Post-Offer Anxiety – Background, Drug, and Reference Checks
Fortunate enough to have signed an offer from a BB / EB for summer of 2021. In the offer letter, there is a paragraph regarding background checks, reference checks, credit checks, and a drug test. I am not gonna lie, may have embellished a little on my resume in terms of the work I completed at my past jobs, but the dates or starting/ending are all correct. At this point, I'm wondering the following: how in-depth do these checks go for a summer intern? How many references do I need to provide? When can I expect to hear the results of them? When do you complete the drug test? Will I lose my job over a slight exaggeration on my resume? Any and all insights from past experiences are appreciated.
Thanks
Background checks vary bank-to-bank, but generally, most banks do the checks a month/couple months before the start date. Same goes for drug testing, normally.
If it is a large instutition, inceribly unlikely they will veridy every bullet -- just the main points such as education, degree obtained, GPA, and dates. This is just from my experience, others may have a differnt experince.
this is true, title/date will be verified but not content
Do they ask you for references or just straight up call the firm?
I think you’ll be fine in terms of embellishing what you did on your resume - everyone dresses their resume up a little bit. Future employers in my experience will just call to verify that you where there on the dates listed. Don’t fuck up the drug test though, that’s just a bad look on you.
.
Depends on which third party firm they use. As long as you didn’t completely embellish things like the title/role you had at your past experiences you should be okay on that part of the background check. They only confirm the company title, and dates based on what you file for your taxes / what was written in your previous offer letters to you etc. Drug tests are only urine samples so nothing in depth if you can detox based on how fast you can get your shit cleaned (generally 1-2 wks for most ppl). Also NY offices can’t even drug test anymore if you’re located there. Worst case scenario if you feel like you did anything kinda sketchy on your background check that you didn’t mention, just prepare for the convo with HR (if they even care to reach out to you about it). Obviously don’t bring it up to them but I have 1 or 2 things from my record that I try to prepare a conversation/explanation about just in case.. HR never ends up asking me about it, I just do it for the sake of my sanity lol. Good luck!
Ok, thank you for the insight. Will HR ever just recind your offer without you even getting a chance to explain?
For your background check, the third party will email you asking for clarification on something. If that fails, a screening group at your bank will reach out asking for something once more. I think at that point HR could reach out and verify with you via documents or whatever. If it’s education check specific I definitely do think they’ll call for an explanation like for your gpa. Drug tests, it depends on the firm. Some might say fail once and you’re out, or they’ll give you like a 24 hr - couple weeks opportunity to redeem yourself. All in all, be sure to pass what you forsure can pass then be prepared for a quick chat with HR if you’ve fucked up somewhere. I personally haven’t read/heard any stories recently in the past few months - last 1-2 yrs of them dropping offers without any explanation. Both you and the bank have a legal right to drop the offer without an explanation but they at least have the decency as of recently to tell you why. Pass the drug tests and prepare for any convos, then don’t worry about it too much.
Thanks for your answer - Do you know if the third party firms conducting the checks contact your current HR directly? Or will they contact the third party that handles all the verification of employment for current employer?
As for the drug testing in NY, that’s not true. They can drug test you for pre-employment but they can’t test for marijuana.
Or they could be my bank and get creative: the drug test ban on weed only applies to pre-employment drug tests. So my bank didn’t drug test until a week after we already started working and then tested for weed with the standard 5-panel. They can test current employees for whatever they’d like.
Most banks check where you worked (city/firm/division) and dates. That’s it not what you did.
How long did it take you to complete your background check? Mine has been on going for 2 months from covid related stuff (court closure etc) - the start date is in a few weeks and I’m getting really worried.
That's nothing to worry about. 2 months is very standard for a financial employer and really nothing to stress out about, especially in current circumstances.
My previous employer took the concept of background check to a whole new level. Referenced every employer (calls), criminal, credit and court records for every single country I lived in. I didn't even know there was such a thing as credit rating in some of these places!
I was living on the edge for the 4 months before I had to start, even though I couldn't point to a blemish in my record and I hadn't dressed up my resume one bit. But surely something that I had no idea about like a phone bill or a parking ticket will have ruined my credit or someone in the bureaucratic machinery in any of those countries won't cooperate.
I was right, the whole thing wasn't concluded even 4 months later after I had to start. So I had a couple outstanding pieces from some countries and I even had to present evidence myself because they couldn't dig up some things and GDPR issues in EU and whatnot. Still started and went through with it and had to deal with it for another month or two on the job.
Also.. that sort of background check unless mandated because you're actually trading or being a treasurer should probably be a red flag and tell you something about the culture.
Wow, 4-month is crazy!! HR just said it’s due to county court closure and they don’t know how long it’s going to take. The thing is I have to give my current employer a 2-week notice and just didn’t want to resign and have sth wrong came back from my background check...
Do they also verify honours?
~
Lol I think that person just got identified or soemthing
got a link to the thread?
Dolor quia aperiam voluptatum velit corrupti quaerat ea. Sit eveniet incidunt et quae repellat consequuntur suscipit et. Labore fugiat dicta deserunt explicabo porro facere quis et. Voluptatem omnis asperiores perspiciatis nihil. Eos aspernatur nisi possimus ratione velit porro nulla. Deleniti ipsa ut asperiores non.
Architecto autem aut debitis fuga earum. Aut dolores sunt quia aut et rem. Aut est qui voluptate possimus. Totam rerum esse esse amet qui iste consequuntur.
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...
Molestiae cumque debitis vero neque officiis aut esse beatae. Corrupti rerum vero mollitia.