Wonder Why You Didnt Get That Job?

Over 80% of companies say that discrepancies on a job application can take a candidate out of the running, yet half of the background checks run in 2005 found inaccuracies in the information provided by applicants. A new book takes job hunters inside a background check, explains how information gets verified, and shows them how to fill out a job application that will sail through pre-employment screening.

People get turned down for jobs every day. Some applicants donít have the right experience and others donít interview well. But thereís another major reason that candidates donít get job offers, one that hiring companies rarely share with applicants ñ they didnít pass the background check.

ìA Job Hunterís Secret Weapon: How to Survive a Background Check and Get the Job You Really Want!î (www.jobhunterssecretweapon.com) is the first book that shows job applicants how to get through a background check successfully. Written by a pre-employment screener who spent 18 years in the industry, the book reveals what specific types of information companies check, how a candidateís employment, education, and criminal background gets verified, and what essential information applicants need to provide on a job application.

Almost five million background checks were run in 2005, and about half of them found discrepancies in the information provided by applicants. Since over 80% of companies say that inaccuracies on a job application can take a candidate out of consideration, preparing for a background check is as essential today as updating a resume.

Jan Maxwell, author of ìA Job Hunterís Secret Weaponî explains the importance of being prepared. ìCompanies are taking a closer look at who they hire today. While an impressive resume may get you in the door, and solid interviewing skills can help you make the final cut, you have to pass the background check to get the job. If you donít provide the right kind of information on a job application, your background can be difficult to check. Companies are hesitant to hire people who have gaps or discrepancies in their information.î

In ìA Job Hunterís Secret Weapon,î candidates learn the four most important rules to follow when filling out an application, the three most essential pieces of personal information they need to provide, and how to choose and prepare references that will help them land the job.

According to recent surveys, 65% of U.S. workers are considering looking for a new job in 2006 and over half of the countryís hiring managers say they plan to increase their staffs in the coming year. In that environment, ìA Job Hunterís Secret Weaponî is the job search tool that every applicant needs.

ìA Job Hunterís Secret Weaponî sells for $12.95 and is currently available as an ebook or on CD. It will be released in print in the fall. The book is available at www.jobhunterssecretweapon.com, where job applicants can also read the bookís Table of Contents and a sample chapter.

Jan Maxwell is a freelance writer whose work has appeared online and in print publications such as Northern Virginia Magazine and Experience. She spent eighteen years as a pre-employment screener and saw many qualified individuals fail to get hired because the information on their applications had holes and discrepancies or was impossible to verify.