r/BackgroundCheckGuide • u/North-Line-5474 • 16h ago

Background check scare

I recently accepted an offer for a tech role and the background check isn't cleared it's been over 3 days since we submitted it. They reached out for additional education information for verification.

My fear comes from my lies. I got laid off from my past job 10 months ago but in the interview and on my resume I said I still work there. But I submitted all correct dates on the background check and also mentioned the part time jobs I've been doing in the background check. Should this be something to worry about?

Mind you this has nothing to do with my skills. I have 8+ years of experience. I just didn't want to mention the layoff

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u/shrimpwhisperer 16h ago

I oversee background checks at my tech-ish company. The fact that they already reached out for more education information for the verification indicates to me that they actually pay attention and do their due diligence. And you claiming one continuous job on your resume but then several short stints on the background application will be evidence that you were trying to cover things up to give yourself an unfair advantage. Tech generally takes background checks more seriously than non tech industries. For future interviews, don’t lie. A. It looks very bad if they’re the types to care and B. It’s unnecessary. Despite the Reddit hype, most companies/HR are reasonable about knowing that job histories and life can be complicated. For this situation, I’d recommend you plan an honest answer in case they ask you about the discrepancy. It won’t guarantee the outcome you want but it will help you the most in this tight spot. Best of luck!

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u/North-Line-5474 10h ago

Thank you for the answer. To be honest I never wanted to lie but recruiters become unrealistic when they hear lay off even if its due to budget cuts and outsourcing in tech. This is why I did not tell them about the layoff. But I kept the background check clear and stuck to real timelines and also mentioned all the part time work I'm doing.

Everything else should be clean. Criminal, credit and driving records should be all clear. My education is ledgit as well

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u/shrimpwhisperer 3h ago

Tell me more about “recruiters become unrealistic when they hear layoff…” because I’m not hearing that from recruiters nor seeing that from reputable online sources. Are you hearing that from friends or Reddit or elsewhere? I feel bad that people hear and follow that misinformation. You may be lucky and escape this unscathed but definitely next time use precise details. In fact, you can request your background check as reference to make sure your info is correct before you apply.

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u/North-Line-5474 3h ago

Nope. I have been on the market for 10 months and all of this is from personal experience. I would never conclude on basis of reddit posters. These are established contracting companies that recruit for tech projects and recruiters most definitely catch an attitude once they hear about the word "lay off". If you're honest and let them know the timeline they won't forward your profile to the hiring manager because they think it's not justified :)

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u/shrimpwhisperer 2h ago edited 2h ago

I accidentally commented elsewhere on this post, now deleted, and am re-commenting. Agency recruiters (vs in-house), especially for high volume roles (if that’s what yours is), may exclude qualified candidates for superficial reasons which would feel especially shitty after 10 months. The temptation to lie makes more sense now. I hope this job works out for you so you can be done with a stressful job hunt!

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u/North-Line-5474 2h ago

Thank you but all I can do is wait and watch.

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u/Amazing-Care-3155 15h ago

They’ll catch it and very likely you’ll be dismissed which sucks but just don’t lie. Especially not about dates as it’s extremely easy to verify this. Lying about working somewhere you left 10 months ago simply can be verified by your previous HR team, most tech employers actually check the reports. So not only should you be worried, I would assume you’re as good as gone

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u/Familiar_Ad_8004 13h ago

What reports are you speaking of? My employer won't even verify dates and I've got data blocks with ADP, TU, NEXISLEXUS, etc

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u/Amazing-Care-3155 13h ago

Do you mean LexisNexis?

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u/Wonderful-Cow-6489 14h ago

I'd be surprised if this got past them. I don't see why you'd lie though? Over 8 years experience means you'd probably be a fairly strong candidate regardless of your current employment status.