For some people, the background check for criminal records can be the hardest part of the employment process.  They do not know if minor infractions in their past will be enough to disqualify them from the position that they desire or whether their criminal convictions have occurred far enough in the past for them to be overlooked by potential employers.  The truth is that a large number of people have minor blemishes found when an employer decides to background check criminal records, but this typically does not disqualify the individual from the position.

For most jobs in the private sector, the only thing that the employer is looking for when they do a background check on criminal record information is whether the applicant has been convicted of any felonies in the last few years.  Anything else on the background check report, including most misdemeanor convictions, will be ignored by most employers.

Many employers only do a background check for criminal records to ensure that the applicant has been truthful on their employment application.  It is important to be truthful about the past to ensure that you are not caught in a lie at a later date, because although the crime that was committed was bad, lying about it is considered much worse.