Job Discussion Forums

codedals · Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Posts: 37

Hello, my friends!

Quick question as to the thoroughness of a background check: does it reveal civil infractions?

About a year back, I had a civil-infraction fine (college town-everyone gets them), that I waited too long to pay. I ended up being arrested after a cop checked my ID, turns out the fine resulted in my having a bench warrant.

I was put in a cell for a few hours, and released upon posting bail. I ended up paying the fine and all is now well.

But, do you all think this is grounds for my not being hired (currently in the last stage of the NOVA application)?

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan

Did you provide a police background record?

Then how are they going to find out that stuff?

Seriously when you come and see the kind of people that work at NOVA you'll wonder why you even worried.

southofreality · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 579 Location: Tokyo

I'm not sure about other countries, but in the U.S. the most an employer can do (with your permission, of course) is conduct a felony criminal background check.

Felonies in the U.S. are registered in a national database (NCIC?). If a query with your information is entered and a hit comes up, congrats! You're a felon. However, a small town civil code infraction or misdemeanor shouldn't come up unless a local background check is done as well.
It's doubtful that any potential employer will conduct such local checks as they may have to conduct as many checks as there are places you've lived. And even then, you could omit some of those places anyway so it's unlikely that they'll bother with local checks.

The short answer: Don't worry if you haven't commited any crimes punishable by imprisonment in a state, provincial, or national institution.

codedals · Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Posts: 37

Thanks for the info!

stillnosheep · Joined: 01 Mar 2004 Posts: 2068 Location: eslcafe

Don't worry, it won't come up.

BUT...

Why oh why oh why are people paying Nova to allow Nova to do a background search on them, As far as I know Nova don't do this anywhere else and no other US recruiters ask applicants to pay for such a check.

So.

1. Why pay? Tell Nova to pay for their own soddin' background checks (yeah yeah I know Nova are plumettin faster than shee-et flies off a shovel but if they can't affoord to pay for their own background checks they shouldn't be employing anybody)

2. Is this a new Nova policy? Have any Nova applicants had to pay for anagency to conduct a background search on them before the last lot of Nova teachers were busted for Coke in Tokyo?