3 Steps to Dealing with an Employer looking at your Credit Report

Applying for a job in 2015 is like entering the hurricane season. You pray the hurricanes stay at bay and you come out shinning like the rainbow. The truth is employers want to know everything about you that could possibly contribute to your performance on the job and in this day and age, credit reports are providing great insight for employers. It is important to note that companies must obtain your written consent before pulling your credit history and , they will still be exposed to everything including; delinquencies, outstanding debt-related court judgments, debts currently in collection, high credit utilization rates and bankruptcies .Whether you consider this practice reasonable or offensive, if you are pedaling down the job market road, this is a serious issue to consider. Here is what you can do:

1.Check your credit report before they do

The last thing you want, is to be shocked by the findings of your own credit report. You must ensure that before the interview takes place, you become fully aware of every single piece of data that is present on your report. Put the time aside to go through your report thoroughly. By law you are entitled to receive a free copy of your credit report every year. You may contact the offices of CRIF NM or visit their website @http://www.crifnm.com/html/products-services/customer-service/ to ascertain how you may obtain a free copy of your credit report.

2. Act Quickly to Correct Any Mistakes

Credit Reports are not immune to mistakes. After going through your credit report with a fine tooth comb, it is critical that you move quickly to correct any mistakes or inaccuracies that you might have stumbled upon, as brushing it aside could have serious implications on your ability to land that new job. The first step after receiving a copy of your report is to draft a dispute letter to the respective credit bureau that recorded the error. State your claim and request that such errors be corrected or removed, be sure to include a copy of said report accompanied by all relevant documents that will help to verify the content of the letter. Once the credit bureau confirms that an error was made, they will work with the reporting institution to correct the error. Once resolved, the bureau will send a corrected copy of your report to all parties that have requested a copy of your report within the past few months.

3.Develop compelling explanations

At this point you have done your homework, you know the content of your credit report like that back of your hand and you have moved to correct the errors that were present. In this step you now need to develop a compelling explanation for what went wrong in situations where the negative information on your report is correct. You need to be honest and upfront with your employers; explaining to them where you went wrong and how you have managed or are moving toward fixing those issues. Any sign of dishonesty may diminish your chances of landing the job. In this case ‘honesty is indeed the best policy’

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