Pay for own criminal background check?!

briangl

What the (expletive deleted)?

Job ad in paper for a state run school. At the bottom it says, "The selected applicant will be required to apply for a criminal background check, at their own expense."

I've never heard of that before, has anyone else?

Trailerisf

Yeah... they obviously want you to come with it when applying for the job.

If they are cheaping out on short-list candidates, imagine what your benefit package is gonna look like...

Slowhand

Definately sounds fishy to me. If I were you, I'd run the company by the Better Business Bureau to see if they're on the up-and-up.

briangl

It's not a company, it's a school, run by the state. I'm not going to apply, I'm sure I'm not qualified. If I were qualified, I don't think I would apply anyway, because of that.

It's the Maryland School for the Deaf, in case anyone want's to know.

goforthbmerry

Normally,I would be extremely skeptical of this. I would have bet it was a scam. However, the Maryland School for the Deaf is legitimate. It is still a strange policy. I am sure the have no budget. Working there would certainly be a challenge.

RavenSpawn

Pretty much every employer does a background check. While most of them request and pay for it themselves, some will have the selected applicant pay but would reimburse afterwards. One of the place I had an interview for mentioned that I would have to request the background check and I would be reimbursed after. In your case, if its a job that you would like, apply for it and ask if you'd be reimbursed if selected.

briangl

Their website lists the pay as $42,026 - $67,280.

Here is the link if anyone is interested.


http://dbm.maryland.gov/dbm_publishing/public_content/dbm_search/state_jobs/toc_all_jobs/skilled_and_professional/computer_network_specialist_ii_112106.html

JDMurray

State run schools here in the USA are notoriously underfunded, and it may be a way of saving some money. However, I wonder how many applicants will actually make it to the interview round where it's time to actually do a background check. It may also be a way to deter people from applying who aren't very serious about taking the job itself.

famosbrown

If I didn't recently get a Systems Administrator job, I would apply for that. I am looking to move back to the Maryland/D.C./Virginia area. Thanks for the link .

Famos

bcairns

I say you go interview....just be sure to charge them a consulting fee for your time in the interview.