What Can Employers Ask in a Background Check

What Can Employers Ask in a Background Check Nowadays, employers are more cautious than ever when they hire new staff. Its not uncommon for them to  conduct a background check on a potential candidate to make sure that everything is in order. What  an employer wants to know about a candidate depends on the type of job they are trying to fill. Background checks can range from a verification of a candidate’s basic information, to a more in-depth checking on your background with your former employers. Here are some of the things that an employer might ask in a background check. 1. Education records. In certain professions, such as law and medicine, employers may verify the degrees, majors, dates of degrees of job candidates, to make sure that they have the right qualifications and experience  for a position. 2. Job title and description. Some employers may want to verify that the employment information you indicate on your resume is accurate.  They want to make sure that you truly have the experiences and skills that you said you have.  You can’t really blame them because some candidates tend to inflate their experience, so make sure that you are 100% truthful when writing your resume. 3. Reason for leaving a company. If you switched jobs a lot, and the work duration for each job was short, your potential employers may wonder why you switched jobs so frequently. Was it because you are hard to get along with? Or was it because you were terminated for other reasons? In order to build an idea about why you have a history of changing jobs, they may contact some of your former employers to find out why you left. 4. Credit history. For positions that deal with money or any other type of financial information, employers may do a background check on job candidates, as they do not want to hire candidates with poor credit ratings. However, under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), an employer must obtain a candidate’s written consent before doing a credit check. In addition, if an employer decides not to hire a candidate based on his or her credit history, the employer must let the candidate know of the right the challenge the credit report. 5. Driving record. If a candidate is applying for a position that requires a lot of driving, the employer may check the candidate’s driving record to make sure that he or she has not committed  any previous driving offences.  If driving is involved in the role, the employer will want to know that they can trust the individual and that they are not  a reckless driver. 6. Criminal record. A lot of job applications require the applicant to declare whether or not they have a criminal record. This is particularly common for jobs such as doctors, lawyers, accountants, and teachers. Before they are allowed to perform and criminal record checks, they have to obtain written consent from the candidates. Image Credit: Shutterstock

