How detailed are background checks?

Let's say I listed a previous internship in a country that's, well, not so popular on my resume. Will people in the US try to contact the firms I stated I worked at? How can I be sure that the people I worked with previously even remember me?

 

Somehow my other post was deleted. It's simple. Hiring firm hires a background agency->Firm hands over your resume->Background agency googles the shit out of the ex-employers on your resume->Background agency calls the numbers listed and asks to speak with an HR rep/office manager-> Did so and so work there? From when until when?->They record their findings and submit them back to the hiring firm.

Unless your old firm doesn't have a phone line, they will call. All they want to know is, did so and so work at the firm and what were the dates of employment. They don't care about the bullet points on your resume. Unless you were paid in cash under the table then the firm should have a record of your employment. Someone will obvioulsy remember you.

 

To answer your question more broadly, background checks are becoming more and more thorough. Everyone's resumes are embellished to a certain degree, but there's a difference between embellishment and blatant lying. In theory, the background check agencies can verify everything on your resume, but it's extremely time consuming and they're only able to verify what someone else is willing to disclose to them. i.e. GPA (which is rarely, if ever, actually verified. schools are extremely close guarded with this, but they will divulge degree earned, graduation date, and sometimes honors earned)

My wife is a recruiter for a bank so I know what they check with their applicants.

 

I just accepted a summer analyst position. I have tutoring as something on my resume. The problem is, it was organized by my teachers on a temp basis, and I don't know how to verify it. I also tutored some of my friends whose contact information I have, but will this be verified?

 

Depends on the firm. Just like anything else, they will vary depending on how much you are willing to pay. For my firm, they called every single place on my resume and confirmed dates and employment, but I doubt they would ever check actual projects/work.

For BB's expect more because it's potential risk, for smaller places sometimes they are more lax, but can be strict as well.

 

Probably if you lie, how thorough do you think the check is?

[quote]The HBS guys have MAD SWAGGER. They frequently wear their class jackets to boston bars, strutting and acting like they own the joint. They just ooze success, confidence, swagger, basically attributes of alpha males.[/quote]
 
Best Response

From my experience, it is really rare that a background check results in a withdrawn offer. You've got to do something pretty drastic. Firms are ultra sensitive about disclosing opinions on past employees due to lawsuits, so any calls regarding employment are extremely fact based. If everything on your resume is right, you really shouldn't lose any sleep over it.

CompBanker’s Career Guidance Services: https://www.rossettiadvisors.com/
 

I've had previous employers call me to say that Kroll called to confirm my employment. I think they do that to confirm employment, and then run a criminal background check. That is all the info I have.

"They are all former investment bankers that were laid off in the economic collapse that Nancy Pelosi caused. They have no marketable skills, but by God they work hard."
 

Had disagreements with my supervisor as well, never had problems getting through the background thing last summer (BB). Pretty sure they outsource to another company, which just makes sure you actually worked there.

 

Background checks are outsourced. People will call your references, confirm dates of employment and title, that's it. No one wants to risk legal liability discussing your job performance and the outsourcing firms won't ask.

"For all the tribulations in our lives, for all the troubles that remain in the world, the decline of violence is an accomplishment we can savor, and an impetus to cherish the forces of civilization and enlightenment that made it possible."
 
etignvi:
Thanks -- they don't confirm individual lines of your resume with your references at all?

No, they will not ask and realize that - shocker - you exaggerated on the bullet points of your resume.

"For all the tribulations in our lives, for all the troubles that remain in the world, the decline of violence is an accomplishment we can savor, and an impetus to cherish the forces of civilization and enlightenment that made it possible."
 

They will usually check the following.

Criminal Background Check Financial Checks (a credit check) Verify employment dates and positions (and sometimes make sure you didn't get fired/disciplined) Verify qualifications (Grades and subjects) Plus sometimes a medical and usually a drugs test

I am sure you can find more information with a google once you know the name of the background check company.

 
anon56:
They will usually check the following.

