{"id":980,"date":"2021-04-16T06:06:15","date_gmt":"2021-04-16T06:06:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/?p=980"},"modified":"2024-09-25T10:51:32","modified_gmt":"2024-09-25T10:51:32","slug":"how-to-best-prepare-yourself-for-a-background-check-during-covid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/how-to-best-prepare-yourself-for-a-background-check-during-covid\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Best Prepare Yourself For A Background Check During Covid"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <strong>COVID-19 pandemic<\/strong> has changed the way many <strong>companies<\/strong> approach the hiring process, including how they run <strong>background checks<\/strong>. If you\u2019re one of the millions of unemployed people searching for a <strong>job<\/strong> right now, there are some things you can do to make sure you\u2019re prepared when a potential <strong>employer<\/strong> wants to do a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/employee-background-check.php\">background check<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Gather Your Documents and Information<\/h2>\n<p>Currently, because so many businesses are closed, it can be difficult for employers to gain access to the kinds of <strong>records<\/strong> that usually come with background checks. This has caused some employers to begin asking potential candidates to provide some of that <strong>documentation<\/strong> themselves, which they will then verify.<\/p>\n<p>If you can, try to gather up as many <strong>official records<\/strong> as you can to use as proof that you\u2019ve done everything your resume says you have so that you\u2019re ready if the <strong>hiring manager<\/strong> asks.<\/p>\n<p>Below is a general list of the things you\u2019ll need for the average background check. Some industries may need to do much more extensive background checks, so make sure you ask your potential employer what documents they\u2019ll need from you.<\/p>\n<ul style=\"clear: both;\">\n<li><strong>Some form of identification: <\/strong>This can include <strong>driver\u2019s licenses<\/strong>, <strong>passports<\/strong>, <strong>state-issued IDs<\/strong>, <strong>birth certificates<\/strong>, <strong>Permanent Resident Cards\/Green Cards<\/strong>, etc. Just make sure it includes important information like your full legal name, birthdate, etc. If possible, it\u2019s a good idea to provide at least two separate forms of ID.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Education information: <\/strong>You\u2019ll need to provide the names of any <strong>institution(s)<\/strong> you attended, the dates you were there, your <strong>degree<\/strong>, what your major was, and the locations of these schools. It might be helpful if you have a <strong>transcript<\/strong> for each of these institutions, too.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Employment history: <\/strong>You\u2019ll want to be able to tell potential employers the names of any <strong>previous companies<\/strong> you\u2019ve worked for, the dates of employment, the company address, phone numbers of relevant supervisors, and your <strong>job title(s)<\/strong> at the company. If you can, you might want to locate things like <strong>W-2s<\/strong> or <strong>pay stubs<\/strong> from those companies to give as proof.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Your Social Security card <\/strong>and number as a secondary ID.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Your current address <\/strong>and any previous addresses where you\u2019ve lived.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Be Patient<\/h2>\n<p>This is a lot easier to say than to do, especially if you\u2019re <strong>unemployed<\/strong> and need to get a job as soon as possible to support yourself and your family. Unfortunately, background checks can take a while even during normal times, when records are relatively easy to access.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/the-impact-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-background-checks\/\">During the pandemic, background checks might take even longer<\/a> because so many places are closed, and gaining access to the necessary information may be difficult or even impossible.<\/p>\n<p>While you\u2019re waiting, though, you can be gathering any documentation you need, like the list from the previous section, or prepare explanations for any potential questions that might come up during the background check process.<\/p>\n<h2>Make Sure You\u2019re Ready to Explain Yourself<\/h2>\n<p>Background checks are designed to bring to light anything that might be a <strong>barrier<\/strong> to employment. However, in most situations, an employer won\u2019t reject you based on a background check alone unless it\u2019s obvious that you <strong>blatantly lied<\/strong> about your qualifications.