As anyone searching for a job is all too aware the job process starts and for many applications ends with the internet.  Many job seekers have been told upon visiting a business in person, apply on our website and are shuffled out of the building.

As the saying goes your reputation precedes you hasn’t been more true than in an online environment.  The data that can be discovered to exclude or include job seekers are plentiful.

Act like an employer

Have you ever searched for yourself in a popular search engine to see what you could find? If you haven’t then you probably should. Others probably have or will be soon enough.

There are many ways that anyone interested in your background can find information about you. A future employer can look into your background to assess your past and determine if you would make a suitable employee.

The fastest thing to determine is a persons web presence. The easiest way to investigate a persons background is to simply run a Google search on that persons name. An employer almost has to run a quick search on a possible hire if they have any real interest in hiring someone. The next stop for many employers will be a Facebook check so keep it clean if you are hunting for a a job.

Both as a job seeker and conscientious internet user you should look at your own Google results to make sure it represents you in a good light. More importantly whether you can find good or bad information about yourself it is imperative that the information on you is accurate.

Mass information databases

First thing you will most likely encounter when you search your name are information databases. You name is probably in a variety of databases that all keep different kinds of information on you like whitepages, Spoke, Spokeo, etc.  There is also a great chance that the data represented in these databases is not 100% accurate.  The databases try to get as much information as possible in the least amount of time. They also have a nice track record of estimating or outright guessing the answers to questions they can’t seem to find legit information on. Depending on how proactive you want to be you can attempt to correct quite a bit of this data or eliminate it based on your personal level of desired privacy.

A couple of places to check right away:

Spoke claims to have a database of professionals.  Often the lists are not accurate since many people have been laid off in the last couple of years.  It could make a job search confusing for recruiters if you are showing up in Spoke as currently employed.

www.spoke.com

Spokeo spits out a lot of crazy information even if it isn’t true.  It will claim to profess it knows your hobbies, income, home address (which is pretty accurate) complete with Google Street View, relationships and family trees it can compile about you.  Below is a sample of the offerings.

www.spokeo.com

In-depth Background Check

It’s quite obvious that basic information can be found quick with just a few minutes of time and a couple of keywords. But if you want to go further the amount of information that can be gathered is astounding.

For starters check out your credit history. Credit history is fairly straight forward but all kinds of information is gathered and compiled into a history, and a used by employers as  an estimator of trustworthiness.

Many people are unaware of the databases they exist in, let alone what those databases say about them.  Other databases that exist include,

purchases, places you have lived, etc.

Checkout these databases for your information:

Acxiom – purchase history.

LexusNexus Report – Check out your employment report, claims report, and resident history report.

ChexSystems – Get a check history report.

Fiserv – Formerly known as First Data Telecheck provides a check history report.

Annual Credit Report.com – pulls information from Equifax, Experian, and Transunion

Innovis Credit Report – another credit check resource.

MIB Group – Owned by 470 insurance companies in US and Canada, and will provide you with a consumer file regarding individually underwritten life, health, or disability income insurance during the preceding seven year period

Milliman IntelliScript – will provide a prescription report for medications.

Social Security Statement – you can request a Social Security statement.

The Retail Equation – Return authorization for consumer return history

Teletrack – get a report for non-traditional credit history like payday loans.

NCTUE – request a report on your utilities history

It is always better to be proactive in this process than reactive and lose out on an employment opportunity, or get a less attractive rate on insurance, or loans.