Criminal Background Check Financial Checks (a credit check) Verify employment dates and positions (and sometimes make sure you didn't get fired/disciplined) Verify qualifications (Grades and subjects) Plus sometimes a medical and usually a drugs test

I am sure you can find more information with a google once you know the name of the background check company.

Can anyone elaborate on credit checks for employment?

I'm a 2nd year analyst at a well-respected MM boutique and was just hired at a top PE shop. Obviously I passed both company's background check. But in all honestly, I have a terrible credit score. I mean pathetic, can't get a decent interest rate pathetic (even tho I have a very high income). I was really dumb in college and let my girlfriend max out credit cards (in my name) and would miss a bunch of payments because I was poor.

I guess what I'm asking is do they really care about credit score? If so, why? And why the fuck did they hire me?

 

It isn't about the score - its about having stuff in arrears, if you are currently having huge issues with charge offs then it can cause problems, although depends on a firm to firm basis. Also if you are a going through a bankruptcy that will almost inevitably cause issues.

 

There's multiple threads on this.

Background Check (in order of importance):

1) Standard / Financial related criminal history 2) Employment verification 3) Education verification (honestly, most of the time it's simply verifying you're a student or grad of the school's you attended. Have only had my transcripts pulled once, which wasn't even my current job)

Ace all your PE interview questions with the WSO Private Equity Prep Pack: http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/guide/private-equity-interview-prep-questions
 
Stringer Bell:
There's multiple threads on this.

Background Check (in order of importance):

1) Standard / Financial related criminal history 2) Employment verification 3) Education verification (honestly, most of the time it's simply verifying you're a student or grad of the school's you attended. Have only had my transcripts pulled once, which wasn't even my current job)

looks like it will prb be ok if i state 4.0 gpa instead of the real 3.0 gpa
 

If you saw the awards I have won, you would. I got about $50k in science awards in high school.

And the work was substantial and used for the agency. Does this not qualify as working for the agency?

 

You should be worried about the people you list as references and making sure they're all good/reliable and will not screw up because they WILL call them.

I also don't think it's very likely that they would contact someone from a high school job, but it is possible. For me they contacted even volunteer groups I listed on my resume, which I didn't expect.

If worse comes to worse and they actually try to contact this person, as long as you made a contribution and actually worked for him I think you're fine. Whether you did it at home or physically in an office, work is work.

Generally they will just contact the person and say, "Please verify that he/she actually did this work."

If you're really worried you may want to contact your former employer and tell him to expect a call/email.

 

List it in whatever way makes you look the best, without actually lying. Mentioning that you have 50k in scholarships will do nothing but help.

I highly doubt that they will check this out. Moreover, as long as you can explain it and go into detail about it, you will be fine. These minute details really don't matter.

 

Thank you for the advice. I just submitted this resume online at one place (and plan to add "volunteer" for all apps from now on, including for on campus recruiting at this firm).

At what point do you list people as references?

 

That's ridiculous that they would get your HS transcript. Would they ding you if it wasn't good? My HS grades were terrible, and I transferred into the school I'm at now.

 

im really f'ed in the ass then, the guy i worked with 1-1 on my crappy internship last summer just passed away from his diabetes. guess no SA position now unless HR can listen to me explain my story.

 

my best advice to you is to not worry about it. look, in your mind you know what happened, and i would say that you should just keep things as simple as possible and only provide additional details when you're asked for it. this applies to every instance where you're asked about a potentially tenuous situation, whether it's in an interview or a casual conversation or whatever -- always keep things simple, and the more relaxed you are about it the less likely you'll be able to draw attention to it. nobody is likely to analyze it the way you do.

just remember that people who often get the most scrutiny are the ones that try most deliberately to avoid it.

​* http://www.linkedin.com/in/numicareerconsulting
 

They just asked me to fill out a form. I was in the same situation (unpaid/unofficial internships), and they did not even ask about it. I think you should be fine.

