Question about Background Check
Hi! I recently got an internship offer for next summer, and I've been nervous a bit about the whole background check process next spring. I didn't purposely lie on my resume, but a few weeks after I got the offer, I realized I made a mistake when I submitted the application in January 2025.
Around last May 2024, I got a position and was employed as a research assistant (paid) at my university, and the application (as well as my supervisor) said it's a one-year-long role from May 2024 to May 2025 that I have to commit to. So I finished all the onboarding and started working over the summer. Did a bulk of the work for the project, and was onboarded again for the fall in September (since my university does onboarding every semester). I got a couple of tasks in September, but was not given any tasks after that. Given how flexible research is, I assumed most of the work is done, and I may get tasks later in the year. Throughout the fall semester, I get emails from my supervisor who approved the PowerPoint slides I submitted in September, along with a compliance training in December that every school employee has to do each sem. So I assumed I would be onboarded for the spring (as the application also said).
So, in Jan 2025, before school starts again, I submitted my application to the firm, and I left this position at present (May 2024 - Present). I was interviewing a lot beginning of the sem, so I didn't follow up about any tasks. Once I got my offer in late March, I realized I had lots of free time, so I followed up with my supervisor (which I should have done earlier) and asked him if there was anything with the project he needed help with. He says "yes," and gives me a task to do. After I complete it, he says that he can't pay me through the school paying system (where I log my hours) because he didn't onboard me as a research assistant for the spring, but they send me a check (Idk if I received it, never followed, which was bad on me).
But later I realized that since I wasn't officially onboarded as an intern for the spring, my employment technically ended in the first sem, and I had listed it as present on my resume when I submitted it in January. I was never formally terminated or received notice that I was offboarded, so in good faith, I left it as present on my resume. I did the last task in September 2024 when I got paid last, but the semester ended in December 2024, so I've been having so much anxiety about this because I don't want my offer to get rescinded over this. All my friends who work in finance told me I am overthinking this and will be fine, but I am unsure. Would love to get people's opinion. I do realize I should have shown more initiative and asked for tasks without being assigned, and it's a good lesson for the future.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, your situation seems to fall into a gray area, but it’s unlikely to cause major issues during a background check if handled properly. Here’s what you need to know and do:
Clarify the Timeline:
Background Check Focus:
Proactive Communication:
How to Address It If Asked:
"I listed the position as 'Present' because I was still in communication with my supervisor, completing tasks, and had not been formally offboarded. However, I now realize that my official onboarding ended in December 2024, and I should have clarified this earlier."
Lessons for the Future:
Likelihood of Rescission:
Take a deep breath—your friends are probably right that you’re overthinking this. Just be prepared to explain the situation clearly and honestly if it comes up. Good luck with your internship!
Sources: RESCINDED FT Analyst Offer, Messed up my past internship - How to pass background check, Fired but pretending to be employed - Background check, RESCINDED FT Analyst Offer, Offer rescinded what can I do now?
I don't think this will matter at all. Background checks are mostly for criminal history. The firm may not even check this reference, let alone ask about official dates. In the unlikely event they do take interest in the discrepancy, sounds very easy to explain.
I went through a different experience. The background check company my firm used called the golf course 4 times to confirm the dates I worked there (worked there 7 years ago). I was provided the background check report, showed they called every employer I put down as “work experience”. Contacting through calls or emails.
However, the way background checks work, you usually manually input all the information. Make the correction on the background check when it’s provided. Your resume was proper at the time of submitting your application so don’t worry about it.
They may attempt to verify he held the role, but I can't imagine the situation OP described having any meaningful consequence to his job offer. At worst case, he just explains what he's already explained here, though I doubt it would get that far where they take interest in exploring it further.
Yeah I edited my original response after rereading his post. He shouldn’t have an issue at all
My biggest worry is what my university defines as my end date. Even though I did my "last" task in late September, I still received emails throughout the semester (like in November) of approved slides I created, along with having to do some compliance training that my supervisor said "as an employee of the university, I need to complete by end of December". If they say September, I feel like that's such a huge discrepancy in months, which is stressing me out.
Na don’t worry about it. If you are stressed just save the documentation of it all, and show you were still working on tasks here and there. The background check companies aren’t trying to ruin your offer, they just need verification
In in et delectus ex quibusdam laborum voluptatem et. Pariatur ratione sint porro possimus itaque. Omnis odit rerum qui natus. Maiores consequatur sequi est sunt quis. Officiis ipsa quam laborum in.
Sit porro saepe qui saepe ut deserunt. Et rerum fugit vitae explicabo. Laudantium labore dignissimos dicta sequi molestias. Sed molestiae necessitatibus nihil sit officiis.
Ducimus non quasi porro animi autem. Ut dolores molestiae praesentium minus eos. Dicta cumque sed fugiat laborum saepe occaecati. Quaerat quasi mollitia iusto quas.
Neque id blanditiis et dolorum quasi. Voluptates blanditiis quia quos est illum. Nam neque assumenda ullam vel eos qui. In maiores eos molestiae dolor. Eveniet non asperiores culpa reiciendis.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...