4 Responses to “Leaving former employer off resume/job application?”

1. Amber says:

   May 31, 2010 at 7:10 pm

   Absolutely. An employer can look up your entire work history via your social insurance number.
2. AJ says:

   May 31, 2010 at 8:06 pm

   A background check or background investigation is the process of looking up and compiling criminal records, commercial records and financial records.
   In background check you employment history doesn’t show up so the last employer you worked for will not show up in fact none of the employers you have worked for will show up in there.

   Also check out this great website to manage your online job applications and also to do job hunting. its called Jobtac (www.jobtac.com)
   AJ
   http://www.Jobtac.com
3. nunuvyobizniz says:

   May 31, 2010 at 8:50 pm

   I’ve done the same thing, or omitted jobs where I didn’t work at for very long. Here’s what I’m thinking…unless you had your credit pulled for some reason, or applied for a loan while employed at that job, then I believe it WILL show up on your credit report. If you didn’t work there for very long, and have no reason to believe it should have any affiliation with your credit, it’s safe to omit. Were you good friends with a Supervisor? Perhaps you can use them for your reference, as opposed to the boss. If you are paranoid, you can still use it on your resume, if for nothing else, to prove your job experience. If it is asked if the new employer may contact the old employer, just say “no”. They shouldn’t ask you why, but if it is an issue, just explain that you were LAID OFF from the job. If you were fired, it’s really hard to dance around that one. But, if you were genuinely laid off, that is not frowned upon, especially in this economy. Everyone is having hours cut back, or getting laid off. Now, what could hurt you…just a bonus here…is lack of employment, or a gap on your resume. My husband just experienced the wrath of a year and a half gap on a resume, and the prospective employer didn’t like that. So….how to fill it in? Figure out what it is you do, or that you are good at, and create a name. Or put “self employed” for that time frame. No one is going to frown on you having been working for yourself in the meantime, and it fills in that large time gap on your resume. Also, if you are looking for work as an Independent Contractor, how you left your last job isn’t going to be as important to a prospective employer as is the experience you gained from your last job. Hope that helps you. Good luck in your job search.
4. michr says:

   May 31, 2010 at 9:35 pm

   Leaving former employer off resume/job application?
   this is actually two separate questions…..

   a resume’ is a highlight film not a documentary, you do not have to list every employer you have worked for.

   an application is totally different, most ask for your last 3 to 5 employers in order or for all employment within a specific time frame.
   failure to list previous employers on an application is grounds for termination if the former employer falls within the parameters the employer has requested…….

   as far as the background check part of the question; that wil depend on the outside service the employer uses to do background checks. different services offer different levels of information from simple public record checks up to personal interviews and detailed investigations. generally most employers do a simple check of public records and employment information is NOT part of this type of background check.