The Macro View http://themacroview.wordpress.com
 

Good I was wondering that too.

I had a gig selling life insurance, all commision. After I got what I wanted out of it, I just stopped and that was it. I stopped paying into the monthly spiff the sponsor got. I had no one to really report to.Would my last month be when I stopped paying into it?

 

They generally check look for enrollment verification, employment history, criminal history, and sometimes credit history. GPA and verbal offers will - most likely - not be a part of it

 

99.9% of the time background checks are simply "did joe smith work for X firm from this date to this date". Do you really think someone working the HR BO has any idea what the bullet points on your resume actually translate into? They're looking to verify actual data points like start/end dates, comp, degree completion, and not the fluff everyone has written into their resumes.

 

Background check is outsourced and they will most definitely call your previous employers (ie those listed on your resume) and since the firm you will be reneging on is the one you interned at, then yes - the company doing the check will definitely talk your BB. In terms of who they talk to specifically, for my background checks I always filled out specific contact information for previous employment.

I can't really assess the risk of your situation although I personally would feel very very uncomfortable as there is a very high chance your desk can find you and they will most definitely be pissed. Further, playing a diplomatic hand in your case is really not bad at all. You can always maintain your HF contacts - tell them you verbally accepted but explain your longterm interest in the fund - while doing your BB stint. I mean its GS/MS, just suck it up. You are deciding between a lose/win or win/win situation. To me, it seems obvious.

 

The above is incorrect if the fund uses a background check firm.

For my internship, we filled out a completely separate form where we listed recent employment and contacts and numbers.

The background check firm doesn't have a copy of your resume, just the sheet you filled out.

So when you fill out your sheet, your best bet is to put the name down for an associate or analyst that you are on good terms with. They pretty much only call to see if you really worked there and what your position was. I doubt they call all of your previous employers too.

This info is for SA, btw, not sure how FT differs

 

how is what I said incorrect?

"In terms of who they talk to specifically, for my background checks I always filled out specific contact information for previous employment." obviously, whatever is on your resume, you will have to list on this form.

you basically said exactly same thing "For my internship, we filled out a completely separate form where we listed recent employment and contacts and numbers. "

big unit:
The above is incorrect if the fund uses a background check firm.

For my internship, we filled out a completely separate form where we listed recent employment and contacts and numbers.

The background check firm doesn't have a copy of your resume, just the sheet you filled out.

So when you fill out your sheet, your best bet is to put the name down for an associate or analyst that you are on good terms with. They pretty much only call to see if you really worked there and what your position was. I doubt they call all of your previous employers too.

This info is for SA, btw, not sure how FT differs

 
vindicated:
deny 'til you die

Denying is obviously the plan in case they find out... However, if my former desk/HR calls the fund up and tells them directly that I have in fact accepted with them (or, worse, that they forward some old emails indicating this), I'm pretty sure the people at the fund will believe them and not me. They were pretty suspicious about me not having accepted with the bank yet to begin with.

So I'm pretty sure denying won't work. What I'm hoping for is that the fund simply won't find out that I already accepted. But the more I think about it, the less realistic this seems...

 
Wronskian:
Why can't you just come clean and let hedge fund know you verbally accepted?

B/c they specifically asked me this a couple of times during the interviews. It would basically be admitting that I lied (or at least came very close to it). Not sure if they would rescind my offer b/c of that (probably yes), but it definitely wouldnt be a great start.

 

This is pretty clear cut...

If you take the HF offer, there's a big risk you'll be caught lying and reneging on an offer. And I don't think it helps much to admit to the HF that you've been lying to them.

The hedge fund might be marginally better than GS/MS. But it's too big a risk. Maybe there's only a 10% chance you'll be caught. But if you are, you could easily lose both offers.

