Dear Experts,
I had the interview today, at a major publisher. The HR person requested I fill out a form, that included a blank for my driver’s license number. I wrote down my driver’s license number.
I think the interview went well, although it’s really hard to tell. I met with the HR person, and two other people (not HR).
My concern is what might happen if they perform a background check.
First of all, like millions of Americans, I’ve been out of work for several months. It’s difficult and sometimes impossible to pay bills on time. I have bad credit. Will that stop me from getting a job?
Also, in 2007 I unfortunately got a DUI. The police in my area are very strict, and I have an otherwise perfectly clean driving record. The police are so strict in my state some people have moved out of the state, because they lost their driving privilege (I still drive and have an otherwise clean record).
My question is, can those two things: bad credit and DUI from 3 years ago, keep me from getting a job? A former President of the U.S. had a DUI.
Got a career question you’d like answered? Send it to twitter@careerealism.com along with your Twitter account name (you must use Twitter for us to post your question).
Here is how our CAREEREALISM-Approved Experts answered this question on Twitter:
Q#428 Some jobs are inaccessible to you. My org’s bound by state regs that prevent us from hiring former DUIs. (@beneubanks)
Q#428 Don’t make excuses for the DUI (ie. strict police). Not owning up to the mistake will make it harder to land the job. (@gradversity)
Q#428 Background checks use for job related problems; depends on whether stuff hurts you. (@juliaerickson)
Q#428 Create strong web brand (1st background check is Google). Address openly, but downplay to your skills/value. (@EmilyBennington)
Q#428 Your past may not haunt you. ERs look at specific things in background checks and it may not come up! (@marysevinsky)
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5 Comments
lmao…. NO. This “first offense class B misdemeanor” that they make you out like John Dillinger for is absolutely NOTHING more than a scam by police depts. who can't pay their budgets, cities who do the same, lawyers who make a fortune off of this and MADD who keeps a JOB by harassing ppl. It's all bullshit. Yes… you get TWO…. you're a road hazard. Nobody handles ALL things the same including drinking. You want to get drunks off the road?? ATTACK THE PLACES THAT SERVE THEM. Alcohol is LEGAL.
I'm going to have to agree with the recruiter that commented here and say that it's your rationale that is going to hurt your chances of getting hired.
Times are tough, giving HR the means to disqualify people from the running for much less serious things than this.
I recently worked with a job seeker in your position. He went on the interview, fell in love with the company and then came home and started to worry about the background check that could ruin his chances of getting hired.
My advice: I had him call the person that got him into the company (in this case, it was the HR person who had phone screened him and brought him in for the interview), and tell her what was going on. It went like this,
“I have so much respect for you and the company and am truly excited about this opportunity. That's why I wanted to follow-up with you live and tell you about something that you will eventually come across as part of my candidacy.” He then went on to explain how he got a DUI, was extremely sorry and has learned now how much one mistake can cost you professionally. He then closed by stressing again that as hard as it was to call her, it was important to him that she and the company heard about his DUI from him directly, and that he was happy to answer any further questions about it if she needed him to.
She was so impressed that he did this – and yes, they did do the background check on him and saw his bad credit/DUI, but STILL gave him the job. He had great references who said he was clearly working hard to offset the set backs and that he was a good hire. This, coupled with his proactive honesty got him the job.
Will it work for you? I don't know, but I do know it enabled my client to put his past to rest and move on.
JT
I'm going to have to agree with the recruiter that commented here and say that it's your rationale that is going to hurt your chances of getting hired.
Times are tough, giving HR the means to disqualify people from the running for much less serious things than this.
I recently worked with a job seeker in your position. He went on the interview, fell in love with the company and then came home and started to worry about the background check that could ruin his chances of getting hired.
My advice: I had him call the person that got him into the company (in this case, it was the HR person who had phone screened him and brought him in for the interview), and tell her what was going on. It went like this,
“I have so much respect for you and the company and am truly excited about this opportunity. That's why I wanted to follow-up with you live and tell you about something that you will eventually come across as part of my candidacy.” He then went on to explain how he got a DUI, was extremely sorry and has learned now how much one mistake can cost you professionally. He then closed by stressing again that as hard as it was to call her, it was important to him that she and the company heard about his DUI from him directly, and that he was happy to answer any further questions about it if she needed him to.
She was so impressed that he did this – and yes, they did do the background check on him and saw his bad credit/DUI, but STILL gave him the job. He had great references who said he was clearly working hard to offset the set backs and that he was a good hire. This, coupled with his proactive honesty got him the job.
Will it work for you? I don't know, but I do know it enabled my client to put his past to rest and move on.
JT
As a recruiter what I would be paying a lot of attention to is your lack of accountability for your DUI, which can speak of your character as a person. You call it an unfortunate event when it was actually a very fortunate event for the community you live in; you blame the police department for being “too strict” and you even mention an ex-president with a DUI, which apparently gives you the right to drink and drive but I don't see anywhere in your explanation your accountability for your actions. I would not disqualify you for your credit (unless my client requires a clean credit) and I would not disqualify you for your DUI but I would not hire you for poor sense of reasoning.
lmao…. NO. This “first offense class B misdemeanor” that they make you out like John Dillinger for is absolutely NOTHING more than a scam by police depts. who can't pay their budgets, cities who do the same, lawyers who make a fortune off of this and MADD who keeps a JOB by harassing ppl. It's all bullshit. Yes… you get TWO…. you're a road hazard. Nobody handles ALL things the same including drinking. You want to get drunks off the road?? ATTACK THE PLACES THAT SERVE THEM. Alcohol is LEGAL.