Criminal Background - Minor Theft, shall I disclose information?

So i have an offer letter and they are going to be doing a criminal background check on me and I have a conviction from a 10 years ago, when i was 19 when i got caught shoplifting at a local wallmart. The value of the stolen item was less than 10$ but i had give them fingerprints and such and it resulted in a conviction. Don't remember if they lowered it to a misdemeanor but in any case, will this be enough for them to deny hiring me?

Please help, thanks
Additional Details
anyway i have offer letters here, and I don't want to be in a situation where I say yes to just one, and tell the rest sorry... then later come back and ask for the job again because my background check on the one that I want disqualified me because of my background.

So do you think it's Okay for me to go ahead and accept all offers, sign and return the letters, and wait till all the results comeback before i say no to a job that starts in mid-January?

rolleriffic@sbcglobal.net

Where it says on the application have you ever been convicted od a crime. You should have said yes. If you said no and they find it, that is not good. You should tell your prospective employer and see what they say.

Alex

Depends. Most background checks only go back 7-10 years, so there is a good chance it may not even show up. That being said, if it does and you don't disclose it, then they have a valid reason to retract their job offer. Something to look into: After 10 years you should be able to have the conviction removed from your record, assuming there have been no further legal problems, so you won't have this problem in the future.

jamyerayne

Be honest and tell the truth. If the company is truly interested in you as an employee, you should get the chance to tell your side of what happened. In some industries and companies, failure to disclose information or lying on the application may cause you to lose that job when the results do come back. And getting fired for hiding a small dot on a criminal backgroud question is not a mark you want to show up on your work history!!

dgp_snk

Wait on my friend dont hurry up.
After 9/11 and the recent wave of terror strikes the companies are now mandatorily going for a complte background test.Though minor crimes are being overlooked at the dame time. i would suggest just tarry a moment til january mid.

H R

Alex said the check go back only 7 - 10 years. That is not the case. Employers are only "allowed" to use the last 7 years worth of information. However, your criminal report will show everything, even if it is 10 plus years ago. From age 18 and up your criminal record is public record. Pending on the state you live in, your record can be as detailed as providing speeding tickets. You should contact your court house (where the issue was resolved) and see how it is noted. If it is or not a felony conviction. If it is a misdemeanor, you may be ably to slide. In any case... you need to find out. Call the court house and ask for public records, they may be able to help you over the phone. If they can not, you will need to drive down there and look it up. Or, call a company that can run your criminal history. Yes, you will have to pay for it.... however, it is not that much.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: