Technology has made it easy for us to share our lives with others, instantly and constantly. Yet, as we leave traces of our digital footprints online each time we surf the web, it’s become more important than ever for us to be aware of our personal privacy.
There are a few easy steps you can take to run a free background check on yourself. Once you review what personal information might be floating around on the internet that you don’t want to display to the public, you can take steps to correct or remove this potentially damaging information.
Running a Free Background Check in Australia
There’s a tricky fact about background checks that’s designed to protect people. If you’re performing a criminal background check Australia as an employer or a landlord – for pre-employment vetting, credit checks, or insurance reasons — you can’t use just any service.
Under the Australian Human Right Law, only the Australian police agencies and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) accredited bodies can provide a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) for above-mentioned purposes.
In addition, all Australian background checks through the ACIC’s National Police Checking Service must be undertaken with the written consent of the person being checked, unless the check is mandated by relevant legislation. Yes, you need someone’s explicit consent – you can’t run a covert free background check! These rules and regulations are in the name of protecting privacy.
How Can I Do a Free Background Check?
While you can’t run a covert background check on someone, and background checks for purposes such as pre-employment vetting, credit checks, or insurance reasons must go through official ACIC channels, there are still things you can do to check in on your digital footprint and run a free background check on yourself.
Curious about what information besides criminal history is available on you?
Here are five ways you can conduct a free background check on yourself:
Search Engine Check
To run a free background check on yourself, the first place you can start is your favourite search engine, whether it’s Google, Bing, Yahoo, or another. The search results will provide a broad starting point from which to branch out. The advanced search options can then help you narrow your results and pinpoint the information you seek.
“Googling yourself” is a simple yet effective way to stay aware of your online presence and manage your personal brand. In today’s digital world, information about you can be found in many places, whether it’s social media profiles, public records, news articles, or even blog posts. By searching your name, you can see what potential employers or connections might find when they perform their own searches on you. Results might include outdated or incorrect information, negative reviews, or even content that no longer aligns with your professional persona.
Knowing what’s out there allows you to take control, whether it’s updating privacy settings, correcting inaccuracies, or removing undesirable content. It’s good practice to regularly check your digital footprint to ensure that what others see reflects the person you are and the image you want to project.
While an online search may prove to be revelatory, it won’t produce sensitive results, such as a criminal record. For that, you’ll have to go a step further!
Social Media Screening
Many employers these days check Facebook and LinkedIn to find out about a candidate’s lifestyle and personality. If your profile is public, they can simply search for you using your full name and affiliated email address.
There are reasons why DIY social media screening without the use of a background check vendor or other third-party opens organisations up to legal risk, but it’s still a common practice. We cover more on compliant social media screening in the article Pre-Employment Social Media Screening.
If your Facebook profile is set to private it won’t appear in search results. Though, varying levels of privacy for different Facebook features means that some information may be public while some is hidden. The same goes for LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a fantastic source for professional networking and a way to check out an individual’s work experience.
Job seekers should approach their Facebook and LinkedIn accounts with a strategy that reflects their professional goals while maintaining personal privacy and integrity.
Here’s how to treat and audit these accounts:
While Facebook is often seen as a more personal platform, it’s still important to be mindful of what potential employers may see. Facebook isn’t just for connecting with friends, it’s also a place where hiring managers may look to gauge your character, social values, and cultural fit.
- Privacy Settings: Ensure your posts are only visible to friends and not the public. Use Facebook’s privacy settings to control who can see your posts, profile, and photos.
- Review Content: Scroll through your timeline and past posts to remove anything that might be considered unprofessional, controversial, or inappropriate. This includes excessive partying photos, heated political posts, or offensive language. Remember, anything publicly visible is fair game for potential employers.
- Be Aware of Tagged Content: Sometimes, friends might tag you in posts that you wouldn’t want employers to see. Untag yourself from any photos or posts that don’t align with your professional image.
