topic Re: Potential Employer Credit Check in General Credit Topics

Potential Employer Credit Check

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:17:21 GMT

I recently took a qualifying test for a local fire department. I scored pretty high on the test and I am getting called back to take a physical test. I am in decent shape and should pass the physical test with no problems. The interview process involves a credit and background check. I have never so much as gotten a parking ticket so the background check is no problem. I do have a few hiccups on my credit report. A lot of it is my student loans which add up to 60,000 and I am currently a student, so my debt to income ratio is not very good. I have a few collections from about 4 years ago that I am in the process of getting removed. My scores are 596,591, and 635. My question is, Has anyone ever been rejected from a job offer because of a low credit score? It's not like I am bouncing checks or have ever declared bankruptcy. I was just wondering, and I am sure it varies from employer to employer, if there is a certain score or item on a report that is a red-flag for employers.

Re: Potential Employer Credit Check

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 02:25:44 GMT

I can't imagine that they will turn you away for the fire department because of low credit scores. It's not like you'll be working in the financial industry!

I wish you best of luck, it's a noble thing applying to be join your local fire dept. Kudos to you.

Re: Potential Employer Credit Check

Tons_of_Debt — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:23:30 GMT

Since you know they are going to pull your credit anyway, I'd write up a letter explaining the collections. I'm not sure about the FD, but a friend of mine was rejected from the PD due to his CR. Granted, he had a BK, but taking responsibility and showing them what you're doing to improve it will speak volumes.

Don't try to explain it away. Simply admit your past transgressions while focusing on the improvements you've made in the interim.

Re: Potential Employer Credit Check

fishbjc — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:28:03 GMT

Good Luck....Fireman are such Hero's!!!!!

Re: Potential Employer Credit Check

cadavis0609 — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:10:17 GMT

I was hired by the FD with scores in the low 500's, but I scored very well in every other part of the hiring process. What they are looking for is integrity. They don't like people who skip out on their obligations (child support), write bad checks, fraud in general. I doubt a few collections are going to kick you out, but if it worries you, then see what you can do to get them paid and deleted.

Re: Potential Employer Credit Check

Anonymous — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:45:59 GMT

Yep! And, they are easy on the eyes, too! (Okay, that was inappropriate, but I have always had a thing for firefighters, sorry!)

fishbjc wrote:
Good Luck....Fireman are such Hero's!!!!!

Re: Potential Employer Credit Check

Anonymous — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:54:02 GMT

It might not hurt to just ask what they are looking for in the credit check. Be up front with them before they even run it, and let them know where you are today with your collections, etc.

Good luck!

Re: Potential Employer Credit Check

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 01:23:17 GMT

Also, If I get the job, will my score improve as my debt to income ratio drastically improves?

Re: Potential Employer Credit Check

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 01:33:45 GMT

No, your income doesn't make a direct impact on your credit score, as income is not factored into scores. If you have an CC's you can try to get a CLI that would reduce your utilization rates if you carry a balance. Sometimes if you update your income with creditors, provided it is higher than when you applied, you can get a higher CL, but of course that would only come with excellent payment history and if the overall picture is favorable in the eyes of the lender.

And, if you have collections you can pay off, you can offer a PFD and hopefully get them removed...

OchoGringo wrote:
Also, If I get the job, will my score improve as my debt to income ratio drastically improves?

Re: Potential Employer Credit Check

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 01:39:52 GMT

Thank you for your help. Does anybody else find it ridiculous that information stays on your report for 7 years? I am 28 now and am 10 times more responsible than I was when I was 21. I also wish someone would have taught me about credit in high school. Or I could have had free access to my reports back then.

Re: Potential Employer Credit Check

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 01:52:42 GMT

I agree with you about the lack of financial planning provided to students. There should be some type of mandatory finance class your senior year of highschool and/or freshman in college.

OchoGringo wrote:
Thank you for your help. Does anybody else find it ridiculous that information stays on your report for 7 years? I am 28 now and am 10 times more responsible than I was when I was 21. I also wish someone would have taught me about credit in high school. Or I could have had free access to my reports back then.

Re: Potential Employer Credit Check

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 06:53:00 GMT

I think the average credit score of American consumers will be plunging faster than the stock markets.

