When many of us think of credit history, credit scores, or credit ratings, financial loans are often the first things that come to mind. While financial lenders are known for their regular use of credit checks, did you know that employers are also starting to perform credit checks on their new hires? They are and if you are looking for a career change, this may have a negative impact on your ability to obtain the job of your dreams.

When it comes to employment and credit checks, you are either concerned or not concerned at all. If you have a poor credit score, you may be unsure as to whether or not you should even apply for certain jobs. In the past, many financial institutions and insurance companies required credit checks, but now more and more employers are starting to do the same. In fact, if you are looking to work in a fast food restaurant or even as a stocker at one of your local supermarkets, there is a good chance that you may still have a credit check performed on you.

If you are interested in avoiding all jobs that check your credit, you will want to keep a close eye on all of the applications that you fill out. Many employers will outline their hiring practices, such as whether or not credit checks are performed, on their job applications. If you are not filling out an application, but rather sending in a resume, you may be able to find what you are looking for one the company’s website, should they have one. If you are still coming up empty handed, you should be informed of all credit checks before they are performed.

Although your first impulse, as mentioned above, many be to avoid applying for jobs where your credit will be checked, you may want to rethink your decision to do so. What you need to remember is that more and more employers are starting to check the credit history of all new hires. By avoiding these types of companies, you may seriously hinder your ability to get a new job. Instead, there are a few steps that you may want to take and these steps are outlined below for your convenience.

If you are currently employed and just looking for a career change, you may want to consider holding off on that career change. Until you are able to repair your credit, even just a little bit, you may want to refrain from apply for new jobs, especially those that will check your credit. What many individuals do not know is that if you pay off only a couple of your debts, your credit rating will improve. When looking for new employees to hire, employers are realistic. They know that they will rarely be able to find employees with perfect credit scores. That is why any improvements that you can make, no matter how large or small, should help you.

Although controversial, there are many who state that you should openly discuss your credit history with potential employers, especially if they ask you about your credit or ask you to okay a check on your credit history. If your debt is due to an unexpected emergency, like a medical emergency, you may want to state so. As previously mentioned, most employers are realistic; they know that not everyone is perfect. Of course, you will want to take every step to improve your credit, but having a good, verifiable excuse may help your case. If you have a poor credit rating, you really don’t have that much to do lose, do you?