Credit Checks
You may not think it is fair, and it may not be, but many companies check credit these days. The best thing to do is to contact Consumer Credit Counselors (or a similar group). They can help you address this mess instead of just ignoring it. Then you can say "my credit is terrible but I'm working on it with CCC and have learned a really big lesson from all this." That's a lot better sell to an employer than, "tough luck".
Tess
Hey, I hear you loud and clear. Here was my sad sob story. I was fired a few years back and I was caring for an elderly parent and had a mortgage to pay. Everything collapsed on me in 2003. I was fired from a good paying job, couldn't find a decent paying job so I took on freelance work. I had my resume sent to every company that was hiring and paying what I thought I deserved.
Like all people I had to provide the basic necessities of living like food, gasoline, utilities, mortgage/rent and so forth. I stopped all of my magazines, phone, used only one light in my home - all others were turned off if it wasn't being used. I became so frugal, you would have thought I was Ebenezer Scrooge. I starved for three days of the week - drank only water or ate something very cheap. I deliberately did not go anywhere near fast food joints because it would make me hungry. I began to suck on ice cubes to stop the hunger pangs.
Ever come this close to losing your home in foreclosure? I can write a book about the terror of almost losing my home. The paranoia . . . the extreme worry . . . the depression . . . you name it I went through it.
What hurt was not getting any responses from companies I knew I had the background but they wouldn't even bother giving me an opportunity to discuss my background. This affected me so much that I became more compassionate to people who are going through the things I went through. I know it hurts and I know the feeling. It sucks big time.
That's terrible!
No you are not a bad person; we've all had our down times. Listen to Tess-she gives good advice, and OC has a lot of wisdom because he's lived it.
Did HR let you explain yourself, or did they just say no? Usually they will let you explain your situation and then re-evaluate their findings.
If one door closes, another will open. This job was not for you. There will be another
Good Luck, k?
All the Best,
TG
Hi angelordevil,
This whole credit check garbage is getting entirely out of control, it stinks!! I can understand some credit checks, but for a furniture store, ridiculous. I would recommend that you discuss your credit history with the HR person or hiring manager prior to authorizing a credit check. Sometimes, if you don't talk to a prospective employer before they receive a negative credit check, they think your being dishonest. Another thing you might want to do is request free copies (There are places that will provide free credit checks, Monster may be one of them, not sure.) of your credit report from all three reporting agencies, make sure everything is accurate. You might be amazed at how incorrect they can be.
I would recommend CB Budget Planning Corp 3001 Expressway Drive North Suite 400 Islandia, NY 11749, they
assisted my daughter when she was having problems. They took care of everything by phone. When you go to your next interview, tell the person interviewing you that you have placed your accounts with a budget planning
agency, you can probably get a letter from them to prove what your saying. Also, do not sign the job application authorizing a credit check until you have spoken with the interviewer. Write something like, 'Will explain" in the
box. Don't pass on a job opportunity because they say they will run a credit check, go in and be direct with them.
Best of luck to you!
tb:)
You're not the first or the last to be blown off by an employer.
Which is exactly how your situation comes across to me. What they were really saying to you was this :
Look lady, you have bad credit, so go away and never come back here unless you're a paying customer!!
It doesn't matter what positives you have about you, for some employers they use one thing as the end all be all factor. Why do they do that? To save time I suspect. Since you're not the only one applying for the job, it's safe to assume they're evaluating anywhere between 7 - 50 people, employers have to find a way to dwindle the field down even if they have to play the eeny, meeny, miny, moe catch a tiger by the toe, if he hollers let him go, eeny, meeny, miny, moe game.
It's nice that you felt people in positions of their management conveyed to you some sense of wanting to hire, but you need to understand that it's all B.S. smoke and mirrors unless you're hired and they ask you when can you start.
Learn to grow a thick skin, that will enable you not to feel so hurt as I'm sure you are feeling.
- Best Wishes to your job search girlie.
xttwo
God knows I would give anything not to be able to one-up other's stories of the fear, paranoia, and depression that results from unemployment. Many already know my story. Unemployment is approaching four years; lost my home over two years ago, nearly lost my car. For over 18 months, I've been essentially homeless, moving from home to home of other people. Currently my situation may be at it's most critical; I am hungry, have no money, less than 1/4 tank of gasoline, and the evil little troll with whom I am staying is doing very mean, vindictive things. A friend sent me a $200 check to help me with food. With no money, I have not had a checking account for well over a year, consequently, could not deposit the check. The little troll agreed to deposit it in her account and give me the money, once the check cleared, of course. I had few options. She insisted that rather than just endorse it, I also add "to the order of--her name." Guess what? She did not go to the bank to get me the money. The next day, she began a little vendetta against me because I've been too ill to clean her cat litter boxes--13 cats, that's a lot of s-h-i-t! They aren't my cats. Despite the fact that I had to go the the ER last Friday to be treated for dehydration among other things, she still expected me to do her dirty work. No, she did not cash the check and keep it; I would have filed a theft complaint against her had she done so. I told her I wanted the check back, she returned it to me, but it is now worthless because of the endorsement she demanded I add. I am trapped in her nasty little pig sty, no money, no gas, nowhere to go. I wish poor credit was my worst complaint.
