Looking for work in today's job market can be challenging. However, your hard work can be derailed by the damage identity thieves can do to your credit history. Savvy employers perform background checks of potential employees, which may include reviewing both law enforcement activity as well as credit history.

Identity theft is a serious crime that can disrupt your life in many ways, including being excluded from consideration by potential employers. Identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information and uses it in ways that damage your finances, as well as your reputation. It can take years and considerable expense to repair. Your personal information can be obtained by thieves in a variety of ways that most people know about but are prone to disregard as something that only happens to "other" people.

Protect your personal information by:

• Obtaining and reviewing your credit reports at regular intervals. These can easily be obtained from the three national credit reporting companies. You are entitled to a free report each year from each of the companies. Credit experts suggest reviewing your reports at least once every quarter.
• Reviewing regularly bank, credit card, and account statements, and the explanation of medical benefits from your health plan.
• Shredding all documents that contain personal, financial or medical information before you throw them away.
• Never responding to email, text and phone messages that ask for personal information.
• Changing passwords regularly, and creating passwords that mix letters, numbers and special characters.
• Using trustworthy websites that protect your information with encryption.
• Using anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a firewall on your computer.

If your identity is stolen put a flag on your credit reports and create an Identity Theft Report with the Federal Trade Commission. Use this report in filing police reports in jurisdictions where the thefts occurred. Go to ftc.gov/idtheft for more information.