Should You Bring Up Your Bankruptcy During A Job Interview?

Brining Up Bankruptcy During a Job Interview

Many debtors filing bankruptcy worry about how potential employers will view their bankruptcy filing. The truth is that the vast majority of employers probably won’t care. Bankruptcy has become very common and companies are more educated about why many debtors need to file bankruptcy. However, there may be some employers who are a little cautious with job candidates who have filed bankruptcy.

Below are a few tips on how to handle that situation:

Find Out The Facts

Find out if the employer does a credit check or background check before you interview. The best way to find out is through someone who has recently interviewed with the employer. You can also ask the employer directly. You may even want to ask if the employer views bankruptcy filers unfavorably.

Prepare Your Response

If the employer does a background check or credit check most likely this won’t be done until after the second interview. Bankruptcy filers should not mention their bankruptcy in the first interview unless directly asked. If your research has revealed an employer’s hesitance to hire bankruptcy filers, speaking with the employer about your case during the second interview may be a wise decision.

If you decide to speak with an employer about your bankruptcy filing, do so in a simple, brief and non-dramatic way. Simply explain to the employer that you filed bankruptcy due to financial reasons and that you want to know if this will impact their willingness to hire you. For example, you might say, “After my spouse died two years ago I filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy . Is this something that will be considered when you conduct my background check?”