Networking tips for beginners

Networking tips for beginners Networking. Its become synonymous with a successful job search. And it can be incredibly powerful if you do it right. Theres more to networking than firing off LinkedIn requests and milling around careers fairs. I dont think many people are natural, accomplished networkers it takes time and practice. So, heres a starter for five Start close to home I think many us get the chills as soon as soon as we hear the dreaded n word. Why? Because it still has rather unfortunate connotations: corporate brown-nosing, fake conversations and all-round schmoozing. The 80s may have ended, but the ghost of Wall Street still lingers. Google still spits out an alarming number of search results for successful schmoozing (or for the strong of stomach power schmoozing!), but dont let this superficial impression cloud your perception. In its broadest sense networking is about building and maintaining professional contacts to help you develop your career. And a good place to start is close to home. Many students and grads fail to recognise and leverage their own contacts. Youre already part of multiple, overlaying networks home, university, work, friendship, online, interest groups, societies, leisure. I had a conversation with a student today that started with, I dont know where to start and ended with a number of concrete leads to follow. All people she knew already! Make the most of careers fairs, employer presentations and alumni events on campus. Youll often find these events staffed by recent grads, so youre knocking at an open door. If anyone knows how it feels to be a job seeking student (or grad), they do. Dont be too passive The advent of social media has been both blessing and curse to the graduate job seeker. The overlap between the personal and professional spheres has allowed people to feel proactive about their job search, without making any extra effort. Just because youve liked a few company pages on Facebook, created a few Twitter lists and created a LinkedIn profile, it doesnt mean youre actively nurturing your network or generating possible leads. You may feel more comfortable networking in the virtual world, but this doesnt give you licence to act as a wallflower! Online networks can be really productive, but not in isolation.  If you can talk to someone by phone or arrange a face to face meeting. Its far too easy to grow online networks and assume your work is done. Dont allow your network to wither on the vine keep active, share updates and follow up. And remember the golden rule of networking: reciprocate and contribute. Have a purpose A more formal networking opportunity isnt just an invitation to push your CV (or business card) into someones hands. Employers are looking for bright, resourceful individuals who covered the groundwork themselves. You might have a 5 minute (or even 30 second) window to get yourself noticed, so theres no margin for error. Ask thoughtful questions that reflect your interest and understanding, and try to structure your conversation to give it purpose and focus.  This will also help you overcome one of the biggest hurdles: knowing what to say.  This will also help you overcome one of the biggest hurdles: knowing what to say. By thinking and preparing beforehand, you’re less likely to experience that dreaded brain freeze. Anyone can have a nice chat and exchange pleasantries and sometimes this may create useful leads but generally you want to be clear about your objectives and try to emerge with something tangible.  That doesn’t mean a job offer or 10 week internship, but it could be exchanging details or a potential referral. Manage your expectations Your need for a job is not someone elses problem. People will respond to your interest, enthusiasm and professionalism not your neediness. Desperation is the death knell of many a job-seeker, and should be avoided at all costs. Try to find routes in that flatter your (potential) contact and choose your words carefully. Im really interested in x and can see that youve had a successful and varied career; Im keen to hear about your experience in the sector and find out a little more about the challenges and opportunities. This has a very different feel to, Im a graduate in x and really need a job in y can you help? Its more helpful to think of networking as a series of stops on your career journey, not a final destination. Be ready to invest time and energy building your professional network dont expect instant gratification. Too often people give up at the first or second hurdle and arent prepared to play the long(er) game. Think about etiquette Consider professional courtesies and etiquette and be attuned to the environment.  If youre at a careers fair, think about the vibes you are projecting  to potential employers. For example, whether youre a French student in the UK, or a British student in France you should seek to  converse in the language of the host country. OK, you might be speaking to a fellow national, but its rude to slip into your own language (or customs) simply because its more comfortable. Always be mindful to show your best face, and leave a lasting impression for all the right reasons. Networking is a two-way process, not a personal marketing campaign. You may feel you dont have much to offer at this fledgling stage in your career, but you can model reciprocity through active listening, taking an interest and showing appreciation. Dont overstay your welcome: know when to make a tactical retreat! If you manage the first interaction properly, theres every chance it could lead somewhere. Its much better to leave feeling slightly frustrated and wanting more than exhaust the goodwill of your contact and close the door on any future discussions. And always, always say thank-you. Courtesy goes a long way.

Mentors - Both Formal and Informal - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Mentors - Both Formal and Informal - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Mentors Do you have one or more mentors? My one regret from early in my career was I did not seek out mentors. I regret not having someone who could guide me when there was a fork in the road. I have encountered multiple of these forks in my career, and I did not always choose the best path. Today, I have multiple mentors. I have a business coach. I have multiple mentors that support me in different aspects of my business. I also mentor others. Some of these relationships are formal, but most are informal. Why would someone be willing to be one of my mentors? I am often asked, Why would someone be will to be one of my mentors? It is a compliment. When I mentor someone, I get that good feeling that I have helped them. Think of it as a gift. By allowing someone to guide and help you reach the next level, you are giving them a gift. Formal versus informal mentors I have multiple informal mentor relationships. These are people in my tribe or fan club who I can go to when I need advice or a favor. We do not meet on any regular basis. Just last week, I was in the process of moving my website to a new service provider, and I needed advice on how to proceed. I reached out to one of my mentors and I got really solid advice. I have several informal mentors that I can go to for help with PR, sales, networking, etc. I have formal relationships with several mentors. One is my business coach. Another is the provider of the Birkman Assessment which I use with all of my clients. I pay my business coach and my provider, but these are still mentoring relationships. Most formal mentoring relationships will have a regular schedule that you will follow and clear goals that you are working to achieve. Finding Mentors You first need to determine what areas you need help in. You can then target people who might be able to help in three areas: Work Look for leaders in your workplace Outside of Work Look for leaders in the industry or discipline. They do not necessarily have to be located near you. LinkedIn You can take the same strategies that I recommend in the Targeted Job Search to find mentors. Early in my career, I had a team leader explain to me that, when he took a new job, he sought out those who knew what they were doing AND were not jerks! It is the second part that is critical. Find those that enjoy helping others. Marc Miller â€" Career Pivot Check out my book Repurpose Your Career â€" A Practical Guide for Baby Boomers Do not forget to follow me on Twitter or FaceBook

