Once upon a time, in a land not so far from where you’re standing, (heck, it might even be exactly where you’re standing) the only thing a potential employer could know about you was what you put on your resume. Filled with information gleaned through references and the few details you chose to reveal during your interview(s). Related:Can Bad Credit Make You Unemployable? Those days are sooooo sooooo over. Today, a potential employer has no qualms about checking your social media profiles (which is why many believe that social media is the new resume). Some people have even reported that potential employers have asked for their social media passwords so that they could get a look at profiles that had been made private. (NOTE: No matter what a potential employer tells you, you are NOT obligated to share your password. In fact, asking you for your Facebook password (and your sharing it) is a violation of Facebook’s Terms of Service.) It doesn’t stop with your social media presence or online reputation. Some employers will also go as far as checking a candidate’s credit before they decide whether or not to hire someone. The primary thought behind this practice (while miles away from foolproof) is, "If you can't be trusted with your finances... how can we trust you for this job?" How do you like them apples? Here’s the thing: It might, for lack of better cliché, 'chap your hide' that your potential employer wants to do a credit check (and, to be fair, you do not have to allow them to do so… but if you’ve already handed over your social security number you probably can’t stop them from doing it), but having bad credit isn’t just bad for your job prospects. Letting your credit stay bad is terrible for your livelihood and your personal financial health, too. But you already know that. If all of this sounds like a myth or an urban legend, you need to know that it is not. Last summer CNN investigated the rumors that employers were using credit histories to deny employment. In addition to several interviews, they cited a study that found that one in ten people had been denied a very hoped for job because the potential employer didn’t like what they found when they ran a credit check. Those are some scary statistics! So what do you do? How do you make sure that your credit status doesn’t cost you that job that you need so much?
