Does the idea of consenting to a background check make you a little nervous and feel your privacy is being invaded?

The fact is the majority of employers today, regardless of industry, conduct background checks on potential employees before signing off on a new hire. How deep an employer digs will vary though. Most background checks will investigate criminal and court records looking for past legal wrong doings on the part of a potential hire. Increasingly companies are also running credit checks, as some feel that fiscal responsibility is a good indicator of a responsible person.

As well as verifying past employment, most background checks these days extend to confirming your academic qualifications, which is one area where people are inclined to overstate their achievements.

You do not need to agree to a background check and any potential employer cannot run one without your written consent; to do so is illegal. Refusing permission though will only raise red flags in the potential employers mind and risk your chances of being considered for the job. You should also be aware the law requires the employer must share the results of the background check with you when completed and give you the chance to dispute any of its findings (mistakes do happen.)

Even your current employer can request you submit to a retroactive background check. So perhaps your best move is to run one on yourself, to make sure all the information is accurate. Take the time to call your previous places of employment to make sure someone there will verify your tenure with them (especially important if you have changed your name or you worked there years ago.) Do the same with the colleges or universities you attended.

You may also want to request copies of your credit report from all three bureaus, and a copy of your driving record from the state.

Any mistakes that you do uncover, (this occurs most often on credit reports) correct them right away. You have worked hard so, do not let mistakes on a background check cost you the job.