5 overlooked rules of management

5 overlooked rules of management All managers have one, shared goal: Get a promotion. But many times, the job of a manger is so multifaceted and detail-laden that the manager loses site of that big picture. Here are five jobs of a manager that are often lost in the muddle of managing smaller, day-to-day issues. 1. Manage conflict Avoiding conflict is for people who want to lay low and move up by dint of inertia. This plan will take you only so far. At some point you have to meet conflict head on and show that you can resolve it. Think about this: At the highest levels of management, leaders are essentially gathering competing opinions from the very informed and making a decision based on conflicting recommendations. Conflict at your level, e.g. Karen is late on every project and I dont want to work with her on the next one, is preparation for the next level. Dont shrink from this stepping-stone by hiding in the sand until the conflict resolves itself. Managing conflict allows you to become an arbitrator and negotiator, and most of all, someone who has developed good judgment on hard calls. 2. Manage your personal life. You are kidding yourself if you think people dont see whats going on with you at home. Are you getting drunk every night? Are your finances a mess? You might live a fantasy that you are hiding bad behavior from co-workers, but stress shows up in nonverbal, unexpected ways that make people uncomfortable to be with you and worried about your competence. People who seem to have shaky lives at home seem like time bombs at work. So instead of trying to hide your personal life, redirect that energy toward improving your personal life. You might not have as much focus for work in the short term, but in the long term youll be in better shape to manage effectively. 3. Manage hearts and minds Sure, you need to manage budgets, schedules, and strategy. But if you dont have peoples hearts on your side, your team wont over perform for you. The easiest way to win the hearts of your team members is to genuinely care about them. You cant fake this. So if you dont genuinely care about people who work for you, ask yourself why you are in management. (There are plenty of big, rewarding careers that dont include management.) Management is about helping people to be their best. Once you genuinely care about people, you will be able to find out what excites them, and you will help them reach their goals at work. Which, invariably, will shine favorably on your own workplace performance. 4. Manage diversity Diversity is not popular right now, when so many people worry about their job going overseas. But study after study shows that diverse teams perform better than homogenous teams. And besides, diversity doesnt mean hiring someone in Mumbai. Managing diversity starts by hiring someone who is not like everyone else on your team. Then do it again and again and find a way to make the team gel. Diverse teams are more difficult to manage there are more opinions, more preconceptions, more quirks, and more conflicts. But top managers can leverage these difficulties as a means to establish more innovative planning. After all, no one became great by surrounding themselves with people who think like everyone else. 5. Manage a successor If youre doing a good job, its hard to convince your boss to promote you; he has no idea who will take your place, and he risks his own job performance by letting you replace yourself with someone who might not be as capable. Instead, train someone in-house to take over your job as soon as you have a handle on it yourself. The person should be practically doing your job so that you can find areas where you can take on more responsibility before you ask for a promotion. Managing a successor allows you to first lead without the title, and then to ask for the new title. And more money.

A CV Stand Can Be Helpful For Your Future Employers

A CV Stand Can Be Helpful For Your Future EmployersIn this time of a financial crisis many people have come to realise the importance of a CV stand for your future job. Before you think that you cannot possibly afford a CV stand, you should understand what these stands are and how they can be useful. It is necessary to realise that this stand is also an advertising tool and it will do the business world of your future employer a lot of good if it is put on display in a prominent place in your workplace.As an employee a CV stand can help you become more employable to your employer. The CV stand is something that will help you stand out and make you appear more effective than others. To help your employer to see the valuable work you have done to date and how well you would fit in with their business, they may wish to be shown yours.When we talk about the CV stand, we are talking about a product that is designed to hold and display your CV. Many of the stands out there are not well des igned to hold all of your CV's at once, so that they can be clearly seen and judged. A CV stand needs to be well thought of to carry all of your material at once so that it can be seen as it is shown.When you see a well designed CV stand, you know you are getting something that is beneficial for your future employers. This stand is made to withstand all sorts of pressure, and is therefore able to hold a high volume of material. It is also well balanced to make sure that it does not tip or tilt and damage the top.The business world of today is full of people who are highly competitive. They need to see that you are showing off all of your potential and abilities. Having a CV stand can show your employer that you are dedicated and serious about your job.It is not only the business worldof today that has to deal with this issue. Having your CV stand up and be seen is also important to your future employer. No one wants to be rejected for a job. They do not want to be seen to be wasting their time on an employee that does not deserve their attention.The most important thing to remember is that having a CV stand in your workplace is an effective advertising tool. Every employer wishes to be seen as an employer of choice by all their applicants. Your CV stand will show them that you are the best choice for that job, as well as ensuring that they see your achievements.It is important to take your time to make sure that you get the right CV stand. This stand can be a huge asset to your future employer. Take your time and make sure that you get the stand that will help you stand out from the rest of the pack.

