If you are searching for a new job, then you probably have spent quite a bit of effort perfecting how you appear to potential employers. Millions of people are currently searching for jobs, and it is important to that you pay careful attention to every detail that might interest a future employer. If you are like most highly motivated job seekers, then you already know how to look for jobs that are compatible with you skills and interests. You understand the importance of polishing your resume and references. You have prepared for your interviews, and you know how to present yourself in a professional manner. What most people don't realize is that many employers are now looking at your credit history as a part of the hiring process.

Historically, credit reports were often requested for positions that involved handling large sums of money. It was thought that being fiscally responsible in your personal life would translate to honesty and competence on the job. These days, many jobs use a credit report as a part of the screening process for potential employees.

It is completely legal for a company to request your credit report. However, they cannot do it without your written permission. Usually, a potential employer will request permission in the documents that you fill out when you apply for the job.

According to Experian, a major credit reporting company, only a limited amount of information is provided during a employment related screening. Your actual credit score will not be shared and the request will not be factored into your future credit rating. Account numbers, year of birth, and marital information will be hidden from potential employers in order to comply with the Equal Employment Opportunities laws.

If your credit report has a negative impact on you employment potential, a company is required to give you a copy of your credit report as well as your consumer rights. You can ask what a company is looking for, but they are not required to provide you with specific details.

If you think that a potential employer is going to use your credit score as a screening tool, then you should make sure that the report contains accurate information. You can request your report and notify credit agencies of any discrepancies you find.

It is unlikely than an employer would eliminate a candidate solely on the basis of a credit report. However, in today's competitive job market, it makes sense to double check your credit report to insure that it is accurate before applying for a job that uses it as a screening tool.

A well-known dating site will start running background checks after a high profile case where a woman was raped by a man she met on the site who turned out to be a convicted sex offender. The case highlights the dangers of meeting people online. The woman who was the victim of the sexual assault has sued the dating site, asking a judge to forbid them from enrolling new members until the site implements a background check screening system.

Although there seems to be no data that measures the number of sexual predators that lurk on dating sites, the recent case illustrates the fact that users may end up arranging dates with dangerous people, just as they might do when meeting people in virtually any other setting.

You probably should know that anytime you meet someone anywhere you could be dealing with a dangerous person. Therefore, a certain amount of caution is always warranted. However, on a dating site where people are hoping to be matched up with other people with whom they may form a relationship, it would be nice if you didn’t have to worry about a new acquaintance turning violent against you.

For its part, the dating site says that it has avoided running checks on users because of fear that the inherent inaccuracies in the system could wrongfully bar some users from participation on the site. Additionally, the dating site has been concerned that the sex offender registry checks could make some users feel unduly secure.

As more cases come to light, more dating sites are beginning to require background checks of their users. Additionally, a member of the United States Congress is introducing legislation that will require dating sites to clearly state whether or not they require background checks of its users. Such a move may pressure even more site operators to do what they can to improve the safety of their online communities and hopefully make people like you more comfortable spending time there.

Although checking for sex offenders among site users may help keep some dangerous people away from dating sites, users should still exercise caution, realizing that an absence of a prior record may mean that some people just haven’t yet been caught. While enjoying the use of dating sites, be sure to follow the safety recommendations they provide.

For less than $10, online daters can request a thorough criminal background check from their potential date. Once the background check is complete, your potential date can share the background check with you.

A free guide, "5 Tips for Safe Online Dating," provided by MyBackgroundCheck.com, can be downloaded at http://www.mybackgroundcheck.com/OnlineDatingTips

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter announced his intention to support efforts to remove the box on employment applications that asks potential employees to check "yes" or "no" if they've been convicted of a crime. Despite a disclosure that answering "yes" will not necessarily disqualify the candidate from employment, the mayor maintains that checking "yes" often does result in automatic disqualification.

Many ex-offenders have trouble finding a job because of the question on applications, and finding employment is a vital step in beginning to live a normal life after serving their time. Even if an application does not include a question about criminal convictions, many employers now require criminal background checks.

Mayor Nutter signed Philadelphia Bill 110111-A, the Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Act on April 13. The act prohibits the controversial criminal conviction box from appearing on applications, and does not allow employers to ask about any criminal arrests that did not result in a conviction. Additionally, employers cannot ask candidates about any past convictions during the application process or first interview.

A criminal background check is still permitted, but employers may not run a check before conducting the first interview. Employers that do not interview candidates before offering employment are not permitted to collect any data about past arrests or convictions.

The act is partially aimed at helping lower Philadelphia's 25% poverty rate. Many ex-offenders are released from prison and unable to find a job because employers have asked about their criminal record, adding to the poverty issues Philadelphia currently faces and adding to the draining of welfare funding. The mayor hopes that the act helps ex-offenders make a positive impression on employers during the application and interview process, before any criminal history is revealed.

