Will a background check find out if I leave a college degree off of my resume? (credit, applying)

[nkb9876]

Note: Please DO NOT turn this into a morals thread. I don't want this thread turning into a if it is wrong or right to leave a college degree out of your resume thread. I will leave it out period and my decision will not change unless a background check would find it in which case I provide alternate questions.

****************************

So pretty much my question is if I leave my college degree out (undergrad degree from last December) out will a background check have it show up? If not then I will leave my college degree out.

But if a background would make a college degree show up would I be able to get away with any of the following options:

1. Lie and downgrade my degree to a easy sociology degree where I am less likely to get hit with the "overqualified" line? My degree was accounting, but if the college degree did show up in the background check would it show the company my major?

2. Could I lie and say I did not graduate college? Does the background check show if I graduated college or not or just that I attended college?

Thanks!

[RedJacket]

A background check has nothing to do with your education.

[nkb9876]

Thanks! I hope you are right.

Do you know if a internship would show up in a background check (accounting internship, I would have to leave it out as well or it would be a red flag that I went to college).

I did it for 7 months for only like 15 hours a week, only got paid 500 dollars at the end, and I don't believe I filled in any paper work or contract etc and there was no background check. It seemed pretty informal.

[Peacelilies]

It depends on what type of "background" check. Some background checks are very comprehensive and ask you to sign a release authorizing all employers, colleges etc, to release information about you. However, if the background check is simply about your criminal record (or not), you won't have to worry about that

[duster1979]

Don't worry about it. If the degree isn't relevent to what you're applying for there's no reason to put it on there and leaving it off shouldn't be seen as deceptive.

If it does come up at some point don't try to lie about it. Just say that it was something you thought you wanted to do but after completing it you decided you didn't want to limit yourself to that field.

[yellowsnow]

Very, as in extremely, unlikely.

[PacificFlights]

Originally Posted by nkb9876

So pretty much my question is if I leave my college degree out (undergrad degree from last December) out will a background check have it show up?

The big problem is many think when you say background check that it's some "official check" like a state check of criminal background, or a "official" check of public records... Ha, that is so far from the truth. many employers use data brokers for background check. data brokers are not regulated or offical, its information gleemed from hundreds of sources and will turn up just about anything related to you based on information provided 9and ho0w much a company is willing to pay). An offical criminal background check actually cost more than a data broker criminal check. the reason is the official check is based on specific information from governement sources and information is verified and subject to laws. data broker criminal background check is just a search of their computers that has anything reated to your information and it is not even demmed to be accurate. To the employer is reveals things way beyond what a official criminal check will reveal.

Example you were arrested for burglary and that made the local newspaper. But the charges were dropped because it turned out you were house sitting and had permission. The charges are dropped, your records are sealed and the whole thing is erased. It will never show up on a official criminal background check provided to employers. But a data broker has that arrest based on the news article and will send that info to the employer. The employer may never even tell you they saw it and dump your aplication in the trash for something you were not guilty of.

A official education background check is based on school records they obtain when doingt he check, but a data broker info comes for official and unofficial sources. Don;t be surpised if it shows you took a course at the local collage for "how to be a porn star" because somebody with your same name, similar age, who lived in your town took the course and that was posted on some website where the data broker gleemd the info and connected it to you.

So, you never know what will show up.

[Dollydo]

Not to my knowledge. However, they will check what you do list as your education achievements.

[Tober138]

Out of curiosity, what is your degree and what type of job are you apllying for?

[nkb9876]

Oh ok so I guess it depends on the background check. You think I could just lie and say I did a sociology degree?

I got a bachelors in Accounting but the accounting field is dead for entry level candidates (even the professors admit it) unless you are one of those rare 4.0 GPA students and also I am having doubts about wanting a career in accounting (so boring, very stressful and extreme work hours). The only accounting job without crazy work hours are the government jobs, but they are so hard to get.

I am thinking about just working some basic retail or food job and moving myself up the company, but its been so hard even getting a job with them my degree is scaring them off plus I have no work experience. I have been offering to work any day, any amount of hours, any time including grave yard shifts, weekends, hollidays, starting off with minimum wage yet I am still getting rejected.

Also since I am not on welfare, section 8 housing, or food stamps etc so I do not give them tax credits for hiring me.

I have been applying to places like Cicis pizza, Tj Max, Chipotle, Walmart (even Walmart overnight) etc yet no response. I might have to go down to the lowest level and apply to McDonalds, but even they might reject me knowing my bad luck.

I wish I never went to college and spent the past 5 years building up work experience and moving up a company instead of wasting it in college. I have noticed that many of the people who graduated college recently have basic jobs they could have gotten without college.

It's sad...had I not gone to college and lived on welfare and food stamps I would have had a much better chance of getting hired compared to now where I am not on welfare and have a college degree.