Hypothetically speaking...

GoldenPenguin

If a potential employer's HR department called you & said they were doing a background check, would that be a good sign?

And also, if they were to discover you had a really sh!tty credit score, would they then NOT hire you?

csousa1

I don't really see what your credit score has to do with employment...

Buying a house, car, renting....you are paying them so it makes sense for them to care about your credit. But a job? They are paying YOU, so it's not the same. I could be completely wrong though.

And yes, I think that is a good sign As long as you aren't an ex-con or got fired from a past job for shooting up the place, I say it's a good sign!

becunning2

I've actually heard of credit scores affecting employment before... as have had things like child support being in arrears (I think).  You're looking at a bank, right?

But... I do think it's a good sign, and a crappy credit score is unlikely to totally undermine you.

[Deleted User]

re: the credit score, it depends on what kind of position you're applying for.  my H works at a bank, and they check credit scores for their employees.  I work for the government... I had a clearance security and background check, which includes my credit score.

for my H, it was relevant because he was going to work at a bank.  for me, it was because it's included in my security clearance (they have to know everything about me).

but a background check is a good sign. 

ETA:  just wanted to add that my H's credit score was pretty crappy, but he still go tthe job.  he made dumb choices in his late teens and early twenties, and he's been a victim of identity theft.  but the past months/years he's made some really obvious strides in fixing all that, so it's looking better all the time!

lunarsongbird

Most companies only use credit checks to verify your Social Security Number.

Running a background check is a VERY good sign, because employers wouldn't waste their money running the check if they weren't interested in hiring you.

peekaboo2011

I can only see the credit score affecting you negatively if you've applied at a job where you might be offered money to influence decisions.  Bad credit = in their mind, you may be more likely to take a bribe. But otherwise, don't worry too much about it.  A background check is definitely a good sign!

GoldenPenguin

It is with a bank, but I wouldn't be doing anything really banking related... it's PR. So hopefully they won't take it into serious consideration. I don't have bankruptcy or anything, and no serious credit card debt... it's mostly student loans & bad history from college. I have been able to get three brand new cars (one was a lease), and a credit card when I moved into my own apartment, so hopefully this won't disqualify me...

DanieKA

Background check=good because as PP's said, you have to pay for that and a company isn't going to waste time and money unless they are very interested in you. 

I'm going to go slightly against the grain and say that a bad credit score can/does affect job prospects for many reasons. 1) Generally, a bad credit score indicates irresponsibility to some employers. It doesn't really matter what industry you are applying for at all (but banking as very conservative, even in the PR department). If you can't control your spending and you have lots and lots of credit card debt that's a red flag. 2) If you have child support issues , even though that has nothing to do with banking, that's a red flag. 3) If you haven't paid your student loans (not that they are in deferment or something else official, but that you just don't pay), that's a red flag. 

All these things don't bode well for any company. As unfair as it may seem, especially if it seems like a credit score has nothing to do with the potential job. A lot of employers look at bad credit scores as a symptom of someone who can't/hasn't gotten their act together and why would they trust them with their job duties or a position?

It's totally unfair in some cases, but I can see the reason companies feel that way. But it is by no means a complete bar to a job. if the reason the score is bad is old (and old bankruptcy that you have since cleaned up, though your score might not be as high as it would have been without the bankruptcy, a debt that you can prove you have paid off), employers sometimes don't take them into consideration. 

It really can vary from person to person (from hiring person to hiring person) and what kind of job/how lax the industry is. 

jorja86

Them doing a background check is a great sign!! Hope it continues to be good news for you

Hazel_B

Background check! So exciting!

Credit score could definitely have an impact. I know credit definitely played a role when FI got his last job. Although I'm not sure how they look at it. If bad credit means no job or they just want to know what they are getting into with a person and have a discussion about it. From my understanding if they use credit as a reason to employ or not employ someone they are looking at how vulnerable or susceptible someone is to influence. If you aren't hiding anything and are open when asked then I think you should be fine.