Background check: am I doomed?

January 13, 2007 9:24 AM

Did I permanently screw up my work history? Last summer I worked a string of three dead-end jobs, none of which lasted more than two weeks. One was a contractor position; the other two were regular jobs that withdrew taxes and social security on a regular basis. I was broke, desperate, and depressed at the time.

I left the third dead-end job because I gained employment at a good company doing computer support work, which I really enjoy. When I was filling out the application for the computer job, I did not list my previous three dead-end jobs. My questions are:

1. Is there anyway that a future employer can find out about short time jobs that I did not list on my application? If so, please tell me exactly how it can be done.

2. How do I go about explaining that last year I had three jobs in less than two months?

Other than the summer sequence of unfortunate jobs, I have had a rich and stable work history, especially when you consider that I’m only 22.

posted by anonymous to Work & Money (10 answers total)

Just don't mention them. An employer will only find out about it if you mention it. At 22, gaps in work history aren't red flags since there is school and stuff eating up large chunks of time. If they ask, you can say you were contracting during that time.
posted by willnot at 9:34 AM on January 13, 2007

You're not doomed at all; yes, if an employer did a detailed background check on you, they'd find out abot your other jobs, but not likely unless you're going into the FBI or need a security clearance or something. I agree with willnot above re not mentioning the other stuff. Just say you touring with your band if anyone asks "what about that month in July?"
posted by DenOfSizer at 9:43 AM on January 13, 2007

just make sure that whatever you 'did', be it tour with a band or something else is stuff you actually know about and can talk about...you can bet the person asking the question will be able to talk about it...
posted by koahiatamadl at 10:04 AM on January 13, 2007

Having worked at lots of jobs and observed many varieties of workplace success and failure, I have concluded that it's impossible to permanently screw up your work history, unless you went on a killing rampage at your former workplace.

The ranks of the successful are full of people who screwed up magnificently are multiple jobs in the past.
posted by jayder at 11:11 AM on January 13, 2007 [1 favorite]

Make that last paragraph end with "at multiple jobs in the past."
posted by jayder at 11:12 AM on January 13, 2007

Once you've had one stable job under your belt for awhile, it's fine to list those jobs. Not on your resume, but if the application specifically calls for 'All jobs in the last 10 years' or 'last 10 jobs' or whatever. No one's going to hold one bad summer at 21 against you if you've shown to be stable in the interim.
posted by jacquilynne at 11:32 AM on January 13, 2007

I don't think it's likely they can figure it out, but you should be careful that if you hide something you hide it for the length of your tenure there. It's not uncommon for a company to have a policy stating that fabrications of any kind on an application for employment are grounds for immediate termination, regardless of when they discover it.
posted by phearlez at 1:51 PM on January 13, 2007

Just to second Jader, remember that even Steve Jobs was fired once. By Apple.
posted by 4ster at 7:55 PM on January 13, 2007

One vote here for honesty. "I worked a string of dead-end jobs one summer and I'm excited for the opportunity to really dig in and enjoy myself and grow" is much, much better than selective disclosure. On your resume, call it something clever, like "work for hire May-Aug 06," and note that you did several short-term assignments at multiple employers. Then explain it simply and self-effacingly in an interview. That way, the formal employment application is accurate and not particularly embarrassing.

This is obviously not relevant for your current employ, which I'm guessing won't be concerned about it anyway, since they found you worth hiring. I agree that being 22 and bouncing around a bit is nothing to be concerned about. Just clean it up if/when you leave your current gig and you'll be fine.
posted by werty at 6:50 AM on January 14, 2007

forget about them ... you spent that time traveling, chilling, and finding yourself. Like taking a holiday to Europe.

Live in the now.
posted by jannw at 5:27 AM on January 15, 2007