With the use of criminal background checks as part of modern America’s corporate employment screening programs and with the inaccuracies inherent in the background information retrieval industry it makes sense to check your own background before applying for that new job.  Many companies including midsize and small businesses are increasingly utilizing criminal background checks in their employment screening process where in the past they did not.

Even if a person knows they don’t have a criminal history, pulling their own criminal report is still wise to ensure that no errors occurred.  For instance someone else’s criminal record could be interpreted or queried from a database as a different person if the name and date of birth are similar or the same.  Errors and omissions are very common in the background check industry and if you really want that new job it is best to run a background search on yourself first so you know what the company you’re looking to work for will be looking at when you apply.  It is also best to ask the Human Resources department of the company you are applying at for the company they use to do background checks or the process they use to obtain background check information to make sure your pre-interview background check is comparing apples to apples with your potential new employer.