I was verbally offered a position today and the company will be emailing me the formal written offer within the next few days.

32 Comments

1. AnonymousFebruary 15,2024 at 2:44AM UTC

   I agree with the poster that said call the contact. No one expects you to put random (forgotten) jobs. Seven years should be fine- it's the statute of limitations bankruptcy!!

   List what you can, excellent on no criminal as well and CONGRATS on the offer!!

2. AnonymousFebruary 16,2024 at 1:30PM UTC

   List what you can, no worries. They just want to make sure it's reasonably steady. And, by the way, do NOT give your notice until your background check is passed as a GO.

3. Jan SchwarzeFebruary 16,2024 at 5:11PM UTC

   Employers will typically verify all employment for a period of 10 years. They will allow for a certain "margin for error" in dates/times. If your bgc comes back with too many gaps/errors in the review process the bgc company will call you to go over . Lastly, they will allow some additional time for you to get the missing info.

4. GirlBossanova934974February 17,2024 at 2:17PM UTC

   First off, most of these companies requiring these background checks these days OUTSOURCE the job to companies who specialize in this area. And the companies doing the outsourcing, don't like to pay a lot of money! So in order of priority, the criminal background check is number one. Then it is off to call employers. Well the truth be told, the company doing the background checking wants to make a good profit so anything past 5-10 years probably has VERY LOW priority. Last but not least, be sure you do not give notice UNTIL everyone has signed off on the offer letter AND you have a start date.

5. AnonymousFebruary 17,2024 at 5:15PM UTC

   When you sign the form giving the 3rd party (all companies outsource this function to avoid potential liability) request a copy what comes back. The things you put on the form are the only things that they will check and verify. If you do not know contact information leave it out. If you only have history from 7 years please inform the 3rd party of this and call them on the phone to see if this will be a non-starter. If they do any kind of financial check on you be sure to get copies of that too.

   Generally they are looking for criminal records, false dates of employment and things out of line. If you are unsure be certain to disclose BEFORE finalizing the document.

6. Kirstie JohnsonFebruary 17,2024 at 6:53PM UTC

   They aren’t going to worry if your dates are off.

7. AnonymousFebruary 17,2024 at 7:37PM UTC

   I completed the check last night. I was able to gather what I could because I couldn't get around not having 15 years. What I thought was odd, is that I just needed to enter the employer name, city and state, title, and dates worked. No contact information (phone number, address, contact name.) I thought that I missed a screen, but didn't. Is this typical? How are they able to verify with no contact information?

8. Alexis WhiteFebruary 18,2024 at 1:07PM UTC

   They verify every job listed on your social. Don’t matter if you don’t remember. It’s not a big deal just let them know that when they reach out to ask why you didn’t list it

9. AnonymousFebruary 18,2024 at 1:17PM UTC

   I’m not sure how important that is. I don’t think I’ve ever had an employer check that far back.

   Do you happen to have old W2 copies from your tax filings? That may help bridge the gap somewhat.

10. AnonymousFebruary 18,2024 at 1:31PM UTC

    They check every job you've had through a company. Be transparent and list as many as you can remember.. Always say - to the best of my knowledge - they aren't concerned with little time frames- only if you were terminated for cause.

11. AnonymousFebruary 18,2024 at 1:58PM UTC

    They’re probably using the work number. Not all companies are listed there. You should be fine. Try to be transparent as possible.

    as a note, employment verification does not always include performance information or whether you got fired, laid off. Etc. just dates of employment and position.

12. Brittany Butkiewicz GonzalezFebruary 18,2024 at 2:59PM UTC

    In the US they are not allowed to ask about performance during verification.

13. AnonymousFebruary 20,2024 at 1:19AM UTC

    Can't they get around that by asking if the candidate is eligible for rehire?

14. AnonymousFebruary 18,2024 at 3:45PM UTC

    i’ve done hundreds of background checks and they don’t go back past seven years from what I’ve seen, the only issues that prevented us from hiring people that didn’t apprise us in HR that they had a DUI or some other offense.

