I have applied for a job but my credit was hurt while going through a divorce. Will having bad credit keep me from getting this job when they do a credit check?

There is one piece of information missing from this question that would help us to provide you with an answer. Does the job that you have applied to require you to handle cash (e.g., cashier) or does it require a security check of some nature (e.g., access to classified or secure documents in the government or military-industrial sectors)? These are all jobs for which a credit check is considered important.

For most other jobs, a credit check could be considered an invasion of your privacy. For example, I have needed a 'secret' security clearance at work on a couple of occassions over the years, but those background checks have been the only time in my work history that an employer has looking into my credit rating, among other things. I would have to say that it is quite rare for an employer to request a credit check on an employee, except in the areas that I have previously mentioned.

If the employer requires a credit check for security reasons, they are looking for very specific things on your rating. Are you constantly defaulting on loans? Are you regularly falling behind in your credit card payments? Have you had property repossessed for non-payment? Have you dug yourself a very deep financial hole? These are all taken into consideration if you are required to handle money or sensitive material. You could be deemed a risk if you constantly have financial problems and could be tempted to steal money or accept bribes.

You should obtain a copy of your credit rating and review the information contained in your file. This will let you know if you have specific areas to address or to correct. If your problems are in the past and can be explained by a crash in your finances, as occurs when the higher wage leaves the house, you should not have any problems.

It is very important that you control the contents of your credit record by ensuring that any errors on the file are corrected or outdated data are updated. Companies are very quick to add information to a credit file, but are quite slow or completely negligent about removing outdated information or correcting erroneous records. It is also possible that your credit file contains incorrect information that could adversely affect your rating. For example, if your credit rating states that you support three children on your income when you only have two, it will bias any decisions made on the file contents. Get all mistakes corrected and ensure your file is up to date.