Foo - Employment History & Driving Record

I'm applying for a government job and I need to know my life history dating back to 7 years ago. Problem is, I haven't kept very good records. 6 of those 7 years were spent in college, bouncing around a lot. I've had a few short jobs that I don't even bother to put on my resume.

I've also had a number of minor traffic violations that I haven't kept track of. I can get an official driving record from the license branch, correct?

Is there a place where I can find an employment history? Do I have some kind of tax or social security records somewhere?

I see that you can do online background checks, but these sites seem kind of shady to me. Are any of them any good? The government will do a background check on me eventually. Would they be able to find out that I did a background check on myself? If so, would that be fishy?

I haven't killed anybody or anything crazy like that. My main concern is that I have left a couple of jobs without giving a 2 week notice. How big of a problem could that be?

Just tell them you can't keep good records. They'll hire you on the spot! :p

I don't think you need very specific details, just a general idea of what you did and where you were. For my current job, I tried hard to include all kinds of details, most of which I got wrong. My employer thanked me for my attempt, but told me that specifics aren't necessary.

You can get a printout of your driving record at the DMV for $5.

I don't know about the employment history part, though. Fill that part of your resume/application out to the best of your ability. I don't think it's super-critical to have an accurate list of every job you've ever had. It's really none of your employer's business what jobs you've had in the past, the list is just there to show them that you're employable and have relevant experience.

Also, the two-week notice thing is a courtesy, not the law.

You might also check your credit record just in case for any spurious entries. A lot of employers now are factoring in credit scores.

Don't you have your tax records? If not maybe the IRS can help. Cannot hurt to ask unless you have not paid. As far as the details it depends on the agency. Some have to have very detailed records or the Human Resources won't let you get hired. Doesn't matter how qualified.

On any security form I've completed - and it's been quite a few over the years - I've never had to list any traffic violations of a "minor nature", like speeding tickets with a fine of less than a hundred bucks or parking tickets. I wouldn't worry about that; I'm quite sure the form will tell you not to list any of those.

As for job history, you ought to be able to come up with at the least where you worked. When I did my first application, I couldn't remember all the part time supervisors I had, so I just listed the company and put in something like, "part time job; do not remember supervisor's name."

I think you're sweating it too much.

The IRS can print off and mail you your tax record if need be.

Normally I'd have thought a government agency would look into your driving/criminal history themselves.