So get a move on and sign your BB contract. GS/MS is a great place to start your career. Stay in touch with the HF guys and maybe you can join them in a year or two or three.

 

You don't have much of a choice. You have to come clean with the HF since they will most likely find out the truth anyway. If they are fine with it, then good for you. If they are not, then you will just have to go with the BB.

If you try to keep the truth from the HF and they found out the truth from the BB you summered with, you will end up jobless.

 

It's a gamble you're going to decide whether or not you want to take. Here's a serious question: is the offer from Goldman still available to you yet?

Buy-side isn't exactly booming right now, and even if you DO manage to get away with the lie, if the HF ends up axing you down the line your resume may not look as good as the one you would have had if you had finished your IBD program analyst stint.

If for various reasons your IBD offer is already "gone", then you have nothing to lose by maintaining the lie to the HF.

If you can still safely take it, THEN you're going to have to decide what you want to do.

If you tell them, they MAY pull your offer or they MAY understand and let you get away with it. If you don't tell them, and they don't find out, you may have gotten away with it... but it may catch up to you at a later date. If you don't tell them, and they DO find out... well, the end result would probably be worse than if you told them yourself.

Remember, at the end if you DO end up getting your offer rescinded by the HF AND your IBD return offer isn't available to you any more, all you'll be left with is no job and an applied maths undergrad degree from Columbia and a single IBD SA stint at GSJHL on your resume.

Think hard about what you want to do.

P.S. Hong Kong is a shithole, IMO.

 

Iusto voluptatem aut sequi fugiat doloribus provident qui. In eveniet consequatur illum voluptas. Dolorum consequatur doloribus nihil doloremque suscipit. Architecto aliquam omnis eligendi architecto. Qui iure cupiditate voluptatem mollitia aut.

Ut tempora excepturi aut. Ut quo placeat sit quas eaque. Rerum error ipsam sunt optio et. Est dolorem odit fugiat blanditiis quis.

Totam quibusdam magnam illum cumque ipsa enim et dolor. Repellendus nesciunt est et debitis quibusdam et. Sit repellat ducimus ratione aut. Aut hic qui mollitia non doloremque ab voluptatem. Enim sit ut dolores velit repudiandae. Et eos odio hic ut excepturi.

 

Consequatur repudiandae suscipit sapiente. Et omnis adipisci recusandae quos sunt praesentium voluptas. Et vero ea optio modi qui praesentium recusandae. Ipsam vitae quia possimus qui sit. Quo facilis corporis magni dolor quaerat ut. Nesciunt culpa cumque dignissimos aperiam pariatur voluptas sit.

A praesentium eveniet sequi nihil vel ad labore dolor. Ut non ut dolor.

Vel non rerum voluptatum soluta. Repellendus voluptatem deserunt quia ipsum totam maiores fugit dolores. Nobis similique quos voluptates aliquid omnis dolores facere. Suscipit sit consectetur quasi fugiat.

 

Ipsum ut autem eos ab. Enim incidunt sunt non quia quos nemo. Dolorem sit velit temporibus non excepturi doloremque voluptas. Rerum ratione repellat ad numquam sed quae.

Incidunt qui ipsum officia soluta. Eos consequuntur illo qui et recusandae. Occaecati dolorum quia alias eum. Modi alias sunt dolore mollitia assumenda sint.

Fugiat tempora quia enim ut ullam fugit. Voluptas occaecati possimus provident excepturi exercitationem sit. Ea voluptate non aut. Tempora maxime deleniti veniam inventore enim reiciendis. Magnam dolore qui vel fugit dolor.

 

A recusandae consectetur tenetur voluptatibus libero autem porro quas. Voluptas aut cupiditate dolor voluptas non et. In suscipit possimus voluptatem vel. Aut dicta illum architecto iste assumenda. Ipsum quidem tenetur unde repellat unde provident. Nihil laudantium non ex ea voluptatibus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. (++) 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (199) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (144) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
5
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”