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A long-forgotten credit card bill, a couple late payments, and next thing you know,
you may find your employment chances dwindling in a variety of fields. So picture
this: you've been out of work for a few months, your bills have begun to fall behind,
and you're now faced with the prospect of entering a job field where you will be
subjected to a credit check.

It's been reported that nearly half of all employers check credit reports as part of
screening process for job applicants. Certainly some industries are more likely to run
credit checks than others. Generally, companies which deal with banking,
accounting, securities, credit card transactions, and even collections may find great
value in performing credit checks on prospective employees and in most cases it is
perfectly legal, provided that it is disclosed in the application that a credit check will
be run.

For someone without accumulated savings, the need to stay on top of bills is crucial
to increasing the odds of finding a good job a few months down the line. Often the
best career move is to take a lesser job to keep the bills up to date while looking for
something better. However, this may not be enough.

Checking your credit report is a very wise first step when entering the job market for
two reasons:
1. You will have the opportunity to correct any errors which are negatively impacting
your credit score, before starting to send out resumes and applications. This prevents
wasted opportunities!
2. It will give you a better idea for targeting your job search- should your efforts be
focused away from certain sectors of employment or certain companies known to run
credit checks due to the lower probability of being hired there?

By law credit reporting agencies are required to provide consumers with a copy of
their credit report upon request. There are three main credit reporting companies,
Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, and they each may have different information.
Upon receiving the reports, be certain to review it carefully and take note of any errors.
They do happen.

As with other areas of job searching, it would be foolish to begin sending out resumes
or applications for a job without first taking care of the small problems easily within
your control. Obtaining a credit check is simple. Here are some resources for
information and free credit checks.