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I have a job offer from a great company due to start in two weeks, and they recently asked me to authorize a background check with Sterling.

I did, and the only information they required was my address, full name, SSN, etc.

I never had to fill out previous job history, etc.

Do you think they will still verify my previous job history going off my resume, by any chance?

I ask because I have a couple "contract"/freelance positions on there. One says "TEMP POSITION" but doesn't say who my staffing agency is (not trying to deceive, just a (maybe?) careless omission). T

The other doesn't mention that I was a 1099 freelance contractor; it was a very informal relationship that started out as a great unpaid internship, morphed into me doing free work and letting me use a better job title to make up for it, then turned into getting paid as a freelancer via 1099 when I left the internship. I put it down as one position.

I had a great relationship with this place and I'm sure they would be happy to verify my side of the story.

I guess I can just clear it up should anything arise, I just don't want it to look like I was hiding these facts and trying to fluff my resume.

(I personally don't think it's anyone's business whether I was paid or not, via 1099 or W2).

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You can expect your employer to receive your employment history as part of your background check, but unless you've been dishonest about your past employment, you shouldn't be worried. If there are questions, you can expect to have a chance to explain.

Your future employer more likely cares about things like criminal history, credit history, and social media activity information they will get from the background check than the specific details of your past employment.

Good luck with the new role!

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    Exactly. They're checking for criminal stuff. If you're being hired for a money-handling position they're checking some financial stuff. (Gambling debts: red flag.) It's routine; it's required by various security standards, and maybe by their insurance company. Sterling is one of the companies that does this kind of check for companies. Don't waste any time worrying about it. They're checking the "background check" box on your on-boarding form.
    – O. Jones
    Commented Aug 12, 2019 at 20:56
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Do you think they will still verify my previous job history going off my resume, by any chance?

I ask because I have a couple "contract"/freelance positions on there. One says "TEMP POSITION" but doesn't say who my staffing agency is (not trying to deceive, just a (maybe?) careless omission).

The other doesn't mention that I was a 1099 freelance contractor; it was a very informal relationship that started out as a great unpaid internship, morphed into me doing free work and letting me use a better job title to make up for it, then turned into getting paid as a freelancer via 1099 when I left the internship. I put it down as one position.

Maybe.

see: https://www.sterlingcheck.com/resources/faqs/

"Criminal record searches and reference checks are the most common background checks, but solutions vary depending on industry and specific job requirements. For example, will the candidate handle cash transactions or manage cash assets? The typical background check is meant to verify whether or not the applicant is truthful about their criminal record, education, and employment history."

I always suggest being as truthful and accurate as possible in a resume.

You don't want to be embarrassed during a background check. Even if you can explain away any oddities, you really don't want a potential employer thinking you are careless.

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  • Yeah. I have like 6 different resumes on my computer all tailored towards different positions and I realized that some of leave out details like "Contract" or whatever. I will edit those to be more clear upfront. I don't think this has any bearing on actually getting the job I got at all, I'm just paranoid that if I have to explain it further it might come across like I'm trying to BS them.
    – Flosser
    Commented Aug 10, 2019 at 14:44

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