- Audit Your Profile: Review the “About” section of your Facebook to ensure that any career-related information, if public, aligns with your LinkedIn and résumé.
LinkedIn is the digital résumé, so it’s crucial that it reflects your professional qualifications, achievements, and interests. It’s the first place recruiters and employers will look, so treat it as the foundation of your personal brand.
- Update Your Profile: Ensure your job history, skills, and qualifications are current. Highlight key achievements, certifications, and accomplishments in a way that speaks to the value you bring to an employer.
- Professional Photo: Make sure your profile picture is professional and appropriate for your industry. This is the first impression many hiring managers will have of you.
- Content and Posts: Ensure that everything you post or share on LinkedIn contributes positively to your professional persona. Sharing industry insights, articles, and thought leadership will enhance your credibility.
- Recommendations: Ask colleagues, managers, and peers for recommendations that highlight your strengths and work ethic.
Conducting a Free Social Media Screening on Yourself
- Google Yourself: Start by Googling your name to see what results appear. This will show you the public information available about you on search engines. Take note of any outdated or irrelevant information and take steps to remove it if necessary.
- Social Media Profile Check: Review all your social media profiles — Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Check that they present a cohesive, professional image that aligns with the career you’re seeking.
- Use Social Media Search Tools: Many social media platforms allow you to search for yourself by name or username. Check for posts, photos, and mentions across platforms. Look through old posts and comments that may no longer align with the professional you want to present.
- Check Privacy Settings: For platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, ensure that your privacy settings are configured so that only people you trust can see your personal posts. Be sure to review who can see past posts, photos, and comments.
- Remove or Adjust Content: If you find anything on any platform that may be damaging or misleading, either delete it or adjust your privacy settings so that it is not visible to the public.
By auditing your social media and ensuring your profiles present a polished and professional image, you increase your chances of making a positive impression on recruiters and hiring managers, while also protecting your privacy and personal brand.
Public Records Search
It’s important to remember that you can also run a free background check on yourself using public records to see what potential employers might discover during their screening process. This self-audit is a great way to ensure that there aren’t any surprises when you apply for jobs or undergo a formal background check.
By reviewing the public records available to you, you can catch any discrepancies, outdated information, or items that could potentially raise concerns.
Here’s how to run a free background check on yourself using public records:
- Check Public Records: Public records are accessible to everyone, and they can be used by employers during background checks. Start by reviewing these records to see what’s available. This can include things like court records and civil judgments. In some countries or regions, you can access public records through government websites. Depending on where you live, you may need to visit specific databases or request information in person.
- Search Your Name Online: One of the simplest ways to start is by doing an online search for your name. This will help you understand what information is publicly accessible and what might appear when a potential employer searches for you online. If you have a common name, try to add your city or profession to narrow down the results. This will give you insight into what’s being shared online.
- Review Your Criminal History: If applicable in your jurisdiction, check for any criminal records that may appear in public databases. In many cases, these records aren’t always up to date or may not even reflect the most recent legal actions (such as expungements). If you have a criminal history, take steps to correct any inaccuracies and be ready to explain the circumstances to employers if needed.
- Examine Your Financial History: Some employers, especially in finance-related fields, may run credit checks as part of the hiring process. You can access a free copy of your credit report through major credit bureaus like Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. Review it for any errors, outdated information, or accounts that might raise red flags. If you find any inaccuracies, dispute them before an employer has a chance to see them.
- Verify Your Employment and Education History: Take the time to cross-check your past employment and education records. This is important, especially since some background checks will involve verifying these details with former employers or educational institutions. If you find discrepancies, take action to correct them by contacting the relevant institutions or providing supporting documentation for the information that may need clarification.
Running a free background check on yourself helps you stay proactive about your online and public records, ensuring that there are no surprises when you apply for jobs. By knowing what potential employers may find, you can address any issues upfront and present yourself confidently during the hiring process. Plus, it’s a great way to maintain control over your personal information and ensure everything is accurate and up to date.