    I was not allowed to tell the hiring managers why we may not be hiring them because of HIPPA. The dates can be off and still be hired. It’s not always black-and-white because people don’t necessarily remember the month they started in a position they typically remember the year.

15. Lanie VaughanFebruary 18,2024 at 4:35PM UTC

    I had to go through the same thing. I’ve never had an issue, and I had recent jobs that I had been fired from. As long as you are honest, nothing to worry about.

16. AnonymousFebruary 18,2024 at 5:10PM UTC

    If this is for the federal government, they would go back 15 years. Any job you've held will come up on the report regardless of how you listed it as the search is tried to your SSN.

    What they are really searching for is your criminal record. And I would recommend listing everything. I know on the report they say felonies only, but I've had a candidate rejected because they didn't list a DUI from 10 years prior.

    I don't know how it is in every state, but the search clearly showed the DUI as a misdemeanor, but the federal government rejected them because they didn't list it.

17. Maggie StoneFebruary 18,2024 at 6:09PM UTC

    I understand your anxiety.

    15 years is a long time., and I don’t think they realistically expect you to remember all names and dates from that far back. All you can do is be as thorough and accurate as you can., but don’t overthink it or obsess. Maybe you can include a letter of explanation? My guess is that only extreme stuff like saying you worked somewhere and you didn’t or a deliberate omission or completely inaccurate information will be a problem. For example listing a supervisor who doesn’t exist so they can’t check a reference or saying you worked somewhere for a year, but it was only a month because you were fired. Basically, anything that looks like you’re trying to cover something up. I would focus on making sure everything you include is accurate to the best of your knowledge. You can ask the recruiter how much of a stickler they are going to be about going back 15 years or exact dates. Good luck.

18. AnonymousFebruary 18,2024 at 8:59PM UTC

    List everything you can recall with approximate dates as close to what you can remember. Sometimes you have to go through pictures or recall events during that time of your life to sort of get a more accurate sense of timing. I went through some hefty background checks before (one in a financial position that was temporary and for my last job) and that’s how I was able to improve my recollection without stressing over exact dates. They wanted information that could validate my past roles and companies - mostly I’d say because both roles that required those deep dive backgrounds to confirm honesty and sense of integrity/character.

19. AnonymousFebruary 19,2024 at 1:11PM UTC

    You can get a copy of your employment records from the Social Security Administration. I have had to do this in the past. I hope this helps: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/human-resources-center/foia/employment-records#:~:text=To%20get%20a%20copy%20of,www.ssa.gov%2F.

20. AyianFebruary 19,2024 at 1:22PM UTC

    This depends on the organization. If it's the federal government and the background check is tied to a security clearance, you must be precise and not skip anything at all or it may void the offer. If it's a private institution, results may vary. Ask the recruiter and express your concern. They are the most qualified to answer your question.

21. LORI-ANN BURLINGAMEFebruary 19,2024 at 1:30PM UTC

    Have you shared your concerns with the recruiter? You may want to reach out to her/him and explain the situation. When it comes to background checks, honest is always the best policy. It shows that you respect yourself and the company. As a rule, background checks are very thorough. You do not want to appear to be finding something.

    Wishing you well!

22. AnonymousFebruary 19,2024 at 1:47PM UTC

    You don’t need to list all of your jobs on your resume. A resume is like an advertisement on your behalf. If you filled out an application then that’s where you have to list everything. It’s standard practice to not put more than 10 years of work on a resume anyway. The background report is basically just a precaution. I wouldn’t worry about it.

23. Dianna DeeleyFebruary 19,2024 at 2:28PM UTC

    You don't need to list every job with exact dates. Just do your best. Most of us didn't work for the same employer for 25 years, and the background check will take that into account.

