Background check anxiety after signing offer
Hi everyone, would appreciate some advice.
I’ve been working in my family business while trying to break into high finance. I’ve been interviewing for about seven months. It’s been a grind and pretty discouraging at times, but I stuck with it. I finally landed and signed an offer in corporate development. HR said the next step is the background check, and now I’m stressing about a couple things.
The background check is being handled by DISA Global Solutions, in case that changes anything or if anyone has dealt with them before.
- Family business experience:
While working in my family business (for my dad), I wasn’t formally paid, so there are no pay stubs or W-2s. The work and experience are real and can be verified if needed. How do background checks usually treat unpaid family business roles? Should I proactively mention this to HR, or wait to see what the background check asks for?
One added concern: during interviews, I didn’t explicitly say it was my dad’s company. They never asked about ownership, reporting structure, or anything that would have prompted me to clarify. Is that something I should correct now, or is it normal to leave it as is unless asked?
- Early internships (remote + overseas teams):
Freshman and sophomore year, I interned with two companies where the teams were overseas. I completed the internships remotely from the U.S. One of the companies was a Big 4 firm. On my resume, I listed the U.S. city I was based in while doing the work. The internships were unpaid and fairly basic, as you’d expect for early-year internships. Could this cause issues in a background check? Should I clarify anything up front?
I’m probably overthinking this, but I worked hard to finally land this offer and don’t want to mess it up on something administrative. If anyone has been through background checks with family business experience or unpaid internships, I’d really appreciate hearing how it played out for you.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here’s how you can approach your concerns:
Family Business Experience:
Unpaid Roles in Family Business: Background checks typically verify employment through references, pay stubs, or tax documents. Since you weren’t formally paid, it’s crucial to ensure your dad (or another credible reference from the business) is ready to verify your role, responsibilities, and contributions. This is common for family businesses, so it shouldn’t be a red flag as long as it’s verifiable.
Proactively Informing HR: It’s generally better to wait and see if the background check flags anything. If they request additional details, you can then clarify that it was a family business and unpaid. Overloading HR with unnecessary details upfront might create confusion.
Ownership Disclosure: Since the ownership of the business wasn’t explicitly discussed during interviews, it’s not something you need to correct unless asked. Many candidates work in family businesses, and it’s not unusual to omit ownership details unless directly relevant to the role.
Early Internships (Remote + Overseas Teams):
Remote Internships: Listing the U.S. city where you were based while working remotely is standard practice and unlikely to cause issues. Background checks will typically verify the company and your role, not the physical location of your work.
Unpaid Internships: These are also common and shouldn’t raise red flags. If the background check requires verification, ensure you have a point of contact (e.g., a supervisor or HR representative) who can confirm your involvement.
General Advice:
If you’re still feeling anxious, consider reaching out to HR to ask if they need any additional information for the background check. This shows proactiveness without overloading them with unnecessary details. Good luck with your new role!
Sources: Would you work for a family office?, Family Office Private Equity, Navigating the Unemployment Terrain, Background check for operations - How bad is this??, Employment Background Check/Verification Process (SA 23) for Incoming Summer Internship (22))
Background checks at the entry level are mostly to make sure you’re not an axe-murderer.
As long as you haven’t deliberately lied or misrepresented anything you’re fine; none of what you’ve mentioned should be an issue.
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