<p>I recently found out that a company which was interviewing me is going to do a credit check on me. I just graduated from college and I actually have pretty bad credit (500 something). I had to run up my credit card and struggled paying it back for a while during school when I was unemployed and also couldn't pay my bills for a while which may have caused this bad score.</p>
<p>So my question is can this bad score cost me a potential job opportunity? I live in Pennsylvania if that matters.</p>
<p>It depends on what they are looking for. Some companies will look for large debts because they fear it may lead to temptation of internal theft or make one more susceptible to bribes. Other companies don’t take the credit check too seriously. If they know you just graduated college they probably aren’t expecting an amazing credit score, but collection agencies (if your debts have gone to them) might be a red flag against you. So in short, yes, it could cost you a job opportunity. But not all companies do credit checks, and those that do may give you an opportunity to explain your situation before making a decision. And if they reject you based on the report, then you just keep looking - and work to increase your credit score in the process.</p>
<p>It depends upon the company and how they use it. Have heard some companies when considering applicants will not hire people with “bad” scores. Does the company do any work for the govt? If so, then having a good credit history is important.</p>