Background check companies - how to pass?

I lied on my resume. Mainly out of desperation because I have a gap in employment due to an illness. I've tried to spin it multiple ways and I haven't had any luck. Money is about to run out and so I decided to lie. Surprise. I applied for 1 job with it and have been offered a position.

I didn't think it would be an issue and I was wrong. The company uses an outside vendor for the background check. So getting a friend to vouch is probably not going to cut it. I know there are lots of services out there that offer various kinds of references so I am looking for recommendations or if you have beaten a background check I'd like to hear your advice. Basically, I said I worked somewhere I didn't.

I have 2-3 legit jobs that will pass the check no problem. I also have one other job that is legitimately closed. Maybe figure out a way to spin this job as closed as well? Only issue is they may ask for a w2 to verify I worked there. Aghh.

I could withdraw my application but part of me thinks I made it this far I might as well try and see it through.

ps Don't lie on your resume. I'll never do that again.

Try the job at hand.
Use youtube to update your knowledge
And google wiki and udemy course to guide you.

Good luck ....

That's not what I am asking. I don't need to fake any skills. The place of employment/position was fake but I did not list any skills I don't already have.

Background checks are flaky at best. They pull people that have the same name, or a similar name, they pull addresses you never lived at, and so on. The best ones do a credit check, which is probably more current, but have other problems.

The biggest issue is that you do not get to see the results until HR round files the application. If you really want that job, then make friends with a supervisor in the department you are applying for because they can get around HR.

If you are sure they will uncover your lie, it is best to act proactively. Call them and tell that you have one thing in a resume that won't pass the background check. Tell you added it out of desperation and didn't target their company specifically with it. Explain why you think adding it was relevant and how it represented your actual skills. Ask if the position in question had any effect on their decision to hire you.

No -> excellent
Yes -> ask why did they consider it, what experiences or skills did they expect you having after working on that position? Show how you have them anyway.

If they reject you because you lied, there's nothing you can do whether they uncover the lie by themselves or you tell them. However, if that's not a matter of principle to them, there is a good chance that you can save the relationship by being honest, open and proactive. In this case, you will have at least some control over negotiation as opposed to simply receiving a call "sorry, you didn't pass the check".

You probably don't have anything to worry about at all. It sounds to me like you're confusing a background check with a previous employment/references check. A background check is usually done to ascertain someone's criminal history. It is typically done using your social security number and it would not reveal anything about your previous employments. I have fudged some details many, many times on previous resumes and job applications to do exactly what you are, cover up gaps in employment.

Background checks cost money, sometimes a decent bit, so the fact that you've made it this far in the application process tells me they probably either called 1 or 2 of your previous employers and were satisfied, or didn't and won't be calling any of them. Usually the background check is one of the last steps before being hired, so in all honesty I wouldn't really worry too much. You probably wouldn't have made it this far so I would just let it go for now.

akacash said:

You probably don't have anything to worry about at all. It sounds to me like you're confusing a background check with a previous employment/references check. A background check is usually done to ascertain someone's criminal history. It is typically done using your social security number and it would not reveal anything about your previous employments. I have fudged some details many, many times on previous resumes and job applications to do exactly what you are, cover up gaps in employment.

Background checks cost money, sometimes a decent bit, so the fact that you've made it this far in the application process tells me they probably either called 1 or 2 of your previous employers and were satisfied, or didn't and won't be calling any of them. Usually the background check is one of the last steps before being hired, so in all honesty I wouldn't really worry too much. You probably wouldn't have made it this far so I would just let it go for now.

Click to expand...

