1. December 14, 2010 Unique Monthly Visitors: 200,709
Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010
WorkWise: Bad Credit, No Job Offers?
By Mildred L. Culp - culp@workwise.net
Competition for jobs is so keen right now that if you have credit problems, you’re wise to know how your credit
rating impacts you professionally. Then, learn how to negotiate your way through the issue with employers.
You might have been holding your breath while hoping that no employer would notice your lackluster credit.
HireRight Inc., of Irvine, Calif., conducts global surveys of 1,800 professionals who could request credit checks.
Forty-two percent of them checked in 2009. That number dropped to 32 percent this year. The 1,818
companies ranged from fewer than 49 employees to more than 25,000.
ADVANCE PREPARATION
Nason & Nason Inc. - Recruiters at Nason & Nason Inc., tell candidates how to overcome credit problems when job hunting.
CEO Dennis Nason, with daughter Ali Nason, president, discuss candidate strategies in their Coral Gables office.
While not all industries use credit checks, someone might ask to check yours. Dennis Nason, CEO of the Coral
Gables-based recruiting firm Nason & Nason Inc., primarily places people in financial institutions, which usually
do conduct background checks. Bruce McClary, Media Relations coordinator at the nonprofit ClearPoint Credit
Counseling Solutions, in Richmond, Va., adds that government and public safety organizations are also likely
to check.
Look closely at your credit report before job hunting so you understand your credit status, advises Mike
Eshelman, vice president of Client Development at ConsumerDirect in Costa Mesa, Calif. McClary concurs,
stating, “Always check three credit reports with scores before applying for a job. If extended unemployment
caused problems, develop proof that matches the credit file with your unemployment time line. Provide
documentation of dates, benefit amounts and the efforts you made to meet your credit obligations. In today’s
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