After the Interview - What Do They Look At?

With the current economy the job market has certainly changed. With more qualified candidates in the job market employers looking for new employees can be far more selective than ever before. You can be certain you will have some serious competition for any position you apply for, but exactly what are your obstacles? You will of course need a good resume to peek the interest of the potential employer. This will hopefully get you an interview at which time your personality and self confidence will shine. However, a good resume and solid interview skills are not always enough. Many employers are now doing more in-dept checks of potential employees. Some of these you will surely be aware of, but others may surprise you.

1. Criminal background check - Employers can check local state and federal records to determine if you have any criminal history. Depending on the employer and the type of crime, you may be excluding from consideration. Many employers will not hire anyone convicted of a felony. I know of one employer who will hire persons who have been convicted of violent crimes, as long as they have never been convicted of theft. Others want nothing to do with anyone who has any criminal record, period.

2. Driving Record check - Many companies will do checks of your driving record for a variety of reasons. If you are to be issued or be operating a company vehicle it may be required by their insurance company. Others will conduct the check to get a feel for you as a person. Are you safety conscious? Do you conduct yourself in a legal and proper manner when operating a motor vehicle? Too many speeding tickets may give the impression of someone who is reckless and who can't follow the rules.

3. Drug and Alcohol Screening - Depending on the company these can be very simple, or they can involve more detail. In most instances these checks will show if you have recently used drugs and what type. Normally failing a drug screen is a sure way to be removed from consideration.

4. Credit Check - You may wonder why your credit score is any of an employer's business. One company I worked for did credit checks on anyone being hired into accounting, management, or any position dealing with budget items or money. The theory being that if you cannot manage your own finances, why should you be entrusted to manage or be involved in the companies finances.

5. References - On most resumes you put 'References available upon request'. In today's world you can expect more companies to request those references. Be certain to have them ready, and be certain they are the people you want a potential employer to call. Can they tell the employer about your job qualifications, your education, specialized training, or speak of your character? Your mom may love you but she may make a lousy reference. Try to list professional people in positions of authority who the potential employer will respect and can speak with as an equal.

6. On-Line - More and more these days you can expect to be Googled when applying for a position. For some unknown reason people have begun posting information about themselves on the Internet. People talk about how they like to party, and with whom. In many instances people post information which can severely damage any opportunity for serious employment. Never assume that something you post on the internet will never be seen by a potential employer. HR professional are learning where to look to find this information and using it in their hiring decisions. If you like to party, that is your business, but don't put it out where the information can be accessed by the entire world.

There are other checks which can be done, but most will fall into one of these six categories. Some you can do nothing about. If you already have a criminal record, you can't magically erase it. You should be aware however that with the increased number of qualified candidates applying for any given position, employers are looking for any excuse to narrow the list. Try to give them as few excuses as possible. Good luck.