While genuine mistakes do happen, taking a proactive approach to make sure yours is correct before applying can help prevent you from losing a potential job, such as:nBackground report: One of the best ways to help avoid surprises when the potential employer conducts your background check is to run one on yourself beforehand. This ensures that you know exactly what the employer will see. Under the FCRA, convictions more than seven years ago must be removed from your record. If your report contains outdated information, you can contest it through the court in the jurisdiction where your charge was filed.nPolice records: You can request criminal records in your name from local police agencies and the FBI, which may differ from the information in your background check report. Federal criminal records can be obtained through the Bureau of Consular Affairs.