by Timmy Duncan

Created on: July 20, 2010   Last Updated: July 21, 2010

If you have applied for a job recently, chances are good that you have signed a consent form allowing your prospective employer to perform a background check on you. Gone are the days when employers merely verified employment and education history and counted on their gut instincts to hire new employees. In today's world, they must evaluate each prospect for potential risks. By signing the consent form, you authorize your potential employer to have access to your entire past.

Depending on what kind of job you are applying form, your potential employer might check up on anything from your credit history to your criminal record to your relationship with your neighbors. And to do so is well within their rights once you sign the form. Many people assume that the background check simply confirms that you have no criminal record, but it is much more than that.

Background checks can be incredibly extensive and can go far beyond what any employer would reasonably need to know before hiring you. And like credit reporting, it isn't foolproof. Quite often bad information gets through and incorrect things may pop up on your background check. Knowing what potential employers might be looking for should help you ensure that you have everything in order before filling out your application.

If a potential employer declines to offer you employment based upon something they discovered in your background check, they are required by law to deliver something called a pre-adverse action disclosure which states the reason for not hiring you. You should also receive a copy of the report along with a description of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act. Employers are not allowed to consider certain things as grounds for not hiring you, but it is difficult to prove after the fact whether or not they have done so.

According to the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, you are allowed to obtain a copy of an employment background check annually for no charge. It is a good idea to do so as it is the only way to know whether or not the information in your background check is correct. Having incorrect information in your background report could end up costing you a job, so it is well worth the time and effort it takes to obtain a copy of the report.

Your best course of action is to know and understand your rights and know exactly what is in your background report. Like G.I. Joe says - knowing is half the battle!

Learn more about this author, Timmy Duncan.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.