Do New Years Resolutions Have to Happen on New Years

Do New Years Resolutions Have to Happen on New Years Everyones starting to talk about their New Years resolutionslose weight, exercise more, quit smoking, get out of debt, and find a new job are the ones I hear most frequently. And while I think that New Years resolutions are a great idea in theory, I think that a lot of people fail to keep their New Years resolutions because often the only criteria motivating the person to make the resolution is the time of year.This year I made several really big changes in my life. Yet none of them happened overnight. Some took months to make, others took years, and one took more than a decade to come to terms with. But none of them were motivated by the time of year. They were motivated by a feeling that I could no longer continue in a situation under the current circumstances or by the fact that I wanted something and I wanted it sooner rather than later. Basically, my desire to change a situation was greater than my desire not to change it. There really wasnt an aha moment or even a calculated pl an in many casesthe changes happened because in my mind, they had to at one point or another.The other thing about my changes was that few of them went smoothly and most had a one step forward, two steps back feel to them. But I was able to persevere because I didnt link the changes to a time frame. With New Years resolutions, people often link them to a time frame and if the person cant follow the timeline, they frequently abandon the new behavior before they can see the true results of their efforts.So if one of your New Years resolutions is to find a new job, here are some suggestions for forgetting about the time of year and instead focusing on the long term change.Dont declare a New Years resolution; instead set a long-term goal with some interim milestones. If you know you would like to change jobs at some point in time or land a job as quickly as possible, commit to 5 things you could do over the next month to move towards that goal. That may mean setting up informational int erviews, joining a professional association, becoming more active on social media sites, or starting your own job search group. Do something to move you closer to your goal.Dont create a defined time frame for achieving the goal. Forget the formulas about how long a typical job search lasts. There is no such thing as a typical job search. Think about nurturing existing relationships and building new ones to gather information, extend your professional visibility, and secure more interviews. Build relationships whenever you cangraciously accept a meeting whether it will occur next week or next month.Dont reset the clock when your progress towards your goal feels stagnant. Some weeks your search will feel like you are slogging through mud or sinking in quicksand. Other weeks will be more fruitful. A slow week doesnt mean the market has tanked or everyone must be on vacation. Dont give up during the slow times; instead use the downtime to focus on other aspects of your search such as i mproving your resume or creating a target list of companies to explorekeep on keeping on.Dont blame external factors for your inability to change; look inward to figure out why you cant change just yet. Its easy to blame a bad economy for your lack of progress. But often its our own insecurities that hold us back. Even when people want to find a new job or land a job when they dont have one, it can still be hard. Maybe its fear of rejection, apprehension about taking a risk, or a feeling that maybe the grass really isnt greener on the other side. Its ok (and normal) to have these feelings. Explore them, deal with them and make decisions as to whether your desire to change exceeds these feelings at this point in time.Cut yourself some slack if you dont reach your goal as quickly as you would like to. We are all impatient at times. Yet the job market often doesnt take this into account. In an employers market, searches tend to last a long time and its not unusual to go through several rounds of interviews over several months before a hiring decision is made. You cant control every aspect of your search. Focus on what you can control and recognize that things might take longer than you would like.Forget the one time resolution on January 1. Instead focus on contributing something towards your career each and every daythats what career management is all about. To your success in 2010 and beyond!

