concerned: applying for fed job & wrongfully fired in the past.

navvet · Sep 5, 2008

Regards to your post. Depends on who the fed contracts to do background checks. Since your were honest with the ESC and you got your check, after explanations. They did not have to call the employer to check your story out. Which would have led them to find that you were terminated "with cause". At that point you probably would not have receieved a check. Anyhoo. The Fed may or may not do, a crawl up your ass, BkGrnd check. Either way your old employer can't tell anyone if you were terminated period. They can only tell them, the day you started, the day you left and if you are rehireable or not. "Privacy Act"

Best of luck.

aknurs · Sep 5, 2008

I would think, with a Federal background check, it would be to see if you had a criminal history, prior arrests, & things pertaining to that type of information. Not your work history.(Wouldn't that come under your Resume?).

I am going to tour a Federal Prison Hospital, while I am on vacation, & have to have a background check, to just tour it..(The background check that was done by the state,at my present job, does not count)

navvet · Sep 6, 2008

aknurse in regards to your comment. The poster said he was applying for a position not, a tour of the facility. He is concerned about past job history. A background check usually consist of both Jobs held/References and Criminal. It being a job opening for a Federal Prison, They will check both.

aknurs · Sep 7, 2008

Thanks,Navvet I assumed the background check & the references would be separate...Ya know..Security doing the background check.

The DON, doing the resume/reference check..

On your previous job,..Aren't they only allowed to say, you worked there, but is not eligible for re-hire?.Of course Federal may be different.

I admit, I am out of the loop though, as I haven't looked for another job for a while...:zzzzz

navvet · Sep 10, 2008

Due to it being a federal Prison, There are usually employment packets that one fills out. Once received, (bkgrnd check, ref check), would all be done by one department, ususally HR. If candidate is chosen he/she may be asked to take a polygraph or physch test. Then the DON may be required to sit on a reveiw panel or oral board, with potential candidate. If all goes well, candidate will be offered a position.

During Ref. check, HR will usually ask if this person is rehireable, if not, this throws up the red flag to HR. It usually is at their discretion to go further at that point with the employment process w/candidate.

But, what do I know? I'm only a garbage collector.

RN Randy · Sep 18, 2008

Hey, which prison? I'm at FMC Lexington, and we really need nurses, so keep on top of that app!

For your investigation, it is more of a security clearance than a background, so it will be in-depth, and usually takes about 8 months or so to complete. Your lifestyle, credit report and loyalty to your country are big issues, especially these days.

Federal investigators will visit your friends, neighbors and family face to face to discuss your personal life and their impressions of you.

If you are a normal/average US citizen, you'll be given a conditional employment offer after a quick background, [pending official clearance results of course], and be on 1 year probationary status while you work and wait.

There is no polygraph, but you will meet with the psychologist for a quick quiz during your panel interviews.

There is only one key. HONESTY in ALL aspects.

Be sure to tell them about any pot smoking or drug use, law suits, thefts, arrests, job troubles, neighbor troubles, drunken stupidity, or whatever....

in honest detail, and you'll be fine.

They don't care so much what you did, but they do care if you're willing to lie about it. You won't be working around weekend drunk drivers, you'll be around federal witnesses, old mafia, celebrities, high-level gang officers, Terrorists [Git'mo may be closing and guess who will get 'em?] and other threats to national security so they want to know if someone has a reason or ability to blackmail you for anything.

You can only be blackmailed if you are trying to hide something. So if you have nothing to hide, no matter how embarrassing, then you'll be fine.

Your credit will be checked deeper than your job history. [people in credit trouble are usually in need of money, which many of our millionaire inmates can supply rather easily in exchange for....?] SO, If you are behind $20 on your $369 Rent-A-Center account, you will not be hired until you fix it, and prove it is current.

So to put it in short. Unless you got fired for something you can be jailed for, blackmailed for, or otherwise threaten security with, forget about it.

Don't think about it as some company hiring someone they want to be sure is a 'good' employee; it is the US Government hiring someone to guard prisoners they're caring for. Someone that could potentially be a traitor committing treason against the United States of America, or help support terrorism by whatever means, cause international unrest, etc.

Getting fired over a simple mistake, a personality conflict, or poor choice of words to your boss is rather trivial in the big picture.

EMAIL me if you need any help with the process or questions.

I don't check PM much here.

rb