Here are some other websites you can check to learn more information might be out there about you in public records:
Australia Birth, Death and Marriage Records
You can use these indexes to locate official registration details of a person’s birth, death and marriage(s). You can also find supplementary information such as the date and place of an aforementioned event, parents’ names, and a person’s age at the time of death in these indexes.
National Archives of Australia
Here, you can find information about family history. The National Archives of Australia holds many records in which you might find information about your ancestors.
If your family members served in the Australian armed forces or if they migrated to Australia during the twentieth century, you should be able to dig up all these details in this archive. In addition, the NAA holds records about people who arrived from overseas during the twentieth century and some who arrived during the nineteenth century. They also hold records about Australians who left and returned to Australia.
Australia Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
This website can help you to delve into the history of indigenous families in particular. Their collections have information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families, communities, and places.
This website on history and information about Australian orphanages, children’s homes, and other institutions brings together historical resources relating to institutional “care” in Australia. Developed by a team of historians, archivists and social workers, it’s designed to help those who experienced out-of-home “care” access records.
Victoria Public Record Office: Public Record Office Victoria is the official archive of the State Government of Victoria documents. They hold approximately 100kms of records from the mid-1830s till today, for use by the Government and people of Victoria. The Collection includes information on historical events, as well as records of immigration and shipping, criminal trials and prisons, premiers and governors, royal commissions, boards of inquiry, and wills and probates, amongst others.
Financial History Checks
We all know your credit can make or break your financial dreams. Most credit report websites offer reports for a small fee or even completely free depending on your situation.
Want to run a credit check on yourself? The Australian Securities and Investments Commission can help you with that.
If you’ve ever applied for credit or a loan (whether or not you went ahead), you’re likely to have a credit report.
Credit providers use the information in your credit report to help work out whether you can afford a loan or a larger credit limit on an existing loan, and whether you’re likely to repay it. It’s a good idea to check your credit report every year. As well as affecting your ability to get credit, incorrect listings can alert you to things like identity theft, where other people use your personal information for financial gain! That would include situations where someone runs up debts on your credit card after stealing it or tries to apply for credit in your name.
Criminal Background Check Australia
Running a criminal background check Australia on yourself is probably going to be most revealing and useful, though it’s not a free background check.
As we covered at the top, due to privacy laws in Australia, you can only request a copy of your own criminal record; you’re not allowed to access anyone else’s. Making the investment in a background check from Intercheck Australia can be a valuable step in taking control of your personal information and ensuring that you are well-prepared for job opportunities or other professional ventures.
Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check
The role of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission’s (ACIC) National Police Checking Service (NPCS) is to manage the system that Australian Police Agencies and accredited agencies use to submit Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC). InterCheck Australia is an accredited agency.
A NCCHC may be used to help screen and make informed decisions about individuals within the Australian community for a host of roles, including but not limited to:
- Recruitment and job applications
- Volunteer and not-for-profit positions
- Working with children or vulnerable groups
- Licencing or registration schemes applications
- Work-related checks due to legislation or regulations
- Australian citizenship and visa applications; and/or
- Adoption applications.
If you’ve done everything you can through a free background check, Intercheck Australia is your go-to for online criminal background check Australia. Our service is straightforward, easy to navigate, and allows you to get an official, ACIC-approved certificate.
Running a free background check on yourself through the tactics described above and a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) through Intercheck Australia is a simple yet powerful step in managing your professional image and ensuring that the information you share with employers is accurate and up-to-date. It provides peace of mind, helps you prepare for job searches, and gives you control over your personal data, allowing you to present yourself as a trustworthy and responsible candidate.
Whether you’re preparing for a job opportunity or just want to ensure the records you uncover in a free background check are accurate, a paid Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check with Intercheck Australia is a smart, proactive choice.
