I was recently honored to be featured in this US News article, How to Convince a Prospective Employer to Overlook Poor Credit. There are many obstacles people have to overcome when applying for job search and bad credit is a common concern among job seekers. A potential employer cannot check it without your consent, but this could be seen as a red flag and decrease your chances of getting hired. You’re better off consenting to it and being honest with them. Be upfront with them and mention any possible issues and explain the situation.
Credit is a slippery slope. The reason why people have bad credit varies greatly, so part of the answer lies in why you have it. If it was because you lost your job due to downsizing and you  had to live on credit for a bit while in career transition, that’s one thing. Bad money management, that’s another.
Here are some additional questions regarding bad credit: Â Â Â Â Â Â
- Does my income and net worth affect my credit score? No, it doesn’t.
- What accounts for my credit score? Most of it is your record of paying installment and revolving credit that’s on time. Also included are collection actions, civil judgments and tax liens against you or bankruptcies.
- What’s one of best ways to improve my score? Pay down your credit card debt, starting with the account that has the highest interest rate. Also, try to use no more than 10% of the credit limit on any account.
- Do early payments on credit card charges improve my score? No, there isn’t anything on your credit report that talks about when a bill was paid.
Hallie Crawford
Atlanta Career Coach
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