Haven't heard back yet after drug test & physical

[Floridastudent]

Another thing with references florida. I so far have only called references if something is questionable with the prospective hire. IE something on a background check pops up but from many years ago, two canidates for the same position one with less experience, see what i am getting at.

Alot of times references are there just for an as if on the employment questionare.

Just trying to help from a poistion inside thats all

That is really great perspective, thank you. So, I'm curious - what kinds of things would give you pause on a background check? I mean, obviously if someone lied and it turned out they had previous arrests, DUIs, etc., that would be an issue, but is there anything else that you look for on background checks? Do you look at credit history?

[Just Plain Ruff]

That is really great perspective, thank you. So, I'm curious - what kinds of things would give you pause on a background check? I mean, obviously if someone lied and it turned out they had previous arrests, DUIs, etc., that would be an issue, but is there anything else that you look for on background checks? Do you look at credit history?

Things to give pause on a background check

1. Any sexual convictions (BIGGIE)

2. Criminal history

3. drug arrests

4. If they do a credit check and it's bad

5. employment history - big gaps or lots of jobs in a single year

6. incorrect dates on your resume

7. bankruptcy

8. Searching your facebook page or doing a google search on you and finding things you posted but wish you didnt

9. Lots of other things.

Let's face it, we live in a what you say online is there forever kind of world. Look at Christine O'Donnell and her remarks as a teen on the show the Bill Maher is using to try to force her to come on his show. She said she dabbled in witchcraft on one show and Maher is using that to point out her hypocriticsim for abortion. He says her previous dabbling in witchcraft directly puts doubts on her Christian claims now.

Look at the people who post on facebook or the trashy Myspace and put yourself in a hiring managers shoes. If you saw what they posted on their pages would you hire them? Maybe yes, maybe no.

I'm sure that if an employer read one of my blogs (it's set to private) that they would not hire me. But that's why it's private, it's a online daily diary of my thoughts.

Those are the immediate things that we have used to not hire or to hire someone was what we found on a background check.

Does that make sense?

[Floridastudent]

It does make sense. The thing that worries me is the bad credit. Especially in this economy, a LOT of people have bad credit these days - and how does one fix bad credit if one can't get a job? Kind of a Catch-22 there.

All of the other things I could see as being a dealbreaker, but I personally feel that bad credit, and even a bankruptcy, in this economy, is not that surprising and isn't necessarily relevant to an EMT job, especially if everything else checks out fine. It's not a financial advisor job, it's not a bank job, etc. But I'm not the HR person, so I don't get to make those decisions.

I don't have a bankruptcy, lien, foreclosure, etc. - but I do have a lot of late payments because I'm working part time and living fairly hand-to-mouth at the moment. Do you think that's enough to keep someone from hiring me?

As for the online stuff - I never post anything online that I wouldn't want my mother to read. I know that what you post on Twitter today can haunt you for eternity.

Things to give pause on a background check

1. Any sexual convictions (BIGGIE)

2. Criminal history

3. drug arrests

4. If they do a credit check and it's bad

5. employment history - big gaps or lots of jobs in a single year

6. incorrect dates on your resume

7. bankruptcy

8. Searching your facebook page or doing a google search on you and finding things you posted but wish you didnt

9. Lots of other things.

Let's face it, we live in a what you say online is there forever kind of world. Look at Christine O'Donnell and her remarks as a teen on the show the Bill Maher is using to try to force her to come on his show. She said she dabbled in witchcraft on one show and Maher is using that to point out her hypocriticsim for abortion. He says her previous dabbling in witchcraft directly puts doubts on her Christian claims now.

Look at the people who post on facebook or the trashy Myspace and put yourself in a hiring managers shoes. If you saw what they posted on their pages would you hire them? Maybe yes, maybe no.

I'm sure that if an employer read one of my blogs (it's set to private) that they would not hire me. But that's why it's private, it's a online daily diary of my thoughts.

Those are the immediate things that we have used to not hire or to hire someone was what we found on a background check.

Does that make sense?

[Just Plain Ruff]

Bad credit in itself will not keep you from getting the job. Most HR people I know don't base their hiring decisions on a credit score.

One thing they do consider is how bad your credit is and how late your payments are as a gauge to say to themselves, with all other things about this person would their late payments prompt them to steal from the company?

Most of the time the answer is NO but to some hiring managers that I know, that thought is in their minds. \

Your credit report probably will never get run. If you do get denied a job based on your credit report and they have to disclose that to you then you can get a free copy of your reports from all 3 of the big agencies and look at it.

And cleaning up bad credit is a nightmare. It take time and lots of it. Paying off bills and keeping the minimum payments up.

There are ways to make sure that the billing companies don't put you down as late and I can tell some of them to you but that is not the meaning of this thread.

PM me for more info.

