More employers are stepping up the screening process for job candidates.  According to recent studies, nearly 80 percent of all employers conduct some type of background check, including criminal check, drug screening, credit check and even do internet searches to see what you're saying online.  What can you do to increase your chances of making it through your next background check? Here are some tips:

1. Check the public records and make sure that there is nothing posted that is damaging to your reputation or character.  There have been numerous cases of mistaken identity or simply a situation where a criminal or other unsavory person may share your name.  If you find errors, correct them immediately. The easiest way to check public records is to order a background check on yourself by using a website such as www.intelius.com.
2. Avoid discussing personal information during interviews such as a recent bankruptcy, your medical history, marriage issues or even how many children you have.
3. Check your credit. Are there errors? If so, correct them immediately. How about red flags such as judgments, charge offs, collections and tax liens?  Some employers may be turned off by lots of dings on your credit. Bad credit could be a sign that you are irresponsible or worse, untrustworthy. Try to clean up our credit as much as you can while you are conducting your job search to give yourself the best chance at beating out the competition.
4. Double check your internet postings -- Facebook, MySpace and even LinkedIn can leave tell-tale signs about you that you may not want employers to stumble upon. For example, if you have strongly held political views or posted a profanity laced rant online someplace, now is the time to clean it up. Most forums allow users to delete a post after writing it. If you have said unflattering things online, now may be the time to use that delete button.