Bad bosses - why theyre bad and what to do about them - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Bad bosses - why theyre bad and what to do about them - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Our brand?new?study of what makes people unhappy at work has a number of?interesting findings but none more relevant (or discouraging) than this one: The #1 cause of unhappiness at work is bad bosses. This is hardly news we know this already from several other studies. Its partly about results So why are bad bosses bad? Partly, theres a sense that the?boss is not there for employees?work-wise, is always too busy with his own tasks to help them or simply has no insight or no interest in the work they do. 40% of respondents in our survey mentioned A lack of help and support from my boss as one?cause of their most recent bad work day. 37% mention Uncertainty about the workplace?s vision and strategy. One person wrote: I love my actual job. It is rarely job specific tasks that make my days go bad. It is almost always frustration about having to work through hierarchy despite that fact that my boss is recognized as ineffective throughout the organization. (just writing that made my day better!) Another wrote: ?My boss suddenly started to instruct me on things that Ive done for 15 years. Very annoying.? When you lack support from the boss, it becomes unreasonably hard to do your job well and get?good results. And?getting great results that you can be proud of is a major source of happiness at work. But its also about relationships 35% of respondents name bad behavior from bosses as one?cause?of unhappiness at work. One person wrote: ?My boss contributes to the bulk of the cause of everything else that is bad at work. We have a new director, and my job has not changed. Just bosses changed. I used to love my job. Now I hate it.? Good workplace relationships and social support are crucial for our happiness at work and studies show that the most important workplace relationship is with the immediate manager. When?employees have a good?relationship with the boss, they are much more likely to be happy at work. When they know that the boss sees them, respects them, trusts them and appreciates them personally and professionally. On the other hand, when bosses?show that they dont care about their people, e.g. by being rude, disrespectful or simply by ignoring them,?it is a clear sign of bad relationships and this makes employees miserable. Crucially, this bad behavior can come from both?the immediate manager or from?executives higher up on the org chart. One respondent wrote: ?I love my new boss, but the c-suite is clueless and mean.? Another wrote: ?My VP is an HR nightmare. He constantly makes derogatory remarks about employees behind closed doors during meetings that I?m forced to attend.? So its not enough to have a good team managers, the whole company must have a good?leadership culture?and top executives who are highly visible inside the organization must be good leaders. Dire consequences The negative effects of bad bosses are profound. Our study showed that 2 out of 3 employees had at least 1 bad work day every week. 19% say they have a bad day at work every day or almost every day. When the bad work days become too many, ?they can?really harm people at work and at home. And as mentioned, the #1 factor that makes bad work days bad is the boss. Respondents wrote: ?This is the first position I have ever held where I actually hate my job. I never understood people who say ?I hate my job!? or who constantly complain about their work lives until this last year. Now I know what those people are talking about.? ?I don?t sleep well at night, when I have a bad day at work because the anticipation and anxiety of the next day is always on my mind.? Bad bosses are bad. Thank you, Captain Obvious. So what do we?do about them? Given that?bad bosses are the most common cause of unhappiness at work and given the negative effects they have on employees and on the companys results, we clearly need to do something about this problem. Here are our top 5 suggestions. 1: Realize that good?leadership is about happiness Good bosses are happy themselves and do their best to make the employees, the customers and maybe even the world a little happier. Therefore, workplaces must?realize the value of these happy leaders and do everything they can to celebrate and spread their good example. 2: Hire and train managers for happiness On?an organizational level, we can recognize that good management skills are not an inherent trait in most people. Its something we can look?for when we select people for management positions, and something we must systematically train?bosses to do well. The best way to do that, is to realize that the?best leaders?have excellent relationship-building skills. They are excellent at understanding and relating to many different kinds of people bad bosses relate?only to people who are like themselves. 3: Listen to employees problems Additionally, managers need?to listen to employees and take them seriously when they see problems in the workplace. Bad bosses cant take criticism and?dont care about any problems their employees face. 4: Stop bad managers And crucially, we need to stop bad managers. Every workplace has them;?bosses who should not be bosses because they lack the professional or personal skills to manage?well. If bad?bosses can not learn to be good bosses, they need to stop being bosses altogether. One company even lets all employees rate their managers twice a year and the resulting scores are published for the whole company to see, creating massive pressure on bad bosses to mend their ways. Most importantly: Never ever accept?jerks in?management positions. Theyre incredibly toxic. 5: Learn to recognize and deal with bad bosses On an individual level, each of us can learn to recognize bad management when we see it and realize exactly just how?badly it affects us professionally and personally. ?And if?you find yourself working for a bad manager with no desire or skill to?improve their ways, the best (or even the only) solution may be to quit and go work somewhere else. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related