24. AnonymousFebruary 19,2024 at 4:43PM UTC

    If you had a W2, you can get your work history from the irs online

25. RachelFebruary 19,2024 at 5:10PM UTC

    Just put what you remember. They'll find everything and if/when they contact you afterwards, they may ask about a job you forgot to put on the form and just tell them you couldn't remember

26. Carol23February 19,2024 at 5:27PM UTC

    If they ask you about a temp job, just tell the truth. They don't expect to remember temp jobs.

27. AnonymousFebruary 19,2024 at 7:52PM UTC

    My situation was different but it will help explain how they work. I graduated from undergrad in the 90s, I went back for my Masters in the early 2000s but didn’t finish. The investigator called me asking why the university say I left 10 years after the date I’d given. I explained it to him, he noted it and I was able to start the job.

    The next time I was offered a job, I explained the weird academic record to them before the search, just in case. There have been no issues since then and no one has ever asked about the three months I spent as the assistant to a CEO when I was bored out of my mind and left.

    Good luck

28. KathyAnn KrajcikFebruary 19,2024 at 8:05PM UTC

    I go back 10 years on my resume and never had a problem with a background check.

29. Stephanie F, MSHRMFebruary 21,2024 at 5:02AM UTC

    From the background checks I’ve seen they only verify what you list and the education up to what is required from the minimum qualifications.

30. RichFebruary 21,2024 at 3:59PM UTC

    There are five potential checks that they can perform.

    Don't assume because you have no criminal record, you won't have a problem. I was repeatedly "ghosted" until I got a clue from a HR rep that there was someone else, with my name, living in my town, who had a violent criminal history. So I checked sources and found that not only was there this person, someone else used my name as an alias, and that person's birthday was a transposition of two numbers of mine.

    They can also do a drug screen - pee in a cup. Be careful, in states like Texas, pot is not legal and some of the CBD things on the market still have enough THC to show up in a drug screen. It can sometimes take 30 days to clear from your system.

    They also do a credit check. This is one that I've seen burn people. It's why they want you to fill out a job application with a signature at the bottom. If your new role involves anything to do with finance, it will matter if there are problems in your past. Tell HR up-front.

    They will also check your references. You should be in contact with those people every 3 or 4 weeks. We had one person whose main reference moved to the Middle East and another whose reference was on vacation in South Korea when they were called. ALWAYS notify your references if they are going to be called - surprises are very bad.

    Then they will check your social media. No sex, drugs, wild parties, or dangerous behavior. No strong opinions about politics or religion. HR doesn't want to hire a potential problem. Instead, clean it up. In fact, if it is professional, it can greatly improve your chances.

    If you will have any problems with any of these five areas, tell HR during the interview process. If you can give a logical explanation, they will be ok with it. If you surprise them with anything negative - you'll be ghosted, like I was.

    BTW - Your old checkbooks and tax returns will help you with dates of employment...

31. Kim PfeifferFebruary 21,2024 at 10:51PM UTC

    You'll be fine. It's like a credit report. It just shows names of companies and dates worked. Nothing more. It won't show the jobs you had under the table, just those where you received a W-2.

32. CKFutrell@gmail.comFebruary 26,2024 at 5:54PM UTC

    For your employment history, I suggest that you maintain a document that lists all your W2 employment, your referral contact, and education details with snapshots of certificates, diplomas, personal state ID/License, etc. all-in-one word document that you can turn into a PDF.

    Details should include company/institution, start and complete dates, main phone number, add location. For references add their title associated with that company, email, and relationship (supervisor or co-worker).

    Even if you cannot remember all the W2 jobs you worked, start with what you know now and add latter for you next role. You should be able to contact the State Unemployment Office to provide the details if you do not have your prior resumes or paystubs to review.

    Not that you need to, but my document goes back to my very first job, however, I make a trimmed copy to match my resume or the years requested before I convert to a PDF attachment for the background check.

    Be sure to add your residential address(es) for the last 20 years to avoid the issue of mistaken identity, if not asked on their initial form.

    Having gone through this process multiple times in my career, my advice is to not worry. Make sure to respond to requests from HR as soon as possible so they can move you forward in the process and start you within a reasonable time frame.

    Good Luck! I hope you get the job.