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I am just checking to see if this sounds right. Last Friday I received a conditional offer of employment for a chain of dollar stores (Family Dollar etc type of place), as advised on Monday I filled out the online paperwork and submitted a drug test. Now I'm waiting for that to clear to start work.
I've been an aggravation to them, I worry, in that I called them Monday afternoon and today (Thur) with them saying "I haven't heard back, when I do I will certainly call you." For much of the time when I've talked this person seemed to like me, they now seem almost annoyed at my calling so much to check. (Then again, I received the conditional offer via email and when I called to make sure I saw correctly, they confirmed I did and not only didn't mind that I called, but apologized for not havint called themselves.) When I asked them if it took 3 days, as I had heard (today would be day 3), I was told it takes 7-10 business days.
I've struggled to let them call me as they say, but I BADLY need this job in the worst way and I've always been told that persistence in showing interest is a thing you want to do, but if it really does take 7-10 days, man I just don't know that my sanity can hold on for that long finding out. It's upsetting because when you receive a conditional offer of employment contingent only on your background and drug clearing (which always have before), you figure it's a done deal, especially at a place like that, and to be that close but to not yet hear "come in Monday and start" or whatever, it's worse than never hearing anything at all. Honesty if I don't get it, I don't know how I can do anything but enter a state of despair and hopelessness, because if I don't get it I don't know what job I could get, and I REALLY need it THAT badly.
My question is: does it take that long for a background & drug test to clear, and if so, what in the WORLD makes it take so long? To me that's an EXTREMELY HUGE amount of time, especially for a job that, as much as I need it, is as entry-level as it is. That's just a HUGE amount of time, EXTREMELY huge.
Background checks can take a minimum of 1 week up to 2-3 weeks if you have lived in many different places. Drug tests also vary from 1 day to a few weeks.
In my experience 7-10 days is pretty standard, maybe even fast.
Background checks can take a minimum of 1 week up to 2-3 weeks if you have lived in many different places. Drug tests also vary from 1 day to a few weeks.
In my experience 7-10 days is pretty standard, maybe even fast.
Really, for an entry-level job at an office store? Gee whiz. The last job I had, 4 years ago, was at an employment agency working on assignment at a major plant's office doing clerical-administrative, also entry-level but not as much so, and with a higher thresh-hold of what they'd require from clearing background & drug vs a job at a dollar store, at least I'd imagine that's the case. Even so, from the time I applied to the time I was told I had the job, it was like 48 hours.
I BADLY need this job, not just for the funds, but also for a court case coming up where it would be of huge benefit to say I'm working vs that I'm not, and if this falls through, I might as well just quit. I need to know NOW and I mean NOW NOW as is NOW. Sorry to sound psychotic, but it's driving me crazy having to wait so long.
Really, for an entry-level job at an office store? Gee whiz. The last job I had, 4 years ago, was at an employment agency working on assignment at a major plant's office doing clerical-administrative, also entry-level but not as much so, and with a higher thresh-hold of what they'd require from clearing background & drug vs a job at a dollar store, at least I'd imagine that's the case. Even so, from the time I applied to the time I was told I had the job, it was like 48 hours.
I BADLY need this job, not just for the funds, but also for a court case coming up where it would be of huge benefit to say I'm working vs that I'm not, and if this falls through, I might as well just quit. I need to know NOW and I mean NOW NOW as is NOW. Sorry to sound psychotic, but it's driving me crazy having to wait so long.
The same types of companies probably do the checks for entry level office store jobs and fortune 500 companies. This is usually done by a 3rd party so the length of wait isn't dependent on job type/title/company.
That being said, some companies might use other means but 7-10 days is not much time to do a background check.
Your drug test goes in line behind everyone else's. Your background goes into the pile and will get done after the stack in front of yours is completed. No one person is dedicated to getting you hired; you are simply a number in a long line of numbers and they will get to you when they get to you.
Are you concerned that something might have popped up in the drug screening or the background check? If not, don't stress over it. It's common for it to take that long, or longer.
There is a small something, but it's from 10 years ago and in fact the job I obtained 4 years ago saw it and it still was of no concern, and that was for an office job through a temporary agency and at that time it was a thing that happened 6 years ago vs the 10 years it's been now. If it was fine for them, it ought to be fine with a dollar store kind of place, and if it's not, then I feel as if there's no chance of me getting a job doing anything anywhere ever for the rest of my entire life.
Beyond that, it's just that I really badly need this job, and NOW, not just for money but for the court case as I mentioned. It would make a HUGE difference to be able to go in and say "yes, your honor, I now have employment." It also is driving me crazy because I'm THIS close and to be close yet not "done" is in someways worse than being turned down early-on. It's like how if you are going on a 150 mile trip, the first 125 miles or so you pace yourself for the length, but once you're now 25 miles away you become more anxious then to finish the trip than what you were the entire other 125 miles. It's also similar to how, when I am performing a computer task, I go NUTS when the "progress bar" paces along 15% then 43% then 82% and then, for some reason, "hangs" at 99% or 100% for almost as long as it took to go from 1-99%, and I go CRAZY at that point saying "if you're done, then MOVE ON already!"
I HATE being that close yet not "done," I would almost rather not get the job at all (or break down early in the trip, or not do the computer task at all, etc).
Quote:
Originally Posted by joe from dayton
Your drug test goes in line behind everyone else's. Your background goes into the pile and will get done after the stack in front of yours is completed. No one person is dedicated to getting you hired; you are simply a number in a long line of numbers and they will get to you when they get to you.
I realize that's how it works, and yet at the same time I can honestly say that I flat-out don't care, it STILL ought not to take THIS long. It's a for a dollar store kind of place for crying out loud, not for working at the White House or the Pentagon.
There is a small something, but it's from 10 years ago and in fact the job I obtained 4 years ago saw it and it still was of no concern, and that was for an office job through a temporary agency and at that time it was a thing that happened 6 years ago vs the 10 years it's been now. If it was fine for them, it ought to be fine with a dollar store kind of place, and if it's not, then I feel as if there's no chance of me getting a job doing anything anywhere ever for the rest of my entire life.
Beyond that, it's just that I really badly need this job, and NOW, not just for money but for the court case as I mentioned. It would make a HUGE difference to be able to go in and say "yes, your honor, I now have employment." It also is driving me crazy because I'm THIS close and to be close yet not "done" is in someways worse than being turned down early-on. It's like how if you are going on a 150 mile trip, the first 125 miles or so you pace yourself for the length, but once you're now 25 miles away you become more anxious then to finish the trip than what you were the entire other 125 miles. It's also similar to how, when I am performing a computer task, I go NUTS when the "progress bar" paces along 15% then 43% then 82% and then, for some reason, "hangs" at 99% or 100% for almost as long as it took to go from 1-99%, and I go CRAZY at that point saying "if you're done, then MOVE ON already!"
I HATE being that close yet not "done," I would almost rather not get the job at all (or break down early in the trip, or not do the computer task at all, etc).
I realize that's how it works, and yet at the same time I can honestly say that I flat-out don't care, it STILL ought not to take THIS long. It's a for a dollar store kind of place for crying out loud, not for working at the White House or the Pentagon.
Two things:
1.) Everyone makes mistakes. It sounds like you learned from it and moved on. Kudos to you for that.
2.) Stay the course. Don't take the mentality of if you don't get it when you want it, it's not worth working for. Patience is a virtue.
If you go to court and aren't employed yet, just let the judge know that you are in the middle of your background screening for this place. They will likely acknowledge that as a good faith effort to gain employment.
I wish you luck either way!
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