Is it fine to omit remote, unpaid club work in college from a background check? For an internship.
The club at my college only communicates on Discord, I don't have any references. They have several subteams working on projects and each subteam is further divided up in its own way. I did all my work remotely and mostly myself, and I can show them artifacts of my work if needed. Nothing will happen if I leave this off the background check right? It's on my resume though. I have one other verifiable unpaid experience on my resume with a reference. No paid jobs, I've never been formally employed.
Jobadvisor
Short answer: yes, it is fine—and usually advisable—to omit that club from the background check, even if it is on your résumé, given the way this organization operates.
Long answer, with the compliance logic behind it:
A background check is not a résumé.
It is a legal verification document used to confirm employment, education, and, in some cases, regulated volunteer work. The background-check vendor is not evaluating merit; they are trying to validate whether a specific entity can attest that you held a role during a time period.
Your Discord-based college club does not meet the definition of a verifiable employer or host organization:
No legal entity or HR function
No employment records
No supervisor who can legally attest to your service
No payroll, contract, or volunteer registry
From the background-check company’s perspective, listing this would create a verification failure, not a credibility boost.
What happens if you list it
If you list the club:
The screening firm will attempt to verify it.
They will not be able to.
The result will be marked “unable to verify” or “discrepancy.”
Some employers automatically flag discrepancies, even when innocent.
That puts you at risk for no upside.
What happens if you omit it
If you omit it:
Nothing adverse occurs.
Employers expect candidates to list only formally verifiable roles.
They do not cross-check your résumé line-by-line against background-check entries.
This is standard practice, especially for students.
There is no obligation to list:
Student clubs
Informal research groups
Remote volunteer teams
Open-source or hobbyist projects
on a background-check form unless the form explicitly says “include all volunteer roles” (and even then, only ones that have formal oversight).
Why it is still correct to keep it on your résumé
Your résumé answers:
“What have you done that proves you can do this job?”
Your background check answers:
“Can an institution legally confirm your identity, education, and employment?”
Those are different compliance regimes.
Your club work:
Is legitimate experience
Is defensible through artifacts
Is appropriate for a résumé
Is inappropriate for a legal verification form
This is extremely common for:
Students
Researchers
Open-source contributors
Early-career engineers
Hackathon and club participants
Your situation is especially safe
You stated:
You have one other verifiable unpaid role with a reference
You have no paid employment history
The club is Discord-based, remote, and informal
That means omitting it will not create a gap that matters to compliance. Many students list nothing at all on background checks other than education.
What would be a problem
It would only be an issue if:
You falsely listed it as paid employment, or
You claimed a corporate or institutional affiliation that does not exist
You are doing neither.
You should:
Keep the club on your résumé
Omit it from the background check
List only:
Education
The one verifiable unpaid role
Any formal fellowships or institutional positions
That is not deception.
That is proper compliance hygiene.
Is Indeed a legal mafia? I'm an employer and I hate it.
Employer here, small business. Posted a job on Indeed, sponsored for $10/day. I ran an incognito search and cannot find the job 10 pages in. I swear Indeed is the mafia. They twist our arm to increase fees to show the. job to anyone. Very frustrating. Is an entry level job in healthcare.
Unless I pay premium or matching fees we don't get candidates with the right keywords in their resume.
Corporate/Private equity backed offices pay thousands of dollars in annual subscriptions, so their jobs appear in the first few pages. Very frustrating.
Can we bring Craigslist back please? At least you got to see ALL the jobs listed ordered by date.
Anyone has any advice on how to get a job to show up?
Want to say that I keep pausing and opening the same job as I try people. Is that a mistake? Should I just close the job and open a new one a few weeks later if it doesn't work out
Jobadvisor
I hear your frustration loud and clear. It really does feel like the "pay-to-play" model has turned what used to be a simple job board into an expensive, opaque auction. For a small business, competing against private equity-backed firms with "infinite" recruitment budgets feels like bringing a knife to a gunfight.
The short answer: Indeed’s algorithm views your behavior (and perhaps your post structure) as "low quality," which is why you’re being buried even with a daily budget.
Here is a breakdown of why this is happening and how you can game the system back in your favor.
1. Stop Pausing and Reopening
This is likely your biggest hurdle. Indeed’s algorithm prioritizes freshness and consistency.
The "Spam" Trigger: When you pause and unpause the same job post, the algorithm often flags it as "stale" or "reposted content." It assumes you aren't finding success because the job is unappealing, so it pushes it down.
The Fix: If you need to stop hiring for more than a few days, Close the job. When you are ready again, wait at least 48 hours and post a brand-new listing with slightly updated text. This triggers the "New Job" boost.
2. Why "Incognito" Isn't Showing Your Job
Indeed doesn't just show jobs by date anymore; it shows them based on relevancy and user behavior.
If you are searching for your own job title but not clicking on anything, or if you've searched it multiple times from the same IP range, the search engine may stop showing it to you to "save" your budget for actual candidates.
The "Shadowban": If your job description looks too similar to others or uses "spammy" language (e.g., "URGENT HIRE," "Apply Now!!!"), it might be suppressed into the "supplemental" results.
3. Optimization Tips for Healthcare (Entry Level)
Since you are in healthcare, keywords are your best friend. Instead of paying for "matching fees," build those matches into the description:
Specific Job Title: Don't just put "Medical Assistant." Use "Medical Assistant - Front Desk - [Neighborhood Name]."
