Can a Background Check Find Out if You Were Fired?

Thomas Fine - December 4, 2025

Can a background check find out if you were fired? The short answer is yes, a background check can show a future employer that you were fired. However, it may not have the effect on your future employment opportunities that you may think it does.

The most important action to take after being fired is finding a new position. In this guide, we’ll explain what past employers can tell your future employers about the dismissal, why it doesn’t necessarily affect your career long term, and how you can respond when asked about being fired in subsequent interviews.

Can a Background Check Find Out if You Were Fired? Here’s Everything a Background Check Shows

Background checks are very comprehensive. They’re designed to see as much information about your professional and public background as possible in order to help companies make better hiring decisions. This means not just keeping the company safe from illegal activities, but also making sure they hire people that are a good fit for their culture.

Once you understand exactly what your subsequent employers can see about your dismissal, you’ll be better prepared to explain the situation should you be asked about it in an interview. Every background check starts with ID verification. This is where they verify your identity using a Social Security number (SSN) trace.

Following the identity verification, the company will move on to a criminal history check. This is the most important part (even more so than you being fired), as it affects the safety and legal compliance operations of the hiring company. The employers will check to make sure there aren’t any misdemeanors, felonies, or pending charges on your name.

They’ll also screen through watch lists like the national Sex Offender Registry. A criminal history check is quite thorough, as it goes through local, state, federal, and even national databases. If you have a criminal record, it’s a good idea to make sure you can tell the hiring company more about it in a positive light in the interview, because it’s likely to come up as a question.

Following the criminal history check, the potential employer will move on to your employment history verification in the background check. The main goal of this check is to verify the information you’ve provided on your resume. They’ll check for dates of employment and the roles you performed, which are verified using references provided by you.

If a reference is not provided, they’ll reach out to the company listed directly. During verification, it will likely come up that you were fired. Your previous employer can state that you were fired, along with the reason it happened. 

However, your future employer would need to specifically ask for this information from you or your past firm. If they don’t ask, you’re not obligated to tell them. Alongside this, the employment history verification will verify that none of the accolades on your resume were falsified. It’s a good idea to have backing documentation for these on hand just in case.

Lastly, there’s education verification in every background check. Any academic credentials mentioned on your CV from schools, colleges, and universities are verified for authenticity. Depending on the requirements of your next position, especially if it’s a role that requires licenses or a certain degree, this part can be quite important for the company as well.

If you’re wondering how long a background check takes, it mostly depends on the exact type of check being run. For example, a fingerprint background check takes between 1 and 7 business days. Generally, it shouldn’t take more than a week to get the results.

Doing a Background Check on Yourself

If you’re curious what exactly a future employer will see when they run a background check on you, you could try running one on yourself. This will show you the entirety of your employment history, including details about how long you spent in each position, your role, and how each engagement ended.

By checking this information, you’ll have a better idea of how your profile may be perceived by the hiring staff. If you see any inaccuracies or outdated data about yourself in the report, you can request for it to be removed from the website to make sure it doesn’t negatively affect your chances of being hired.

To run a background check on yourself, you’ll need a powerful people search tool like Information.com, where you’ll enter your name, address, and any other information that can help narrow down the results. Once you press “Search,” you’ll likely see an exact match of your identity and a prompt that says “Open Report.”

Click on this button, and you’ll be able to see a detailed report about your contact information, social media profiles, criminal records (if any), and employment history. 

Browse through the report carefully, and make note of any important aspects that an interviewer might ask you about, and prepare answers in advance. If you note any inaccuracies, ask for the information to be removed from the website.

Can Getting Fired Ruin Your Career?

Getting fired may feel like a permanent stain on your professional profile. However, it isn’t as dire as most people perceive it to be. Depending on the circumstances under which you were fired, future employers’ decision to hire you may not be affected at all.

It’s important to make sure that you’re able to explain what happened in a positive light. Clarify the parts where you made a mistake, take ownership for them, and explain the areas that were not your fault. 

Mistakes can happen in any line of work, and apart from severe cases, they are rarely a cause for the end of your career. By assuming responsibility, you demonstrate professionalism to future employers along with a willingness to learn. If you’ve taken any actions to rectify your mistake, it’s a good idea to mention those here as well.

Do You Need to Disclose Whether You Were Fired?

If you’re not specifically asked about being fired in an interview, you have no legal obligation to mention it. Generally, you should avoid mentioning any negative areas of your professional life if it isn’t specifically asked about. 

That said, it’s important to have a proper explanation ready in case you’re asked about the dismissal. Avoid going into details, but make sure your story lines up with how your past employer would describe the situation to avoid being perceived as deceptive.

Will I Be Able to Find Another Job After Being Fired?

Yes, you can still find another job after being fired. How hard it is to land a new position often depends on the circumstances of your dismissal. In most cases, it isn’t the end of the road, though it can make it a bit more challenging to find a new role or negotiate a favorable offer

If you’re worried about your being fired showing up in a background check, there are a number of jobs you can apply for that don’t require a background check. Most of these roles are flexible and often remote, so they’re a great alternative if you’re struggling to find employment in other fields.

Should You Add Being Fired on Your Resume?

It’s never a good idea to mention anything negative on your resume if it can be avoided. You’ll likely need to disclose the duration of your employment with your past firm, but you can phrase the part about the dismissal differently. Instead of writing “fired,” using phrases like “mutual agreement on lack of fit” or “difference in expectations” can help.

Can a New Employer Ask Whether You Were Fired?

Generally, the answer is yes, but whether they do ask depends on firm-specific policies. Some companies refrain from asking about you being fired to avoid inadvertent discrimination in the hiring process, which would be a violation of the Civil Rights Act (enforced by the EEOC). However, if a company does ask, they’re perfectly within their rights to do so.

Can a Background Check Find Out if You Were Fired, and Can You Find a Job After Being Fired?

Searching for employment after being fired can be a stressful process. Companies may refuse to interview you outright, or they may use the fact that you were fired as a bargaining chip in the offer process. That said, there are a number of ways you can prepare yourself and properly address the incident with a new employer.

Make sure you run a background check on yourself before an application to see exactly what you’ll be dealing with in the interview. If yours is a severe case, try alternative job opportunities that don’t require a background check.