| Topic Name: |
is there a background check before the first interview |
| Message Name: |
How deep |
| Date Posted: |
12/08/1999 |
| In Reply To: |
I am also interviewing for an IB position, actually an internship that I hope will turn into a full time offer.
I am curious to know exactly what kinds of background checks are done.
Anyone one with any knowledge of the recruiting process and the checks? |
| Message: |
There seems to be a surge of people asking about background checks on the Vault.com site lately. Interesting. Anyway....
A background check is not a specified level of investigation or review. Some may just get a superficial review, others may get more depth depending on what is found. There is no absolute, and it is not driven by anything specific (like race, gender, age, geographic location). It's pretty much driven by past experience and indicators, and driven by the position-defined level of security/trust requirements. Anytime you'll be dealing with numbers or cash or potential high-dollar issues where fraud can be engaged with a few key strokes, and where insider trading or esbionage (sp?) can cost or gain a firm millions of dollars, there will be a need for various levels of background checks.
Basically, lets say you are interviewing for an entry level position, you may only get a superficial level check. But if you plan to advance there might be a more in depth review or investigation later. That's why sometimes you hear of a VP or manager get fired for perjury on an application for employment they filled out 5 years earlier.
Anything can trigger a deeper probe. Go in clean or go in honest, and assume your history will be probed. It's a small world. Ten years from now the person in the next office might be someone you partied with 10 years ago, and yes an event from 20 years prior can trigger a deeper investigation. Let me put it this way, how deep would you probe someone's history if you were running a multi-billion dollar firm and were about to entrust someone to handling an account worth several hundred million dollars?
There are more important things to be concerned about than how deep a background check goes. Just go in honest and clean, and be preparred to explain anything they find. If you try to conceal something it will just trigger a deeper probe.
And for those of you who still think you can hide something, here's an exercise to try. It will probably cost you $500-$1000, but since a lot of you pay that for one class in school, and will make that back in less than a day if you land a $100M job, then that's a cheap cost. Go hire an investigator, tell then you want to be investigated to find out what can be found out about you. Tell the investigator to go as deep as they need, or follow any indicators they come across. Tell them to work without restraint, just use their own best judgement. Then give them a copy of your resume, a recent cover letter you sent out, your list of "usual" references, and then check back with the investigator in a few weeks. If the investigator is any good you will either be amazed or angry at what they can find in your past and present life.
Just present yourself clean and honest, and be upfront with anything they find. Enjoy the interview, I'll check you later.
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