I know exactly how you feel. Some of the rarest jobs are ones you find no further from your own house.
My last interview was with a manufacturing plant two blocks from my house. They played the same game of telling me how much they supposedly really like me - admiring my skills, the recent experience I had in a far upscale enviorment than what they had, but in the end they blew me off.
Unlike you employers never tell me and I never ask the reason why they turn me down. My perspective is that so long as I feel confident in applying and interviewing for a job, not hiring me is their mistake.
That's an attitude you should have as well. Never trust an employer, hiring manager, or anyone within a company, you can appreciate any positives they have to say about you, but at the same time, learn to take it with a grain of salt.
So when you do get turned down, it's not a total shock to your system.
Take care.
xttwo
I am sorry that you did not get the job, I have included some summary information regarding background checks/credits checks that this employer and other potential employers that you may contact are required to comply with. Based solely upon the information in your posting, it almost sounds as though the employer did not fully comply with this law. If you have questions about this information, please feel free to reply back to me and I will try to help. I am in HR and try to help people when I can. - Anonymous299
"Employers regularly screen employees or potential employees using criminal records, employment histories, educational verifications, driving records, credit reports and more. Due to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act ("FCRA"), employers must comply with certain disclosure and reporting requirements while performing background checks. The FCRA was enacted primarily to protect the privacy rights of individuals relating to credit information. The law, however, covers significantly more than just credit reports.
A summary of the relevant provisions of the FCRA pertaining to employment screening is below. To review the FCRA in its entirety, please visit www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fcra.htm
The FCRA requirements apply whenever an employer requests a "consumer report" or "investigative consumer report" from a consumer reporting agency. A "consumer report" includes any written, oral, or other communication of any information by a consumer reporting agency regarding a consumer's credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living which is used as a factor to establish the consumer's eligibility for employment. For purposes of the discussion below, references made to consumer reports include employment reports. A "consumer reporting agency" is any person or company who, for financial gain, regularly engages in the business of assembling or evaluating consumer credit information or other information on consumers for the purpose of furnishing consumer reports to third parties.
The FCRA requires any employer intending to obtain a consumer report to first make a clear and conspicuous written disclosure to the applicant or employee that a consumer report may be obtained for employment purposes. The disclosure cannot be included in an employment application or other document that contains additional information. The employer must also obtain the employee's or applicant's written authorization before obtaining the report.
Employers also must comply with certain reporting requirements. To obtain a consumer report from a consumer reporting agency, the employer must first provide certification to the consumer reporting agency that the employer:
Is requesting the report for employment purposes (which includes evaluating an applicant or employee for employment, promotion, reassignment, or retention as an employee).
Has provided the required disclosure to the applicant or employee.
Has obtained the necessary written authorization to request the report.
Will provide the applicant or employee with a copy of the report and a written description of the applicant or employee's rights before taking any adverse action based in whole or in part on the report.
Will not use the information from the report in a manner that violates federal or state equal opportunity laws.
In the event an employer plans to take any adverse action based wholly or in part upon information contained in a consumer report, the FCRA requires the employer to make certain notifications to the applicant or employee.
For employment purposes, an "adverse action" means either: 1) a denial of employment; or 2) any other decision for employment purposes that adversely affects any current or prospective employee. The FCRA requires an employer to provide a copy of the consumer report to the applicant or employee and provide the applicant or employee with a copy of his/her rights under the FCRA (the "Summary of Rights Under the FCRA") before taking adverse action based upon information contained in the consumer report.
After the employer takes adverse action, the employer must provide the applicant or employee with notice of the following:
The name, address, and telephone number of the consumer reporting agency issuing the report
A statement that the consumer reporting agency did not make the adverse decision and is not able to explain why the adverse decision was made
A statement regarding the applicant or employee's right to obtain a free disclosure of the applicant or employee's file from the agency if the applicant or employee requests the report within 60 days of notice of the adverse action
A statement regarding the applicant or employee's right to dispute directly with the consumer reporting agency the accuracy or completeness of any information provided by the agency.
Penalties for Noncompliance FCRA
Employers "negligent in failing to comply" with FCRA requirements are liable to an applicant or employee for actual damages, costs of a suit, and attorney's fees. In addition, an employer's "willful noncompliance," may result in punitive damages. Criminal penalties also may be imposed if a person obtains a credit report under false pretenses."