This is something totally different and I was not prepared. Yes, normally you have a background check that checks for criminal records. Usually an HR person that conducts a reference check. This is totally different. They out source the background check to a company that researches you on a deeper level. From what I have been able to gather from google, they attempt to figure out the validity of the business and if you actually worked there. I am not exactly sure what they do to determine it. Perhaps public records to a certain extent. Since this is what the company does, I am sure they have access to lexus nexus and who knows that else to try and verify things. For example, sometimes things like business names are registered on a state level and electronic records exist. I have read about cases where if the company is unable to confirm you worked someplace they asked for w-2's for proof. And I would gather that they would try and verify the information on a w2 so even faking that would probably not work. Such as verifying the Fed ID # of the company and calling that company directly to ask.

So, I am thinking I either need to totally fake the company or say it closed.


As far as I can tell no references have been called yet. I provided them directly to the company and not the background company yet.

Couple of things;

1) Ask yourself this; If you employed someone who had lied in their application, interview and then references, how would you feel?

2) Not sure where you live, but could there be legal action through a civil court be taken against you?
What size is the company you are trying to work for? Maybe a small, family business won't be so strict in their searches, unless they use an HR agency?

MisterF said:

Couple of things;

1) Ask yourself this; If you employed someone who had lied in their application, interview and then references, how would you feel?

2) Not sure where you live, but could there be legal action through a civil court be taken against you?
What size is the company you are trying to work for? Maybe a small, family business won't be so strict in their searches, unless they use an HR agency?

Click to expand...

I get the morality of the issue. Lying is wrong and I generally am not liar. I don't necessarily think less of someone who tells a small lie to get ahead when things are competitive. However, I have 2-3 jobs that will check out with perfect references. Just this 1 hangs in the balance.

I have a gap in my resume due to an illness. No matter which way I have tried to spin this in multiple interviews it has never gone in my favor. I have been specifically told that the gap is troublesome. Which is absolutely ridiculous, in my opinion. People take time off of work for all sorts of reasons. I have said I had an illness, family member had an illness, took time off to travel, etc. But in the sort of job market I am in employers can be picky about anything they want.

I don't believe any action can be taken against me other than termination if the company found out I lied after I start working there. This is a larger company so I don't think there is any way around it.

In a lot of countries, big companies will only state that person XYZ worked here for this period and give no indication of performance. There are a couple of reasons:

1) If someone is offered a position (subject to the background check) and the company provides a critical performance reference, then there can be a potential legal liability if the person then does not get the position because of that reference.
2) Large companies in highly competitive sectors are always quite cautious about providing performance data to competing companies.

Obviously, if you put on a CV that you worked at a company and you never did, then you are stuck.

Kalle9 said:

I get the morality of the issue. Lying is wrong and I generally am not liar. I don't necessarily think less of someone who tells a small lie to get ahead when things are competitive. However, I have 2-3 jobs that will check out with perfect references. Just this 1 hangs in the balance.

I have a gap in my resume due to an illness. No matter which way I have tried to spin this in multiple interviews it has never gone in my favor. I have been specifically told that the gap is troublesome. Which is absolutely ridiculous, in my opinion. People take time off of work for all sorts of reasons. I have said I had an illness, family member had an illness, took time off to travel, etc. But in the sort of job market I am in employers can be picky about anything they want.

I don't believe any action can be taken against me other than termination if the company found out I lied after I start working there. This is a larger company so I don't think there is any way around it.

Click to expand...

A couple of points then mate;
There should never be a gap in the CV, (HR people always want to know what you are trying to possibly hide)

However instead while off work just on illness, maybe you had taken time away to also improve knowledge ( read, study, improve your skillset knowledge, clarify what your next move in life would possibly be i.e career aspirations ).

Being totally honest if illness was a disease that may be degenerative a future employer will possibly try to find a way not to employ you without falling foul of an disability legal issues.

Good luck and hopefully you can pull something out of the fire, but you may help your case by mentioning the bolded above.

what sad country is that???

if you dont "polish" your resume in .de, you are considred dumb asby forrest gumb's definition.

so, as with keepding dudes from warriorforum out of BHW, you sould keep the rotten apples out of your resume.

an no, I dont use that privacy rotten linkedin or xing shit.
else, I honestly dont care about "jobs".