Very few people are aware of how important a high credit score can be when it comes to getting a job. For certain jobs out there, your credit score can get you a job, or it can possibly prevent you from getting a job as well.
Employers may look at credit reports because they feel it is a fair assessment of a potential employees sense of responsibility, judgment and work performance. They may feel that the way an employee handles their credit is a fair representation of the type of employee that they will be.
However, there are some consumer advocates who believe that the practice of using credit reports is an unfair means of discrimination against potential employees. They point out that hard times can befall anyone and sometimes difficult financial times are beyond our control.
But the fact of the matter is that the law is on the employer?s side. The information on your credit report can play a huge role in your job search. One thing that you should keep in mind, however, is the fact that a prospective employer must have your express permission to run a credit report. Make sure that you read the fine print on any application that you sign.
Obviously there is no problem is allowing a potential employer to see your report if your credit is good. But in this current economy, many people who may have had impeccable credit in the past have run into problems. If you do have some bad credit you need to know what you can do to minimize the impact of the negative credit on your life and your job search.
Check your credit report.
First off make sure that you take advantage of the free yearly report from each of the three major credit-reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Examine each report closely for any inaccurate or incomplete items and any discrepancies that you can dispute.
You can submit a dispute on the erroneous information and possibly get it removed from your account. You can do this on your own or you may also want to consider the services of a professional credit repair service. You should do everything you can to increase your credit score and clean up your report as much as possible.
Credit repair can be a time-consuming process. You may want to consider doing it sooner rather than later so that you can minimize the effect it will have on any type of job search. If you can repair your credit first that is ideal, however, that may not be possible.
If you do have bad credit that is affecting your possibilities to obtain the job, you may need to explain the circumstances to your potential employer and they may be able to overlook your past difficulties.
