While most job seekers spend hours polishing their resume and choosing their interview attire, most don’t give much thought to background checks.

The job market is as competitive right now as it has ever been. By running a background check on yourself and clearing up any issues, you will be making a preparation that many competing applicants won't.

If you've previously been convicted of a crime, but later had that conviction expunged from your record, then running a background check on yourself is even more pivotal than normal. Sometimes, records that are supposed to be expunged or sealed come up on background checks — even though they cannot legally be held against you. Still, even a criminal record that is supposed to be sealed can change an employer's opinion of you. Bottom line, if you went through the process of getting your records sealed or expunged, then you ensure they were removed from your record. Running a background check on yourself, prior to any interviews, will make sure that you get the chance to do so.

If you have a criminal record, poor credit history, or a rough driving record, the chances are that you have an explanation for every little issue. Whatever your story is, though, your employer isn't going to see it on a background check report. What they are going to see are numbers, statistics, and facts about you that leave little room for gray area.

Knowledge is power, and employers are doing a lot more than Googling your name when you apply for your dream job. By running a background check on yourself, correcting any inaccurate information, and getting a window into how employers screen and assess applicants, you can have a tighter control over the narrative of your own hiring process.