Front-Load Benefits: Since it's entry-level, put the pay range and "No Experience Needed" or "Paid Training" in the first two sentences.
The 72-Hour Rule: Sponsor the job for a higher amount (e.g., $25/day) for just the first 3 days to get initial engagement, then drop it down to $5. The early clicks signal to Indeed that the job is "hot," which keeps it higher in organic results later.
4. Where Else to Go? (The "Craigslist" Alternatives)
If you want to ditch the "Mafia" tactics, try these more transparent platforms:
Facebook Jobs / Local Groups: For entry-level healthcare, local "Community" or "Jobs in [City]" Facebook groups are surprisingly effective and 100% free.
LinkedIn (Free Post): You get one free job post at a time. It stays visible as long as it’s getting organic engagement.
ZipRecruiter: While also paid, their "one-click apply" often attracts a higher volume of entry-level candidates than Indeed.
Comparison of Tactics
| Tactic | Why it helps | Risk |
| New Postings | Resets the "freshness" score. | Can be flagged if done too often (daily). |
| Niche Keywords | Captures specific "long-tail" searches. | Might limit your total pool of applicants. |
| Higher Initial Bid | Mimics a "Premium" listing for 48 hours. | Costs more upfront. |
Pro-Tip: Check your "Apply" flow. If you have Indeed’s "Skills Assessments" turned on, many entry-level candidates will drop off. Turning these off can sometimes boost your "conversion rate," which tells Indeed your job is worth showing to more people.
Is it okay to quit a job after only about 3 and a half months?
I currently work as an icecream scooper at my childhood's favorite restaurant. I've gone every year for my birthday, and my mom knows the owner, so he helped me get an interview. My parents were pressuring me heavily to get a job as I had just turned 18 and started community college, and because of this pressure I had no time to actually consider pros and cons of different jobs in the area.
Anyways, I am literally getting paid the bare minimum wage. It was fine, but they also only schedule me 2-3 times a week, not telling me how long i'll be working for (average for a restaurant but still frustrating), and often send me home on my 2 hr despite me being fully available after 12pm. I applied to my local chick-fil-a for the gits and shiggles because I didn't think they'd actually hire me. After a 4 stage process of interviews, (2 in person, 2 on paper), they offered me the job. They told me they would probably be getting me scheduled 30 hrs a week and making 5$ more than my current job.
My issue is I feel so bad and embarrassed for leaving after such a short amount of time. I was finally starting to connect with my coworkers and do actually enjoy the environment for the most part, despite not liking it at the beginning. Because I love the restaurant so much, I literally don't know how I'd ever show my face there again (also am really enjoying the 50% discounted sundaes). I also have no clue how to go about quitting a job. I have had maybe 2 conversations with the managers of the restaurant so quitting feels very weird especially because it's a family owned restaurant and feels more personal.
What do you guys think? Is it embarrassing / bad to quit so early on? I hate having to end my commitments.
Jobadvisor
Short answer: yes, it is completely okay to leave after 3½ months — and in your situation it is not just okay, it is rational.
Let’s separate the emotional discomfort from the actual career reality, because they are very different.
1. You did not “commit” to a career — you took a low-wage, part-time job
You were:
Paid minimum wage
Given inconsistent hours
Frequently sent home early
Unable to reliably earn money
That is not a stable employment arrangement. It is casual labor. Casual labor is meant to be replaceable on both sides. You are not betraying anyone by leaving.
If the restaurant suddenly had fewer customers, they would reduce your hours or let you go without hesitation. That is how small food service businesses survive.
Employment is not a favor exchange — it is a contract:
They provide hours and pay. You provide labor.
When a better contract appears, you are allowed to take it.
Chick-fil-A is offering:
$5/hour more
~30 hours instead of ~10
That is roughly $600–$700 more per month for the same work.
No reasonable adult would turn that down.
2. The guilt you feel is about people, not about the job
You are not actually conflicted about the job. You are conflicted about:
Your mom knowing the owner
Your childhood memories of the restaurant
Liking your coworkers
Not wanting to feel “rude”
That is social anxiety + people-pleasing, not ethics.
The owner did not give you a gift — he gave you an interview. You earned the job. You worked. You showed up. You held up your side.
You are allowed to move on.
People who run restaurants expect turnover. A 3–4 month stay for an 18-year-old is extremely normal.
3. This will not ruin your relationship with the restaurant
Here is the part that feels scary but is true:
They will be mildly annoyed for about 10 minutes.
Then they will hire someone else.
Then they will forget.
You will still be able to walk in and buy ice cream.
No one will blacklist you from sundaes.
And if the owner is reasonable, he will think:
“She got a better paying job with more hours — good for her.”
If he doesn’t think that, that’s on him, not you.
4. How to quit professionally (and painlessly)
You do not need a long emotional speech.
You tell a manager this:
“I wanted to let you know that I’ve been offered a job that provides more hours and higher pay, which I need for school. I really appreciate the opportunity here, so I wanted to give notice and work my remaining shifts if that helps.”
That’s it.
No apologies. No guilt. No over-explaining.
If you want, you can give two weeks. If they choose to cut your shifts, that is their choice.
5. You are not “bad at commitment”
You are learning how adult life works.
Commitment does not mean staying in a situation that:
Underpays you
Under-schedules you
Limits your ability to support yourself
Real commitment is to your future, not to a minimum-wage ice cream shop.
You are doing exactly what an 18-year-old should do:
Taking a better opportunity when it appears.