Can they find out if you lie about being fired?
people are always saying that getting fired/ quitting a job looks bad on you when you look for another job... my question is who would even know if you didnt disclouse in an interview? if you tell them you were let go due to a merger or if the company let you go due to financials problems how would they ever find out you were fired/quit?
When they ask for references...
And if I use references from another job or ask professional friends to be my references and say they worked for my company?
The best strategy is of course not to provide a reference from that company. Asking professional friends to fake they are from the company is probably not a good idea. Don’t use a lie to cover another lie
Sometimes they call the company HR in addition to the reference. I’ve seen a guy who had an offer on the table but the company called his current company to verify some facts and the company took the offer back. It doesn’t necessarily have to be “how was he/she at the job?” But simple employment periods and if he/she was let go or quit. I wouldn’t risk lying if you really want the job
that seems awful especially since most people don’t give notice until after background check comes back. Definitely one reason to check the ‘do not contact my current company’ box
If they call your previous company
Can they find out, yes. Will they fire you for being a liar with fake references when they find out? Definitely.
Big companies usually reveal only your position and the dates of employment. They don't tell anyone why your employment ended or how good you was at your job. But if you worked in a very small or unprofesdional company, then they might tell more about you.
False, they also do check about the type of quit (although they won't ask for why quit/fire/etc.) Records of that sort are available, since companies have to keep them for unemployment benefit purposes.
These records are for something like court orders. Companies don't give them to a random background check company.
They won't be able to find out. Companies want to avoid lawsuits such as defamation so they will only disclose your employment dates and positions held.
See the following - https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what-can-employers-say-about-former-employees-2059608
References. When/if they call your references.
Does anyone use references? I have never had a single employer call a reference.
Depends, but references and job history certainly get looked at if they run a background check. They ask for dates of when you worked previous positions too.