Credit Checks & Employment
Employers are allowed to look up your credit history. While it is illegal to discriminate against someone during the hiring process, the reality is, if an employer pulls your credit history, they are looking for something which will ultimately make an impression-good or bad.Employers and Credit Checks
When applying for a job, you may sign a consent form allowing a background check. This background check often includes an inquiry into your credit history. The company will receive a modified version of your report, which will not cite your birthdate or credit score. What an employer may be looking for though is a your reliability and credibility-are you a responsible person? Perhaps they will judge you if they see you do not pay your bills on time, and decide you are unreliable. Your credit report could cost you the job.
Job Candidacy and Credit Checks
While their inquiry is legal, their discrimination against you because of your credit is not. Unfortunately, because there will be no proof of discrimination, there is little you can do about it. What you can do, however, is keep a very close eye on your credit. A free copy of your credit report is available once per year; it can be ordered from any of the three credit bureaus. Getting a credit specialist to help remove past mistakes from the report will greatly boost your reliability in the eyes of any person who views it.
If you want to be extra-cautious, you may want to enroll in a credit monitoring program, which will allow you to look at your credit history whenever you like, as ordering a report each month can become costly in the long run. As long as you pay your bills in full and on time, and keep healthy financial habits, you should never be denied a position in your chosen career.
- Understanding Credit:
