How Should I Handle a Background Check Issue with My Previous Employer?

Hi, I got selected by a company (A) from campus after my post-graduation (first job in life), but I found out I am not fitting in and liking the job. So, I resigned after 3-3.5 months. However, when I showed this work experience to another company (B), during the background check, company (A) marked my resignation as involuntary. As a result, I lost the job offer. Now, if I apply to another company (C), should I appear as a fresher? Will the background check be clear, or should I fight for my rights with company (A) to make it voluntary and use that work experience?

Clarification Needed for Better Guidance

Before I can provide you with a really worthwhile answer, I think you should help me with these details:
- Your qualification
- Your job role

Generic Advice on Short Work Experience

An experience of 3 or 3.5 months is not much to gain actual working knowledge, even if you apply in the same industry or are working in the same or similar profile. If you are switching industries or job profiles, this experience wouldn't matter anyway.

So, it is better to introduce yourself as a fresher. Your 3 or 3.5 months of experience would not only give you bad feedback for your background verification (BGV) but also leave a negative impression on the employer (e.g., Why did you leave in 3 months? Are you a job hopper? How can I trust your loyalty? What if you repeat your past job hopping with me?).

Start afresh. Also, you can always say that you'd been looking for something that clicks for you and gives you an edge to prosper. Anyway, you were job hunting before 3-4 months. How does it matter if you say you were job hunting for a further 3-4 months? But leaving a job in 3-4 months definitely gives you a bad impression.

All the best, and I hope this helped. 

Dear CiteHRian,

Not everyone is blessed with a perfect job that is always favored. An open mind to grab an opportunity for learning should always be preferred. As a hiring person myself, I won't ask any candidate who has not shown their experience on the resume (as I am unaware of it, with no chance of background verification). Even if you have no work experience, nearly all businesses will ask you to provide a resume before they consider hiring you. Your reference to the core curriculum should be clear and only pertains to a fresher. Presenting a resume with three or three and a half years of experience is not considered.

Self-Reflection on Job Satisfaction

Ask yourself a self-satisfied question: Are you satisfied with the job you performed? Were you satisfied with the 3 months of experience that you've gained, even though it didn't give you any chance to think before you departed?

Most importantly, if you were a hiring manager, would you ascertain to this kind of resume? [Ask yourself]

Approaching Your Career with Patience

Your first job always provides you with experience; the second is the right choice to start earning. Make sure to approach any job with patience. Furthermore, when you demonstrate to your employer that you are a reliable employee, you can ask for a raise or look for a higher-paying, satisfying position.

"Opportunity comes once; make use of it to the best of your knowledge."

Regards,

Thank you for your response. I appreciate your perspective on the matter, and I agree with all the points you have raised. However, my main concern lies with the background check process at the company (C) where I have successfully cleared all the rounds. This organization is a large multinational corporation with strict background check policies, which is causing me some apprehension.

I am particularly worried about how this may impact my chances of securing the job, especially since I have applied as a fresher. In regards to my previous employer, they were also a reputable company, but they had a high turnover rate due to their bulk hiring practices and lack of a solid retention policy. Performance in terms of sales and target achievements were the primary metrics for evaluating employees, and only a small percentage of freshers hired managed to stay with the company for more than a year.

I want to clarify that companies typically do not conduct extensive research on candidates who are applying as freshers. For instance, if an individual has a two-year gap and applies as a fresher, the employer may question the gap in employment. However, in your case, having only a three and a half months gap should not be a cause for concern.

Some employers, based on the recommendations of human resources, may advise against claiming experience for short tenures to avoid stability issues or implications of absconding. Such circumstances might not be advantageous in terms of suitability for the role.

I hope this information alleviates some of your worries. If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me.

Best regards.

I have an MBA background with a role in hardcore financial sales, covering insurance, C.A.S.A, and all other financial products. My main concern is if I present myself as a fresher, will they be able to detect any previous employment during the background check?

If you present yourself as a fresher, there is no need or point for a Background Verification (BGV).

Understanding Background Verification (BGV)

When recruiting an experienced individual who naturally claims more than a fresher, I need to verify if they are worth the pay they have requested. This is typically done by contacting their current or former employers.

What Information Am I Looking For?

- How was your performance?
- Were you productive?
- How long have you been working?
- What was your salary?
- What were your key contributions?
- Recommendations.

If a past employer indicates, for any reason, that they were not satisfied with your work, applications in major organizations are often rejected.

Conversely, when hiring a fresher, companies rarely request references for BGV. If they do, they usually accept references from professors who know you personally. You can discuss your concerns with one or two professors who know you well and ask for guidance on BGV.

Otherwise, there is no way to ascertain if you have prior work experience. Your work history is only revealed if you disclose it, to the extent that you mention. Ultimately, we are all human, and it is unlikely that someone would feel betrayed by a 3.5-month tenure that was not disclosed.

Furthermore, it is common practice not to include such brief durations on a resume or career timeline, as it may not create a favorable impression.

I hope this explanation helps clarify the situation.

Importance of Obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC)

Every time you leave an organization, you need to fulfill the leaving formalities of the organization and always obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) or Relieving Letter. It will help you prove that you have worked properly, and the organization will not blame you after resignation. You may coordinate with the HR of the previous company and ask them to provide the NOC.

Regards,

There are two things one has to understand, and I am telling these to you because you are in the early part of your career.

1. It is always better to hop to another job from a job than try to get a job from no job.

2. Whenever one wants to apply a correction to one's career, it is sooner the better than later.

There are always genuine reasons when one wants a change, and that should come while explaining reasons for quitting without blaming the previous organization.