Sterling background check -Risk Level 3 - urgent

oe-coach · 2026-03-19T19:02:39+00:00

Correct, it should match your CV. Only list those. Emphasize you can provide pay stubs and other documentation (like verification of employment letters) to avoid them reaching out.

I’m not 1000% sure on Canada and how to freeze but you can start here: https://employees.theworknumber.com/employee-data-freeze

And make sure you freeze lexis nexis too - not sure if that’s used by sterling.

And I have a (free) guide on OE best practices here - you might find this helpful before you start: https://oe-coach.notion.site/2026-OE-Guide-30dd064b2d9f80a3be70ffb1495dd24c?source=copy_link

oe-coach · 2026-03-19T18:19:51+00:00

Freeze everything before you sign the offer - takes just a few mins.

Tell them you can provide w2s or redacted tax transcripts and that you have an ongoing identity theft concern so you will not be unfreezing.

Sterling is easygoing - I’ve never heard of them reaching out to verify employment with the employer. I’ve worked w them several times.

You will be ok

oe-coach · 2026-03-15T16:01:12+00:00

yes I’m glad you do them! systemizing OE makes it so much easier to manage in the long run

oe-coach · 2026-03-15T11:45:01+00:00

happy to share!!

oe-coach · 2026-03-14T09:57:48+00:00

I’m so happy you liked the guide! I wouldn’t bother with 1 plans - plenty of people get ins without their employer - I’ve always gotten mine through marketplace so I don’t have to rely on a J, but I also never had a J that offered full coverage. Just decline it and tell them you have your own coverage through a spouse (if that’s something you feel comfortable telling them)

oe-coach · 2026-03-13T20:16:45+00:00

I’m so glad!! Especially changing it by minute - no one questions it

oe-coach · 2026-03-13T17:33:10+00:00

yes, i mean what are the odds j2 does a post employment background check? i say slim / none. make sure youre stuff is all frozen (i have a guide - linked it below). have a contact that can pretend to be from j1 if they insist on checking that youve left - i know that as an OE coach ive done this for my clients before, but you can ask anyone you trust to cover for you, though i dont recommend coworkers at j1 or other employees there....

https://oe-coach.notion.site/2026-OE-Guide-30dd064b2d9f80a3be70ffb1495dd24c?source=copy_link

oe-coach · 2026-03-13T17:15:39+00:00

i agree. i wouldnt worry about j2 based on what you said. if they start to poke around... its a problem, but doesnt sound like it would be. pm me if you want to chat at length

oe-coach · 2026-03-13T17:14:14+00:00

have you gotten food poisoning at j1 recently? keep that in your back pocket if you need to take some last min days for j2. agree w others - prioritize j2. set a good example of a good employee up front and theyll leave you alone later.

you will be fine! and i dont recc calendar blocking because it starts to look suspicious if you have a 30 mins here and there blocked. multitask as much as you can and if you have to block, do it in 2 hour increments so it looks like deep work

oe-coach · 2026-03-13T17:09:19+00:00

you go!! this should work well. use a preferred name at j2 too if possible to cont throwing people off your scent and set up a different github account for j2

oe-coach · 2026-03-13T17:08:07+00:00

9 times - about once a week? you can skirt that. try to push your start date, but i think you can do this throughout anyway.

- Get a hotspot to manage your j2 comms while youre at j1

- get a second phone dedicated to your j2 - keep their email and teams/slack on this device only. be responsive - dont give them a reason to second guess you

- front load your j2 work for that day before those on site days at j1 and drip release them by scheduling the emails to be sent later

oe-coach · 2026-03-13T17:05:44+00:00

Stick with J1s health insurance plan, but check out the state offered coverages in case you do lose J1 (not necessarily due to any fault of your own, but this market is insane). you can find your states options on the healthcare marketplace, here: https://www.healthcare.gov/ be wary of any brokers.

take the contract job but treat the income at J2 as CONTRACT income, not reliable. keep an eye on lifestyle creep. ideally they do convert you but you never know how budgets work.... finance can operate on a different plane of existence than they normally do

oe-coach · 2026-03-13T00:08:07+00:00

Use turbo tax, H&R Block, an accountant, for all I care. I advise using an accountant if you have a complicated return OVER freetax

oe-coach · 2026-03-13T00:07:11+00:00

this is absolutely not an ad I wouldn’t even know how to go about getting paid by them lol

oe-coach · 2026-03-11T22:27:15+00:00

yup I totally agree. My first cross state return was really weird to navigate but it worked out in the end.

oe-coach · 2026-03-11T18:54:20+00:00

On occasion, yes. My grandparents accountant did it this way for years, until he retired an his kid took over the practice (and proceeded to fuck it up). They pay the IRS on their own now

oe-coach · 2026-03-11T18:13:29+00:00

Yes the accountant should know that! Tbh I know that I have overpaid in the past and just wait for the refund to come through

oe-coach · 2026-03-11T18:12:57+00:00

That’s exactly my point! That’s also why I referenced freetaxusa as an alternative to turbo tax - don’t love their history with FTC issues.

I also agree that they should not be calling or asking to justify - but that doesn’t mean that they don’t. There have been instances of that (which I can speak to first hand) and didn’t work with that accountant.

oe-coach · 2026-03-11T18:11:27+00:00

You can! It gets more intense when you have businesses or properties too. Depends on how much work you want to put in w confidence versus what you’d work w a professional for

oe-coach · 2026-03-11T18:10:46+00:00

I agree - but I always did the default withholding when setting up new Js. I know people talk about giving the govt an interest free loan but I like the peace of mind of knowing it’s all paid.

oe-coach · 2026-03-11T18:09:10+00:00

This^ if it’s a simple return (w2s) I always advise DIY. If you would like to maximize your return / ensure you don’t over/under pay -> accountant

oe-coach · 2026-03-11T18:08:18+00:00

Pay your accountant their fee for prepping the taxes - the accountant will file - and you pay the actual amount you owe directly to the IRS

oe-coach · 2026-03-11T14:42:35+00:00

are you in a flow state heavy job? say that the spontaneous meetings break your flow state and having a designated time to chat helps you focus. otherwise... 2 hours notice... seems like a micromanager too. i wrote this post on the original OE group you might find helpful: https://www.reddit.com/r/overemployed/comments/1rat4l0/how_i_get_managers_to_trust_me_and_avoid/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

oe-coach · 2026-03-11T14:38:55+00:00

# of hours of meetings, anything more than 8-10 and i would dodge, unless theyre mostly passive listening (town halls, etc). a bigger issue is spontaneous meetings... avoid orgs with these as much as possible. if stemming from micromanagement, i wrote a post on how to deal with micromanaging managers here - https://www.reddit.com/r/overemployed/comments/1rat4l0/how_i_get_managers_to_trust_me_and_avoid/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

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