DOJ background investigation Forum

[Anonymous User]

Hello. Has anyone gone through the DOJ background investigation? What kind of information do they request? One issue is that I was effectively fired from a legal job. Although the official reason is that I left the job early, the employer told me that he didn't want me to work for him anymore due to a silly reason that I won't mention here. Because I was pushed out, I signed up for unemployment. But now I'm thinking that might come back to haunt me in terms of applying for gov't jobs. I think could I could say during the investigation that I left my job early. After all, that's what my employer told me to say. However, what if they ask about unemployment? I had to state that I left due to effective termination to receive unemployment. Also, it's generally known that you can't get unemployment for resigning. Therefore, if I answer "yes" to that question (assuming) there is one, the investigators could accuse me of being misleading.

So, to make a long question short, what, specifically, do they ask as a part of the process?

Thanks.

[Anonymous User]

Theyre going to want to know where you worked, what dates, what you did, and reason your employment ended. They also ask for dates of unemploymeny and what you did during those periods. I dont recall any question like "Have you ever received government assistance?"

FYI they will call your old boss and interview him. You should probably contact him first to give him a heads up since it's a weird situation.

[Anonymous User]

And it really shouldn't matter that you were terminated, unless it was for something that in itself raises eyebrows (fraud/sex with a client/etc.). I was essentially fired from a job (before law school) and it never remotely came up. People get fired all the time.

(I'm assuming "silly reason" is none of the bad things, of course.)

[Anonymous User]

No, nothing that raised eyebrows at all. It was totally trivial and I'm not saying what it was just to protect my ex-employer's confidentiality.

But, even if they don't ask whether you received unemployment, do they have some way of finding this out when they run the background check? I was thinking that, if they get info on arrests, they can get info on unemployment.

Lastly, you said you were essentially fired before law school. Didn't you have to say why you left your job? Did you say you were fired, or did you say something else?

[Anonymous User]

I don't know if they look for info on unemployment, but why would that matter? They ask directly why you left employment, so they would know whether you quit/were fired, so wouldn't need to look at unemployment to figure that out. Because you should tell the truth about why you left the job - what your employer said you should say doesn't trump the background check (I'm assuming no non-disclosure agreement).

And I said I was fired because that's what happened. Technically, I had been hired for a contract term, but the expectation was that I have the contract renewed ad infinitum, but it was a miserable failure and they didn't renew my contract. That's basically what I said (something about a poor fit or not meeting output expectations think). I was fired for being bad at my job (according to the employer), but not for doing anything bad (stealing/lying/cheating etc). No one cared at all.

[Anonymous User]

What would come back to haunt you is being dishonest on the background check form. If you were fired, say that. If you were receiving unemployment benefits, say that too.

[Br3v]

Why don't you just say you were fired and explain it? If you've gotten this far in the interview process.

[Anonymous User]

Maybe you guys are right, and I should just be honest. It's not like he didn't want me to work for him because I couldn't do the work. That couldn't be farther from the truth.

[Anonymous User]

I mean, it's a federal background check. Yes, you should be honest, whether it's to your benefit or not. If there's a gray area about what needs to be reported that's one thing, but being dishonest sounds like a really bad idea.

[Anonymous User]

There is a specific question on some background investigation forms - at least the sf-85p and sf-86 - that asks if you have ever quit under threat of being fired, left by mutual agreement after allegations of poor performance, or left for any other unfavorable reasons. Basically, the question is worded broadly enough so that if you left for a reason other than getting a new job, retiring, or raising a family, you have to disclose the circumstances.

If you know what form you need to fill out, you can find a copy online and get an early view of the specific question.

[Anonymous User]

That's for that tip about the forms.

Not only do I think I should tell them what happened, I am beginning to think that I should tell any perspective employer what really happened.

[Anonymous User]

Honesty definitely proved to be the best policy. They didn't seem to care that much. Thanks.