Pre Employment Checks

[MakingMyWayDowntown]

@Jaysen I think you are in the best position to answer this!

When do US firms like Weil conduct background checks on you? Is it before a vacation scheme or after a TC offer is accepted?

If it is done before the VS, do they do any further checks once you accept a TC? What is the process like?

Thank you!

 

[Jaysen]

@Jaysen I think you are in the best position to answer this!

When do US firms like Weil conduct background checks on you? Is it before a vacation scheme or after a TC offer is accepted?

If it is done before the VS, do they do any further checks once you accept a TC? What is the process like?

Thank you!

If I remember correctly, I had an initial set of reference checks a few months after I accepted the TC. A few months before we started the TC, we had more verifications (particularly clarifying any placements that couldn't be verified).

I don't think we had anything before the VS, but I could be wrong!

 

[Jessica Booker]

It won't be standard across US firms.

Process is generally you have to provide contact details for any employment on your application, and also contact details for any academic institutions that are subject to your offer (so if they have an A-level minimum criteria, your school too). You'll need to provide documents like your degree certificates or transcripts to date if you haven't completed your degree, documents that prove your address for a period of time, and any right to work documents like your passport.

It literally is just a process and is shouldn't be anything to worry about. Its pretty straight forward really as whoever is doing the checks do it on mass regulary. The only issue is if you have presented false information on your application - that's the only time it causes problems.

 

[frow3n]

It won't be standard across US firms.

Process is generally you have to provide contact details for any employment on your application, and also contact details for any academic institutions that are subject to your offer (so if they have an A-level minimum criteria, your school too). You'll need to provide documents like your degree certificates or transcripts to date if you haven't completed your degree, documents that prove your address for a period of time, and any right to work documents like your passport.

It literally is just a process and is shouldn't be anything to worry about. Its pretty straight forward really as whoever is doing the checks do it on mass regulary. The only issue is if you have presented false information on your application - that's the only time it causes problems.

If an employment reference is non-contactable / unwilling to provide a reference, would things like a P45 / payslips be sufficient to prove employment?

 

[Jessica Booker]

If an employment reference is non-contactable / unwilling to provide a reference, would things like a P45 / payslips be sufficient to prove employment?

Yes, there are alternative ways employment can be proved, like payslips or even payments into your bank account. Depending on the nature of the work experience, some will be more important than others for getting a reference directly from the company though. Whoever is doing the reference checks will keep you up to date and discuss alternative ways to verify your details though.

 

[frow3n]

Yes, there are alternative ways employment can be proved, like payslips or even payments into your bank account. Depending on the nature of the work experience, some will be more important than others for getting a reference directly from the company though. Whoever is doing the reference checks will keep you up to date and discuss alternative ways to verify your details though.

Thanks! Just a couple months bar work in 2015 had me slightly concerned as I realised the company had changed hands and would be difficult to track down the original owners!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thanks! Just a couple months bar work in 2015 had me slightly concerned as I realised the company had changed hands and would be difficult to track down the original owners!

It's six years ago, its only a couple of months, and it is bar work. They may not even ask for a reference.

 

[frow3n]

It's six years ago, its only a couple of months, and it is bar work. They may not even ask for a reference.

Good point! Thank you

 

[Daniel Boden]

@Jaysen I think you are in the best position to answer this!

When do US firms like Weil conduct background checks on you? Is it before a vacation scheme or after a TC offer is accepted?

If it is done before the VS, do they do any further checks once you accept a TC? What is the process like?

Thank you!

Just as a heads up, for my vac scheme with Weil a couple of years ago they did a full background check and we had to provide various documents to ensure there were no conflicts with any of the firm's clients or matters.

I imagine that was to minimise the paperwork following the TC.

Same thing happened with Gibson Dunn last year too, presumably to speed up the process once you get an offer.

 

[MakingMyWayDowntown]

Thanks all, really appreciate your input!

 

[nicole88]

Do firms check your whole employment history / all jobs listed on the app? Or do they check lets say employment history for the past 3 to 5 years? Thanks.

 

[whisperingrock]

My firm checked the past 3 years for work history, but past 5 years for my education and addresses. No idea why.

 

[nicole88]

My firm checked the past 3 years for work history, but past 5 years for my education and addresses. No idea why.

Thank you so much!

 

[MakingMyWayDowntown]

Do firms check your whole employment history / all jobs listed on the app? Or do they check lets say employment history for the past 3 to 5 years? Thanks.

Would also like to know others' experiences with this^. Thanks @whisperingrock !

 

[whisperingrock]

Would also like to know others' experiences with this^. Thanks @whisperingrock !

To add to this, the form gave the option to describe unpaid work as "work experience", "internship" or "volunteering". The screening company only contacted my place of volunteering to my knowledge. I'm still close with people at all my internship and work experience employers and they said they never got anything. The difference may be a matter of how long I was in each role or the fact that I am still volunteering for the organisation. My volunteering was a full year, while my work experiences were about a week or two each. It also might come down to what the firm wants follow up on or what screening company they use.

But as Jessica has been saying it REALLY isn't something you need to stress over. It's a box ticking exercise. You will in almost every case be easily able to prove you did something as long as it actually happened. The worst a screening can be is a pain in the ass because you had to list a lot of things or the screening company weren't able to contact somebody. I have an incredibly complicated life and have switched phones and emails several times and the worst that happened was having to have a few back and forths to provide the answers they were looking for (and the whole thing taking twice as long as it needed to). No one, including the screening company and the firm, want you to lose an offer because of some small human mistake or the fact a business went under.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Do firms check your whole employment history / all jobs listed on the app? Or do they check lets say employment history for the past 3 to 5 years? Thanks.

Depends on the firm. Anything between 3-7 years is fairly normal though.

 

[Deleted member 8341]

In one GCSE (very minor subject) and one AS level I received absolute horror marks and completely purged them from my mind, never thought about them again, had literally blocked them out so much that I forgot I ever took them. As a result I didn't list them in my results but today looking for my certificates in case I get asked to show them I saw them and have completely panicked. Will not listing them be 1. discovered, 2. appear deceitful, 3. be grounds for termination of any offers>??? I feel so stupid to have done this and am really panicking. Do you have any experience similar to this @Jessica Booker

 

[Jessica Booker]

1) if they are on your transcript they will obviously be discovered

2) possibly

3) unlikely - because it’s unlikely a GCSE or AS grade is a requirement of your offer.

However, if it’s a core subject like GCSE maths that you are avoiding or you went on to continue to AS grade on to Alevel, the point that you forgot about them becomes a little more questionable.

 

[Deleted member 8341]

not a core subject at all, in fact its additional maths and I got an A* at normal maths

 

[Jessica Booker]

not a core subject at all, in fact its additional maths and I got an A* at normal maths

I think they will probably question how something like that can be “forgotten” and I’ll be frank, I expect them to think that you have purposely avoided including that information to avoid putting poor grades down, but unless there is a question elsewhere in terms of your performance or integrity, I think it is unlikely a firm will retract an offer on that basis.

Not impossible though TBH.