your free annual report from annualcreditreport.com and dispute any errors.
- Check your driving record — If the role involves driving, request your DMV record and address any outstanding issues (unpaid tickets, license status).
- Clean up social media — Review all public-facing social media profiles. Remove or make private any content that could raise red flags. Employers often check social media to assess professionalism a...
- Prepare explanations — If you have items that may appear negative (gaps in employment, a criminal record, a termination), prepare honest, concise explanations.
- Gather required documents — Have identification, Social Security number, addresses for the past 7-10 years, and contact information for previous employers and references ready.
2. Key Tips
- Employers must notify you and get your written consent before conducting a background check
- You typically have 5 business days to respond to or dispute findings
- Be honest on your application — discrepancies between your claims and check results are a major red flag
- Background checks typically take 2-5 business days but can take longer for more comprehensive checks
- Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you have the right to see and dispute results
Common Mistakes
- Assuming a minor issue from years ago will not appear (criminal records, cred...
- Inflating job titles, dates, or education on your resume
- Not knowing what former employers will say about you
- Ignoring social media cleanup
- Panicking about a background check instead of preparing proactively
Pro Tips
- Many criminal records can be expunged or sealed depending on the offense and ...
- If you have a criminal record, "ban the box" laws in many states prohibit emp...
- Ask former supervisors (not just HR) if they are willing to serve as referenc...
- Set up Google alerts for your own name to monitor what appears in public sear...
- If a background check leads to an adverse decision, the employer must provide...