Now what the hell is this background screening thing? So I'm about to start a new job soonish and I'm still not done with all the hellish ugh! Yesterday I received this form that I need to fill out thoroughly with very specific details about my past.
My previous manager contact info
Home addresses for the past x number of years
People that I buried
Refused entry to a country
Any Act of Violence
Educational Background
I'm not worried about the educational background and home addresses at all. I'm confident that I won't provide inconsistent information that will cause any alarm. I know my previous nomadic lifestyle is a bit abnormal for regular peeps but still I wasn't refused to any countries. I overstayed somewhere but that was it. I'm now free as a birdie.
I mean I shouldn't be surprised and shouldn't even be ranting about this. I'm perfectly aware that a company checking on you is already an ancient process. They probably just want to know if you are going to be a threat to them and potentially to society overall. I mean this doesn't scare me because I know I didn't misbehave ... did I? I don't have criminal records or was never ever caught doing bad things.
I'm a peace-loving diabolika and trouble is not my middle name. This background screening process should not concern me at all. But I just feel like a lot has changed since 10 years ago (ahh yeah of course duh!). I remember that I used to fill out job application forms putting in a bunch of names and contact numbers for "character references". And of course, I made sure I've already oriented my friends beforehand with what to say (that I work my a$$ off everyday without complaints. And that I'm also smart. And I have a good moral character) in case the background checker calls them.
Nowadays, all these capitalistic firms have been meticulous with the background screening process. I heard that some of them even check all your public profiles including social media. Isn't that downright breach of privacy? Well good thing I've already deactivated most of my social media and public profiles in all job portals. But still, there's no escape from this Orwellian nightmare. It feels like we are under total surveillance all the time. Not that I have something to hide, I just don't feel comfortable at all being checked on in exchange for my soul.
Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for having a new job now. Okay but honestly, I am a bit worried even though I know I don't have a reason to be. The thing with my last job, even though I was allowed to resign in the end, I didn't have a good relationship with the management during my last days (mainly for being blunt and diabolic). So yeah, I'm a bit anxious that this background screening company might call my last employer and that the managers might badmouth me or something (there's one way to end this... ). Sigh, anyway, overthinking is killing me. I can't control everything so I figure that if things don't work out, them it's time to shop again. It's time to move forward and find a new job who will see my values instead of the number of bodies I've hidden. So I guess, I'll just let things be for now. I learned the hard way that there are absolutely no guarantees in life. And it's always better to have a survival Plan B.
@unsplash