<\/p>\n<p>Most good employers will allow candidates to explain any problems that arise after a background check. So if you already know that some things in your past might make an employer hesitate, you need to be ready to have an honest discussion about them.<\/p>\n<p>Some potential hiccups include a <strong>criminal history<\/strong>, long gaps between jobs, or a history of frequent job changes. If any of these apply to you, your potential employer will most likely ask you about them during your next interview. When they do, you should explain the circumstances briefly but honestly, while demonstrating why the employer won\u2019t need to worry about the problem happening again.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Hiring-During-COVID.jpg\" alt=\"Hiring During COVID\" width=\"700\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Hiring-During-COVID.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Hiring-During-COVID-300x154.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Hiring-During-COVID-150x77.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Get A Background Check From Affordable Background Checks<\/h2>\n<p>At <a href=\"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/\">Affordable Background Checks<\/a>, we believe that background checks are one of the most important parts of the <strong>hiring process<\/strong> and that no one should have to forgo doing them because of the price. We pride ourselves on providing <strong>high-quality background checks<\/strong> at reasonable prices. If you\u2019d like to learn more about our services, feel free to check out our website today.<\/p>\n<div class='sfsi_Sicons' style='width: 100%; display: inline-block; vertical-align: middle; text-align:left'><div style='margin:0px 8px 0px 0px; line-height: 24px'><span>Please follow and like us:<\/span><\/div><div class='sfsi_socialwpr'><div class='sf_subscrbe' style='text-align:left;vertical-align: middle;float:left;width:64px'><a href=\"http:\/\/www.specificfeeds.com\/widgets\/emailSubscribeEncFeed\/WnoyRW9MRTA4eFIvbFpXNFliOWZ4cCt6cmxFYXRsY1ppajc4Umk3dEF5NUxmQlArL2xRMi83UDNlZ3hRQUNNVkxPNFRRWCt2RzB2MzRMYkZEVWRrSVcrdFZxalM5bk5mSkZHbUtiL3NPVVBaTkx1RWxGaWFsdkFDSnVmRDlib0V8QWN6N2pCS04vV2pKVUlwb1llRVRORGJjSW45KzZRMEszK1VuUmthekdQQT0=\/OA==\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/ultimate-social-media-icons\/images\/follow_subscribe.png\" \/><\/a><\/div><div class='sf_fb' style='text-align:left;vertical-align: middle;width:98px'><div class=\"fb-like\" href=\"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/how-to-best-prepare-yourself-for-a-background-check-during-covid\/\" width=\"180\" send=\"false\" showfaces=\"false\"  action=\"like\" data-share=\"true\"data-layout=\"button\" ><\/div><\/div><div class='sf_twiter' style='text-align:left;float:left;vertical-align: middle;width:auto'><a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" data-count=\"none\" class=\"sr-twitter-button twitter-share-button\" lang=\"en\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/how-to-best-prepare-yourself-for-a-background-check-during-covid\/\" data-text=\"How To Best Prepare Yourself For A Background Check During Covid\" ><\/a><\/div><div class='sf_pinit' style='text-align:left;vertical-align: middle;float:left;line-height: 20px;width:47px'><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=&media=&description=\" data-pin-do=\"buttonPin\" data-pin-save=\"true\"data-pin-count=\"none\"><\/a><\/div><div class='sf_google' style='text-align:left;vertical-align: middle;float:left;max-width:62px;min-width:35px;'><div class=\"g-plusone\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/how-to-best-prepare-yourself-for-a-background-check-during-covid\/\" data-size=\"large\" data-annotation=\"none\" ><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way many companies approach the hiring process, including how they run background checks. If you\u2019re one of the millions of unemployed people searching for a job right now, there are some things you can do to make sure you\u2019re prepared when a potential employer wants to do a background &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/how-to-best-prepare-yourself-for-a-background-check-during-covid\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;How To Best Prepare Yourself For A Background Check During Covid&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":981,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[509,500],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/980"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=980"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/980\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":985,"href":"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/980\/revisions\/985"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.affordablebackgroundchecks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}