[JTpaintball70]

Hey Ruff, from someone else trying to find work, thanks for explaining about the credit thing. I've got pretty bad credit right now due to being out of work. I can't pay bills if I don't have money coming in Makes me feel a little better. And it's why my FB is set as friend only (you can only see my picture and name if you're not a friend).

[Floridastudent]

Hey Ruff, from someone else trying to find work, thanks for explaining about the credit thing. I've got pretty bad credit right now due to being out of work. I can't pay bills if I don't have money coming in Makes me feel a little better. And it's why my FB is set as friend only (you can only see my picture and name if you're not a friend).

Even if it is set to private, I would still be extremely cautious about posting anything that you would not want a prospective employer to see. That includes pictures AND posts. Nothing that's on the internet is guaranteed to be private and it would be awful to lose a potential job because you posted "I drank so much Jack and Coke last night that I barfed on my shoes!" Not saying you would post that - I'm just saying.

As for the bad credit thing - I hear you. I HATE it that bad credit could keep someone from getting a job when the reality is, people are out of work for months, even years, now - and without an income, of course your credit will be bad!

[JTpaintball70]

Even if it is set to private, I would still be extremely cautious about posting anything that you would not want a prospective employer to see. That includes pictures AND posts. Nothing that's on the internet is guaranteed to be private and it would be awful to lose a potential job because you posted "I drank so much Jack and Coke last night that I barfed on my shoes!" Not saying you would post that - I'm just saying.

As for the bad credit thing - I hear you. I HATE it that bad credit could keep someone from getting a job when the reality is, people are out of work for months, even years, now - and without an income, of course your credit will be bad!

I am relatively careful, but I have an... odd sense of humor, so that's really the reason it's set to private. Some people don't appreciate it Besides, most photos you'll find with me tagged in them are actually ones I took, I never was much for hte partying aspect at all

[snoopy911]

Another thing with references florida. I so far have only called references if something is questionable with the prospective hire. IE something on a background check pops up but from many years ago, two canidates for the same position one with less experience, see what i am getting at.

Alot of times references are there just for an as if on the employment questionare.

Just trying to help from a poistion inside thats all

I echo what ugly said, a lot of places don't call your references unless something looks like it is up. Out of all the jobs I've applied for, as far as I know, none of my references have ever been called. So don't stress! If they already agreed to hire you, just waiting for the test results, sounds to me like you have it in the bag! Did you sign any paperwork upon being hired? When I had got hired for my current job, (currently out due to a work injury) they hired me during the interview, and I signed paperwork at that time. Then I had to get all my paperwork, immunization records, physical, etc. But since I had already signed paperwork, I didn't worry about it. It did take them about 2 weeks to process everything through HR and schedule me a date for orientation!

[Floridastudent]

I echo what ugly said, a lot of places don't call your references unless something looks like it is up. Out of all the jobs I've applied for, as far as I know, none of my references have ever been called. So don't stress! If they already agreed to hire you, just waiting for the test results, sounds to me like you have it in the bag! Did you sign any paperwork upon being hired? When I had got hired for my current job, (currently out due to a work injury) they hired me during the interview, and I signed paperwork at that time. Then I had to get all my paperwork, immunization records, physical, etc. But since I had already signed paperwork, I didn't worry about it. It did take them about 2 weeks to process everything through HR and schedule me a date for orientation!

No, basically, the job offer was contingent on me passing the drug test and physical. I signed permission for them to do a background check, and that's all I recall signing. They have not yet called me back to ask for any other paperwork. When I was interviewed, I was asked to bring in EVOC certificate, driver's license, current EMT certificate, and current Red Cross CPR for healthcare providers card, they made copies of all that, then I filled out an application listing my work history and references and saying I had no criminal history, then I did the interview, then I took a knowledge test, and after all of that, they set up an appointment for me to to the drug testing/physical.

I appreciate your optimism! I guess by next week I will know one way or the other.

[uglyEMT]

Your welcome Florida.

Seeing your last post, whats probably holding up things is the background check. Even with no criminal history it takes time.

For example I give you myself. When i applied for my squad they needed a background check. I handed them my DHS card, my Waterfront card, and my Coast Guard clearence card. All of which are veted by the FBI and Federal Government, the DHS card is veted higher even. It still took alomst 2 weeks for the local LEOs to get my background check done. During which the DHS payed them a visit and asked why they wanted a check LOL All that for a volly job.

So dont worry too much. Between all the folks applying and trying to get their tests done and all the background checks on all those folks its going to take time for HR or whoever does the checking to get through it all. Monday give them a call and inquire. Just ask about status thats all.

As far as what throughs up red flags to me on backgrounds Ruff hit them on the head no need to repeat. Those are red flags not conditions not to hire, I would then begin the interviews witht he references, have the LEOs do a more extensive background check and bring you back in to explain.

Your getting very good information here from alot of folks hope it calms your fears a little.