[jaysonelliot]

While some larger corporations might not let you through the HR filter, that doesn't need to be the end of the story.

For myself as an entrepreneur looking for great developers, I don't give a whit about some dalliances from your youth. In fact, if the exploit was great enough, it might even be a selling point for your creativity and technical skill.

Be up front about who you are, and look for startups that will appreciate your talent and skill, and might even enjoy hearing some of the stories you've undoubtedly amassed.

Don't go for a job where you have to hide (or worse, lie about) your past. You'll be looking over your shoulder and stressed out, when you should be enjoying your work and finding fulfillment.

[taligent]

    While some larger corporations might not let you through the HR filter

I've worked for quite a few large corporations i.e Fortune 50 and not a single one has done a police record check. Unless you are applying for Boeing, Lockheed Martin, NSA or something similar it frankly is none of their business.

[shawn-butler]

This is not really true. This tells me you have not worked in or gone through the hiring process in at least the last decade for mid-level management or below?

A criminal background check has become routine and commonplace. An industry survey I saw was something like 93% of all respondents said they executed criminal checks [0].

Alot of HR people are even pulling credit reports. This requires your permission per the Fair Credit Reporting Act, of course. A criminal background check does not although it is "courteous" to provide a consent form. The legality requiring consent probably varies by state but by providing a name, address, and SSN you have probably already given implicit consent. Criminal justice records are a matter of public record. Opening sealed records, (such as divorce proceedings, convictions as a minor, etc) is something else entirely.

In some states workers have the right to request a copy of the information and the company that provided it if it is used as the basis for denial for hire or promotion. If the company uses inhouse staff to do the background check there is no such obligation; kind of a loophole if you ask me.

In the past year some clients have even asked for a drug test.

I don't mind criminal record checks. Credit reports I draw the line because it has a negative impact on my life and unless I have some fiduciary duty it is simply irrelevant. However, if I'm bankrupt, in dire financial straits, etc I could see having some hesitation in letting me run the books. Still, I quite simply will not tolerate health checks and I suggest no one reading this does either.

[0] http://www.shrm.org/research/surveyfindings/articles/pages/b...

[tptacek]

I don't think this is true. The gist of your comment is valuable, in that lots of places don't background check, but checks are in fact pretty common. We see a good cross section of the industry (we're consultants) and I wouldn't be surprised if as many as half did checks.

[ams6110]

Anything in the financial sector will get you fingerprinted and at least a cursory FBI records check.

[jaysonelliot]

Quite true. I worked for large digital agencies for much of my career until now, and while we may or may not do our own background checks (I don't know since I was not in HR), I've had a number of clients in the financial sector over the years. If I had been unable to pass a background check with a client, it would have been detrimental to my position at the agency, to say the least.

[0x00_]

Unfortunately true. I've encountered that problem where I am now and have had to sign so many agreements with legal dept heads from other agencies that I've lost count. My employer (work in NPO sector) has really assumed some really huge risks by having my on board. The approach for me being exposed to certain at-risk data (at my work there are ssn from clients, login credentials to affiliated networks ran by my state) is routinely addressed by sign NDA as a group of lawyers threaten to destroy me if anything should go awry.

The director of the agency where I work has been tremendously instrumental in arguing and supporting me in these instances.

[wilfra]

"it frankly is none of their business."

Ignoring the merits of this statement, they certainly think it is their business. Even running credit checks on job seekers is common practice now. If you worked in white-collar positions at multiple Fortune 50 companies and never had a background check done, that's definitely not typical.