Did you know that credit difficulties can stop you dead in your tracks and keep you from being hired? Credit problems will stress you to the max, strain your personal relationships, crush your morale and possibly paralyze you from taking necessary actions in your job search. If that isn't bad enough, it can also stop you from being hired!

Here's the reason why: Remember when you signed on the dotted line of the job application? Somewhere in fine print there was a line that gave the employer the right to run a credit check. A bad credit rating has the effect of ending your candidacy for a job with all too many companies as it is an indication of how you handle fiscal responsibilities. Rightly or wrongly, they make the assumption that this is how you might perform as a future employee by acting irresponsibly in many areas of your life, even stealing from the company. This may not seem right or fair but that is the way it is. You bad credit, no matter what the reason, even if the report is in error, can be used against you when you're applying for a job. Don't give a company an extra reason to screen you out.

Here's a recruiter's tip that can possibly save you a lot of hassle later on and you should do it early in your job search. In fact, this is something we all should do at least once a year:

Find out your credit rating. You should, in fact, find out what your credit rating is at least once a year.

Under the FACT Act amendments to the Fair Credit Reporting Act you are entitled to one free credit file disclosure in a 12 month period from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

To request your free annual disclosure you may contact the Central Source online at www.annualcreditreport.com or you can also contact them by calling toll free (877) FACTACT. (322-8228)

The three largest consumer credit reporting companies are: CBI/Equifax www.equifax.com, Experian www.experian.com and TransUnion Credit Information www.transunion.com. You can also go directly to their websites. However, they will charge you for a credit report.

The free annual report is available only through the www.annualcreditreport.com link and includes a report from all three companies.

The ratings range from 450 to 850. The higher the number the better the rating. Should you find any discrepancies, report them to the firm immediately.

If you find yourself in financial difficulties, investigate some of the resources that are now available like home equity loans, debt consolidation loans or homeowners line of credit. You may want to avoid gimmicky ads like "credit repair service" as these can soak you for hundreds of dollars and leave you worse off while doing nothing to repair your credit. Talk with someone you trust like your bank's service representative as a starting point. Remember that you have options

While you are unemployed, you may not always be able to avoid credit difficulties, but you should never let them stop you from being hired. Ever.

Copyright 2006 Joseph Turner