To encourage employers to hire those with past convictions, the city of Philadelphia has developed a program to give tax incentives to employers that hire ex-offenders. The city hopes to set an example by having first removed the conviction box from applications for government employment. Philadelphia has also hired 132 ex-offenders in an attempt to encourage employers to do the same.

Philadelphia is not the first city to advocate the employment of ex-offenders and "banning the box". Boston already has a "ban the box" policy, and several state governments, including Hawaii and Massachusetts, have passed laws banning private employers from asking about criminal history on job applications.

MyBackgroundCheck.com encourages job seekers to know what’s on their background before anyone else views it.  For around $10 a month, job seekers can monitor their background check, know what’s on it and receive email alerts when information changes.  Additionally, a free guide, “The Ultimate Job Seeker’s Guide”, is available for download at http://www.mybackgroundcheck.com/JobSeekerGuide which includes valuable tips to ace interviews and land better jobs.

As online dating increases in popularity, an increasing number of horror stories have also begun to circulate. Many people have heard about singles who have gotten themselves in dangerous situations by meeting new love interests online. It’s easy for people to misrepresent themselves from behind a computer screen.

Studies have even shown that registered sex offenders are frequently signing up for popular dating sites. It’s safe to say that these known criminals are probably not looking for love. What they may be looking for is their next victim. Even if a person convicted of a sex crime is looking for love, would you want to date them without knowing their past? Don’t you think that you have a right to know who you’re meeting on these sites? Fortunately, there are ways to take control of your online dating.

One of the best ways to protect yourself is to require potential dates to obtain a background check before meeting. The majority of online dating services do not screen new members. If you want to stay safe, you need to take matters into your own hands.

MyBackgroundCheck.com offers criminal background checks that are perfect for online daters. CEO of MyBackgroundCheck.com, Robert Mather, began this service to “inspire confidence in the dating community, to encourage personal responsibility and to promote safe practices." These background checks delve into a person’s criminal history and provide information about past arrests, criminal court hearings, misdemeanors, and felonies.

Keep in mind that these background checks will not offer credit or employment information. You are not violating a person’s privacy by asking that they receive a background check; you are simply keeping yourself safe.

One of the best things about this service, aside from keeping people safe, is that it’s extremely easy to use. For less than $10, online daters will receive a thorough criminal background check. Once your background check is complete, you will be given a certificate that can be shared with anyone. A copy of this certificate can be printed and given to potential dates, landlords, and future employers or can be sent via e-mail.

Providing potential landlords and employers with this information will save them both time and money. It will also prove your responsibility, proactive nature, and express your interest. It’s not every day that someone goes out of their way to make a landlord or employer’s job easier.

With this resource available to online daters, there is absolutely no reason to put yourself in a dangerous situation. MyBackgroundCheck is extremely affordable, easy to use, and can be shared time and time again. Most people spend more than $10 on dinner. Why not spend that money on something that can be used numerous times and will help to keep you safe from questionable characters?

A free guide, "5 Tips for Safe Online Dating," provided by MyBackgroundCheck.com, can be downloaded at http://www.mybackgroundcheck.com/OnlineDatingTips

A California state senator has introduced a bill this week to prohibit an employer from firing a worker who legally smokes marijuana while not at work. California's current laws allow legal use of marijuana for medical purposes.

Democratic State Senator Mark Leno, who represents a district that includes Marin County, parts of Sonoma County and parts of San Francisco, proposed the bill, which would also prohibit an employer from using the same fact of legal marijuana use not to hire a job applicant.

In 2007, Sen. Leno had proposed a bill similar to this one. The legislature at that time passed the bill, but then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill. According to Leno, the bill establishes a right to work for a person who makes proper legal use of marijuana, and he is surprised that anyone may object to that fact.

In 1996, a ballot measure was approved by the residents of California to legalize the medical use of marijuana for those people who qualify. But, in 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled that there was nothing in that measure or the subsequent medical marijuana laws that would stop employers from firing a user of medical marijuana because of a positive test for marijuana. In other words, a worker who legally used pot could be fired for testing positive for pot. Leno says that California voters never meant for the medical marijuana measure to apply just to the unemployed.

Within Leno's new bill, safety-sensitive jobs are exempted from this employer prohibition. Nurses, doctors, heavy equipment operators and school bus drivers are examples of those who perform jobs that are safety-sensitive and whose job performance could be adversely affected by impairment of any kind.

According to the bill, an employer could still fire an employee who used marijuana during work hours or at work, or who was at work under the influence of marijuana.

The California Chamber of Commerce has opposed the bill proposed by Sen. Leno in 2007, but a Chamber spokeswoman said that the current bill had not been examined by the Chamber yet. The Chamber opposed last year's Proposition 19, a statewide ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana use, partially in the belief that the measure would prohibit employers from firing a worker who was smoking pot at work or who was under the influence of pot while at work. The supporters of Proposition 19 denied that claim.