Apple background check for job at retail store.

[jthesned]

Hi Everybody,

Being an Apple user and loving their products, I recently decided on a career change and applied for a specialist position at one of the UK stores. I received an email today telling me I am being considered for a role at one of the stores and that I will be contacted again shortly with details of a recruitment event.

Brilliant, apart from after reading some forums I discovered that Apple do a background check on successful applicants. Although I have nothing to hide, I have recently gone bankrupt and was once fined by a court for shoplifting in about 1995 when I was young and stupid. I’m sure this would now be classed as a spent conviction. However, would the bankruptcy be held against me if I were to be accepted for the position and what else would a background check involve?

I’m really worried that mistakes I made many years ago might affect the chances I have of being hired even if I were to pass the interviews. Any of your views are welcome!

 

[angelwatt]

For a retail store employee I wouldn't worry about their background check. If you were higher up then there could be some potential to worry, but still not much.

 

[DeaconGraves]

A background check for a retail employee would essentially be a criminal background check. I would doubt that the bankruptcy would show up on that. And a clean criminal record for the past 16 years would make the shoplifting charge insignificant.

That's probably as far as the check goes. While I don't doubt that you would be a good candidate for the store, you are probably not worth Apple hiring a private investigator to dig up more.

 

[rdowns]

I'd imagine they do what most companies do- criminal background check and credit check. You will be required to sign forms acknowledging the checks and given a copy of your rights.

 

[jthesned]

For some reason got myself into a right pickle worrying that even if i did pass all the interviews etc, knowing my luck I would be turned down after the background check due to having gone bankrupt recently. Would they even check this and if they did would I be turned down for this alone?

 

[LiarInGlass]

Bankruptcy from my experience is NOT something they check on Background Checks. Most background checks are strictly related to criminal past/activity.

What I would do is wait a few days, then go into the store, and ask to speak to a Hiring Manager, and let them know you received an email and would just like to check up on it and that you are interested still. Don't worry about the background check. Bankruptcy is not something that is going to disqualify you or even be checked upon during a Background Check.

 

[alexinlondon]

Hi jthesned,

I actually work for one of these background checks company (we don't work with apple though), and chances are they'll carry out a criminal record check, which, as you mentioned earlier, will not include spent convictions, AND a credit check, which will show past bankruptcies.

But honestly I wouldn't worry about it. From experience I can tell you that everyone understands the difference between someone who has made relatively minor mistakes, and an offender on the run wanted for murder and money laundering...