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A comment on Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job?. Parent comment

Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by ehnto on Friday April 16, 2021 @03:04AM (#26830520)
What jobs inquire about your financial history? That seems a little dystopian. Can't get a handle on your finances because you don't have a steady job, better not give them a steady job!
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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by devoutsalsa on Friday April 16, 2021 @03:47AM (#26830824)
I was massively broke for a long time, and I can speak to my experience in the USA. I was over 200K USD in debt at one point. [1] I was behind on everything, and then declared bankruptcy. The only time I would have needed to worry about it was if I wanted to get a securities license (e.g. become a financial advisor), or if I needed a security clearance (e.g. work on top secret project). The real risk I faced was the threat of making rent & feeding myself.

Just 5 years ago I was making 6000 USD per month and with almost 250K in debt, and ~50% of my income going to debt payments. Now I’ll be debt free in a couple months, and I have 12 months of savings in the bank & a rapidly growing retirement account! It’s super nice to feel this way, and it’s only been possible with a lot of hard work and even more luck.

[1] I lived way beyond my means, overestimated the value of my expensive education, and had an expensive bicycle accident.

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by oblio on Friday April 16, 2021 @10:25AM (#26834263)
This sounds so sad:

> and had an expensive bicycle accident.

I mean, the health aspect was probably bad, but the financial implication is even worse :-(

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by devoutsalsa on Friday April 16, 2021 @10:28AM (#26834306)
It was a period of many depressing thoughts for sure. I wouldn't wish that struggle on anyone.
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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by lostlogin on Friday April 16, 2021 @06:05AM (#26831882)
> Just 5 years ago I was making 6000 USD per month and with almost 250K in debt, and ~50%

I really don’t know what it’s like in other places, but the first few years of a mortgage are like this, but with a larger debt. It’s grim.

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by freeone3000 on Friday April 16, 2021 @09:23AM (#26833551)
Except your mortgage is secured by an asset, the sale of which removes most, or all, of the debt. It's a desperate option, but it's there, no bankruptcy needed. Medical debt and unsecured debt have no such option -- and student loans can't be discharged even in bankruptcy. It's not the same situation.
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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by hashkb on Friday April 16, 2021 @08:31AM (#26833058)
Except at the end you own a house and maybe some land. Usually people with a mortgage they planned for don't describe themselves this way.
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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by devoutsalsa on Friday April 16, 2021 @09:02AM (#26833342)
Yeah, that does sound hard. I’ve never had a mortgage myself, but the thought of owing tons of money on an underwater mortgage is not appealing is not appealing.
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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by freeone3000 on Friday April 16, 2021 @09:24AM (#26833561)
It beats paying rent. If at the end of my mortgage payments, if my house was worth half of what it was today, and my rent had never increased, I'd come out ahead. And both of the above are incredibly unlikely.
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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by bhandziuk on Friday April 16, 2021 @11:09AM (#26834817)
Owing money on a mortgage does not mean it's underwater.
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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by alistairSH on Friday April 16, 2021 @08:47AM (#26833197)
What jobs inquire about your financial history?

In the US, it would be both legal and common for federal government jobs (that require any sort of security clearance). Banking & finance (investment/securities & retail banking).And some jobs on the periphery of banking/finance, where handling PII related to finances is common.

I'm sure there are other places that run credit checks, just because they can (it is the US after all, we're king of treating employees like we're in a dystopian movie). But, there shouldn't really be a need.

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by austincheney on Friday April 16, 2021 @06:49AM (#26832224)
In my experience only a federal security clearance, which could result in the loss of a career opportunity.
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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by hellbannedguy on Friday April 16, 2021 @08:26AM (#26833007)
In California, potential employers are not suspose to look at your credit score when hiring.

(This might have changed. Too disenfranchied to even look it up.)

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by CodesInChaos on Friday April 16, 2021 @04:40AM (#26831239)
Financial stability is essential for getting clearance, which I assume would be required for several of the mentioned employers.
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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by jeltz on Friday April 16, 2021 @09:03AM (#26833358)
Only jobs which require security clearance and jobs where you handle s lot of money as far as I know. So for a software developer there are plenty of opportunities where they won't check your personal finances.
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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by airza on Friday April 16, 2021 @05:53PM (#26839464)
The NSA and CIA require this for top secret clearances, the reasoning being that people in a lot of debt are easier to blackmail or otherwise bribe.
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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by clifdweller on Friday April 16, 2021 @05:39PM (#26839364)
One of the listed companies CIA will do a background check including finances or any company that requires a security clearance doesn't want a person to have large debt. Also financial companies/insurance often look into finances as some states require employees of those companies to not hold debt over a certain amount
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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by thesuitonym on Friday April 16, 2021 @12:51PM (#26836257)
Even if an interviewer doesn't ask about your finances, it can be pretty clear if you're on the very low end. A person living hand-to-mouth may not be able to afford nice clothes (I remember a time when those $99 suit deals were something I had to plan ahead for!), and what nice clothes they have may be worn out. In most of the US, you'll be showing up to your interview in a car because there's no public transit. Is that car an old beater? That says something.

But mostly it's clothes. If you're having a hard time financially, the interview clothes you have (if any) will likely fit poorly, be worn out, poorly constructed, or all three.

By the way: For anyone who finds themselves in this situation, check out local food banks, churches, and your local DoL office. These groups will typically either have an interview clothing program, or will know of one. Nearly every city in the US--even the small ones--will have some kind of charity like this. If you're having trouble dressing or getting rides for interviews, reach out. It never hurts to ask.

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Re:Ask HN: How can a unhireable person get a job? by nsonha on Friday April 16, 2021 @10:52PM (#26841236)
Are you actually a hiring manager who thinks like this or you just speculate? I've always thought no one gaves a shit about this kind of think in software dev and have not been proven wrong, especially now with remote interview becoming the norm. Quality of microphone/connection is more like the kind of thing that matters.
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