Obstacles to Finding a Job

by TJT
(Somewhere USA)

I live in Anywhere, Midwest USA. I am a middle age man with a lot of experience in several fields.

Due to a year and a quarter of unemployment my credit has suffered greatly!

I am in a catch 22. I need steady employment to clean things up. We have had to live on my wife's salary. I would use my potential salary to exclusively clean these debts up.

My past work has involved security and money handling.

While I am open to making a career change, experience is everything in this market and I don't have the funds for school.



I'm going to make an assumption here that you lost your last job due to a layoff, and not to any performance related issues, including breach of any fiduciary duties. In other words - your track record, prior to losing your job, was good.

Being honest about what a prospective employer will find when they do a background check can go a long way toward mitigating the negative information they will see. It's best if you bring up your credit issues, before they read about it in the report they order.

Don't go into detail. Keep it simple. Tell them that your credit has suffered since you haven't worked in over a year.

Most companies will not run a credit check until after the first round of interviews; many wait until they're ready to extend an offer. If it looks like you're going to move to a second round interview, let the company know about the issues with your credit history.

Your credit situation makes things more difficult, but certainly not impossible.

Think about targeting your job search to avoid companies that have strict policies related to credit checks. For example, many government jobs require background checks and have very rigid enforcement guidelines. You might have better success with smaller companies, where policies are not as structured.

Networking should also be a big part of your job search strategy. Networking referrals carry an implied endorsement, which can help smooth over issues around your poor credit history.

From the company standpoint, hiring an employee with credit issues is a risk. Being open and honest about the situation will show that you are making a good faith effort to turn your situation around.

In terms of making a career change, think about what skills you have and where else they might be applied. Additional education is not always needed. Customer service, sales, and similar roles might be an option for you. Moving away from money/security type roles - which almost always include credit checks - will make your search a little easier.

Stay flexible to the possibilities. Think about networking, especially if you're pursuing positions outside your field. The best opportunities are found this way.

Keep us posted on your progress.