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How Can I Run a Background Check on Myself?

Background checks provide a host of benefits to the organizations or people performing them. Among these are staff retention and more reliable employees. It’s not an overstatement to say background checks have become indispensable to recruiters. Interestingly, they can help their subjects as well. In this article, we will describe some of the benefits of running a background check on yourself.

Doing a background check on yourself can make sure the information on your resume and in your cover letter is accurate. Moreover, it’s the best way to prepare yourself for questions your potential employer may have. You can background check yourself at CheckPeople.com or through another specialized provider of background searches. However, this is not the only way to run a background check on yourself. You can also do a check on social media or online databases and court records. In addition, you can get a copy of your credit report as well. Finally, you can check your references yourself.

Searching Social Media

These days, employers are more than ever concerned about the implications of their employees’ posts on social media. This is only natural, as a single offensive comment or post can damage the company’s reputation. More than two-thirds of employers check social media during the recruitment process. Thus, any job candidate would do well to search their social networks before their prospective boss does.

You can also Google your name and current city to see what comes up. If something objectionable appears, you can try to get it removed. Moreover, you should make sure your social network profiles look professional and that your comments and photos are appropriate. If this is not the case, it is recommended to set your profile to private.

Public Records Database Search

Public online records can also reveal criminal history. If you have the same name as someone with a criminal record, this may confuse your employer. Public databases contain a lot of valuable data even though their records are not always complete. Here are the steps to take to perform a reliable search:

  • Make sure none of your records belong to another person with the same or a similar name.
  • Be prepared to object to incorrect information.
  • Check all public records and national databases available. These include the FBI’s fingerprint database, the global terrorism database, and federal and state criminal databases.
  • Search your state or county’s court records. Use the online federal court record index for information about federal cases.

Most of these searches are free. However, if the number of documents you want to view exceeds a certain limit, the federal court will charge a fee.

Check References

To employers, verifying your education, employment history, and references is critical to making a hiring decision. Therefore, you should verify these as well. Your graduation date or when you started your last job might have slipped your mind. You should avoid listing an approximate date because if it becomes revealed that you provided the wrong information during the check, this will reflect badly on you.

Moreover, you can get in touch with your references and ask them about your employment history. You should verify your start and end dates, job titles, and job duties and responsibilities. In addition, you can call your college or university and ask for a copy of your transcript. It is also possible to do this online. This way, you can check the information and ask them to correct any inaccuracies.

Reference checks are free, too. Some schools will charge you a fee to send your records.

Court Record Search

There is no unified national criminal database in the U.S. In addition, some courthouses have records that others don’t have access to. As a result, employees and employers alike have come to appreciate the importance of running detailed criminal record checks. To do a court record search in person or online, you can make a list of the courts in your area. If they don’t make records available online, you will need to go to each one and ask for your record.

If the information in your court record is not accurate, you can file a request with the court to have it corrected. This process is time-consuming, especially if you need to dispute your record. On the plus side, the fees to access your records are low. If you have a criminal record, this search will be well worth the effort.

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