Re: Potential Employer Credit Check

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:48:10 GMT

So funny you say this, I posted a few days ago but didn't get much of a response, but I was wondering myself wha the average credit score with all the foreclosures and the state of the economy. I think it's plunging too.

TheNewWorldMan wrote:
I think the average credit score of American consumers will be plunging faster than the stock markets.

Re: Potential Employer Credit Check

athensguy — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:20:04 GMT

Yup, my TU score went down and the only change was lowering Util! Maybe Zip Codes are factored into FICO now

Re: Potential Employer Credit Check

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:38:38 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I agree with you about the lack of financial planning provided to students. There should be some type of mandatory finance class your senior year of highschool and/or freshman in college.
@Anonymous wrote:
Thank you for your help. Does anybody else find it ridiculous that information stays on your report for 7 years? I am 28 now and am 10 times more responsible than I was when I was 21. I also wish someone would have taught me about credit in high school. Or I could have had free access to my reports back then.

I don't know what they currently teach in HS, but in the '80s we most certainly had consumer math as a senior requirement. If you weren't taking another form of college prep math, all seniors were required to take a one semester class on basic uses of math for consumers (checking accounts, credit cards, finance charges, etc).

Re: Potential Employer Credit Check

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:16:17 GMT

I graduated in the early 90's and we were not required to take a finance course our senior year - in fact, we were not required to take ANY math class our senior year because graduation only required 3 math credits, so if you completed those in your 9th, 10th and 11th grade years, no need to take any math in 12th!

I agree with others here...there needs to be a required course for seniors in high school to learn about financial responsiblity, retirement planning, etc.

Re: Potential Employer Credit Check

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:57:00 GMT

Same here on all accounts.

soccermomof4 wrote:
I graduated in the early 90's and we were not required to take a finance course our senior year - in fact, we were not required to take ANY math class our senior year because graduation only required 3 math credits, so if you completed those in your 9th, 10th and 11th grade years, no need to take any math in 12th!

Re: Potential Employer Credit Check

haulingthescoreup — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 23:23:30 GMT

And if you are on the college track for math, you never take consumer math, so even though you can calculate the slope of a curve at any given point, it doesn't mean that you ever learned anything about personal finance and so forth.

Re: Potential Employer Credit Check

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:21:50 GMT

Employers do check credit reports especially as part of background checks. My credit tanked from identity theft and I wound up losing my job of over 15 years in the financial industry as soon as the next "bonding check" came around and my credit tanked. I was considered high risk and prone to stealing sensitive data. There was no appeal process and 5 years later we are still in litigation.

Since then, I managed to spend crazy amounts of money writing letters, sending them certified return receipt to track down an excess of 40 fraudulent accounts and/or mixed files information.

I now work as a military contractor and hold a clearance. The issue of derogatory trade lines the credit reporting agencies refuse to remove came up and I had to go before the DoD review board to discuss two old "collection" accounts not belonging to me.

I had my paperwork in order. I put together a file with each creditor and had copies of every letter I sent to them, every letter of dispute to the credit reporting agencies, every return reciept from Fed Ex and the USPS (notating which documents were included in the reference line on the actual return receipt), a log of telephone calls reflecting who I spoke to , what was said, who promised to have the trade line in question deleted, the time/date of call, how long I was on the phone.

If you know they are doing a check, tell the potential employer up front that your scores aren't very good. Tell them debt/income ratio is a result of student loans and you prove it with supporting documentation. The collections are another issue.

Check the statute of limitations in your state and see if they are still eligible to be on there and be careful of illegal reaging of the accounts.

I really don't like the idea of private industry being Big Brother and dictating how you live, where you work, how much you are going to pay for insurance.

The laws in place are well and good, but the politicians have been bought by the financial industry (remember I used to work in the industry) and they play the "Pass the Buck" game and no one enforces the laws already in place unless someone makes enough noise and puts on enough political pressure.

Enough of my rant.

Re: Potential Employer Credit Check

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:37:23 GMT

I find this very interesting, that someone would be denied a decent job because of a credit score. Don't they know you need this job to fix your credit report. Good luck.