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So, I got a job offer recently. However, they are doing a full background check etc and I noticed that they pulled my credit.
Up until 2 years ago, I have had perfect credit. Never missed a payment in my life. But then divorce happened and my credit went from 800 to I think somewhere in the 500s now.
Should I send a proactive email to the HR person stating that I have bad credit because of a divorce? Or just let it be and see what they decide? Thanks.
Actually the score is 667, but still low by my standards. I'll write them an email and hope for the best. This isn't a financial company though, so we'll see.
Your credit score is fair. But IMO shouldn't they do they all of that before offering you a position?
Of course they should, same thing with a background check. I'm always shocked when I see posts like this, someone is hired, starts the job, and than has to worry about background/credit checks.
Really doesn't make any sense for either the employee or the employer.
So, I got a job offer recently. However, they are doing a full background check etc and I noticed that they pulled my credit.
Up until 2 years ago, I have had perfect credit. Never missed a payment in my life. But then divorce happened and my credit went from 800 to I think somewhere in the 500s now.
Should I send a proactive email to the HR person stating that I have bad credit because of a divorce? Or just let it be and see what they decide? Thanks.
First, employers do not pull your Credit Score. Credit scores are meaningless as to any useful information. They pull a consumer credit report which list any judgement, late payments, write offs, bankruptcy, defaults, etc. This is the detailed accounting of the last 7 years.
As to why they waited, in some states, a consumer credit report can not be run by state law until an offer has been made to the candidate. In some other states, they can not be ran until a candidate is an employee. You also have employers who could care less about your past credit, they are looking to see if you properly disclosed something you were asked to disclose on the application/background check form.
You know better the type of company you applied to and that will determine if a financial confession is in order. One company may be thankful, another think your a kook. If you are being hired in the financial or banking industry, yep, you will have to explain it in detail, but otherwise, why not just wait to see what they say.
Of course they should, same thing with a background check. I'm always shocked when I see posts like this, someone is hired, starts the job, and than has to worry about background/credit checks.
Really doesn't make any sense for either the employee or the employer.
I completely agree. I went through the interview process with a Fortune 500 company. They flew me to the interview, put me in a hotel, all that stuff. They invested a lot of time in me. After I was offered the job and we negotiated location, the last thing they did was the background check. I didn't have any problems, but what if I did? A lot of money down the drain if so.
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Mentioning a divorce is not going to help you get a job, and would not be considered a good "excuse" for a lower credit score. I would not say anything unless asked, and then try to come up with another, more generic way to explain, such as "family obligations". Divorce is very common, at about 50% of marriages, but it's still considered a negative by many employers.
So, I got a job offer recently. However, they are doing a full background check etc and I noticed that they pulled my credit.
Up until 2 years ago, I have had perfect credit. Never missed a payment in my life. But then divorce happened and my credit went from 800 to I think somewhere in the 500s now.
Should I send a proactive email to the HR person stating that I have bad credit because of a divorce? Or just let it be and see what they decide? Thanks.
No. If it's a big deal, then they'll ask you what happened.
If they really want you for the job, then it won't matter.
If they don't, then it will be used as an excuse not to hire you.
Don't stress about it.
Until the government makes it illegal to pull credit reports for jobs that don't require it, then it's something people will have to deal with. The president failed on this front. Miserably.
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