More than often we are unaware of the repercussions our professional actions tend to have on our future prospects. Certain actions in the pursuit of a new job leave a dent on the information returned during a background check. The following five actions or inactions are a sure shot way of failing your background check and losing out on that life changing job.
1. Discrepancies between Real World and Online Information – This one is a classic in this tech driven age. With more and more HR managers turning to the web for researching on job candidates, it becomes important to maintain and align your online information with that on your resume. Avoid making lofty claims online – what could be a show off one-upmanship can translate to a bad impression on the HR manager.
2. Educational Verification – Never ever forge or lie about your educational qualifications. Almost all educational institutes provide for verification of the certificates and marksheets. The same applies to diploma or other specialized courses.
3. Professional Verification – Lying about your past professional experience is a perfect recipe for failing the background check. No matter how small the company that you have listed it is just a matter of a phone call for the background check company to verify your claims. A professional check can also mean the background verification rechecking on the company listed if the information gathered first time around was not up to satisfaction.
4. References – Do not fake your references. The background verification company usually go the extra step and may call up other employees from your existing or previous company to get more insight into your performance.
5. Current CTC – This is a part where most of the candidates tend to lie. Remember this is the most transparent aspect of any verification process. The HR managers have a ballpark estimate of the pay packages in their industry, any inflated claims about your current CTC can lead to suspicion. The previous pay slip has become a mandate of sorts in deciding the new pay package.
Technology has made information transparent and easy to access. More and more recruiting agencies and companies are co-operating with each other to help access and choose the right candidate. The secret sauce to professional success would be to plan your career right, give it your best and to maintain a high level of honesty and integrity.
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