Thanks for your reply. But like I mentioned before, I already have an offer and I will be filling out the background check papers shortly. My question was what is their policy on hiring people with DWI misdemeanors & if I should tell HR about my conviction after I mention it on the background check papers or if I should just let them find out and see if they ask me about it.
I would advise for you to wait to see what the background check paperwork says specifically and then just fill it out honestly. I have seen several of those that specifically state that DUI convictions do not need to be disclosed although other misdemeanors do.
If it just asks about misdemeanors in general, it is up to you whether you want to roll the dice and hope they never find out or just disclose it up front (in paperwork form only). In my experience, a DUI conviction especially when you were 20 is not a disqualifier or even reviewed closely. It wouldn’t be in my consulting company. My younger brother has similar things on his record and his job is Special OPS work as a Coast Guard officer that requires a high level security clearance. They don’t seem to mind earlier indiscretions of that type very much either.
If you’ve had a DUI within the past few years, try googling yourself. If you’re like me, your mugshot will be one of the first things that comes up.
Thank You for your guidance Shagnasty. You have been very helpful. I will wait and see what the background check forms ask.
And if you have a somewhat common name about 200 other people will show up as well. I checked on mine and there were at least 500 mugshots under my name.
This leads to an interesting question. Why do they need you to fill out that form listing your convictions (if any) if they are going to turn around and, uhh, do a background check? Is it just an honesty test or are they actually a little worried that you might have convictions that don’t show up on their background check and they would only find out about them if you disclose them? What actually happens if you put down on the form that you were convicted of 2nd Degree Mopery in Boise, ID in 2002 and Aggravated Possession of a Widget With Intent to Cha-Cha-Cha in Anchorage, AK in 2005 but their super fancy background check that comes back from the investigation agency only shows the Widget charge?
Here in Maryland even minor things like drunk in public show up on the record(and employers don’t care as long as its disclosed)
Thanks! hopefully I have a chance to disclose and talk to someone and convince them it was a one time stupid mistake and I will never do it again!
Disclose.
In my industry, we’re watched by the SEC and FINRA more than anyone here would believe. I’ve had a top secret clearance in the past and the hoops weren’t this tight.
But what our people want is early disclosure during the hire process. Disclosing accomplishes two things.
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It allows you to present yourself as an honest guy. Someone who doesn’t want a surprise to happen to the hiring people.
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It allows you to early on establish the narrative you want about it. If they get to performing a background check on you that means they WANT to hire you. So if there’s something on your record they might find, it’s best to present it upfront and give them a reason early to excuse it.
Another angle that my HR folks tell us is that disclosure is good because even if they miss it, if they find it later they’ll can us PDQ for failing to disclose.
Mostly hoping to catch you in a lie.
ok
Could the job possibly involve driving, perhaps to client sites?
it is a consulting position so it might. but I have all my driving privileges back. The incident happened 2 years ago and since then I’ve done over 90 hrs of community service! Also haven’t gotten another ticket since the incident.
Let’s drink to that!
Is it just me or is it remarkable that someone would be offered a position as a consultant at the age of 22? Honest question.
When Accenture says “consultant” they usually mean, minion. Especially as applied to young people just starting out in their career. It sounds glamorous to a 22 year old, but he’ll quickly learn how un-glamorous it really is.
On the plus side, everybody has to start somewhere and Accenture is as good a place as any (better than some) to learn a lot very quickly.
I am ready to work hard and learn!
In Spain we call those bollicaos. A bollicao is a sort-of-nutella-filled industrial cake which is:
- soft,
- not as filling as it looks,
- or as tasty as it looks,
- but hey, cheap and easily available.
Many consulting firms hire people with fresh diplomas, good looks and high GPAs, and will not hire as “in-house” people with experience. Those firms then follow one of two training paths:
- go eeny meeny miny moe to spread the new hires among several different types of consulting, without any consideration to whether there is any relationship between the type of consulting and the minions’ actual qualifications and interests, and then train them. This leads to people with degrees in Economics working as Maintenance consultants for 15 years and implementing the exact same design for those 15 years, because it was the example taught in the course and they never understood it was an example.
- go eeny meeny miny moe to spread the new hires among several different types of consulting, without any consideration to whether there is any relationship between the type of consulting and the minions’ actual qualifications and interests, and then throw them into deep water with no training but with threat of being turned into mincemeat if they let the client know they’re untrained. This leads to people with degrees in Industrial Engineering working as Finance consultants for 12 years without knowing what’s the difference between the General Ledger and General Tso’s chicken.
Both examples are real ones, sadly encountered many times.
[QUOTE=Švejk ]
Is it just me or is it remarkable that someone would be offered a position as a consultant at the age of 22? Honest question.
[/QUOTE]
Basically what QuickSilver said. Consulting firms like Accenture tend to skew younger in general. Typically they hire large “start classes” of undergrads right out of college. I took a quick look at my undergrads 2012 employment stats and top 4 employers - PwC, IBM, E&Y and KPMG - collectively hired about 80 grads. In fact, I’m surprised Accenture wasn’t on the list. Typically they have been near the top in hiring grads.
Oh, there’s no “perhaps” about it.
My advice to the OP is to answer the question honestly. HR isn’t trying to “trick” you into giving them a reason not to hire you. But they will take issue if you intentionally lie or omit something. I’m surprised you didn’t have to answer questions about convictions.
msmith537, I know! There usually is a place on the online application! But there wasn’t any for this company. I am sure there will be a place to disclose it on the background check form tho.
I will not lie! It was a mistake! I have learned from it! I will never do it again!