3. Consider potential consequences of unsatisfactory findings as a result of employer checks (AC 1.3

It all depends on the check the employer carries out. If an employer find out you have lied about qualifications on you CV, chances are you will immediately loose the job. If they find out that you have spent convictions (more info on spent convictions here), or you tell them about it (more info on that here). It's up to the employer to decide, whether to hire you or not. Best case scenario, you will be asked to give an explanation, which will hopefully be deemed satisfactory and still be hired. Depending on the employer, and their findings, they might not hire you simply for fear of damaging their reputation. For example, a law firm might not hire you if your public Facebook profile contains excessive partying or unprofessional behaviour. Social media feed filled with drunken and reckless behaviour is the last thing your potential employer wants to find. Another example: a school might not hire you, if they find your Facebook profile comments where you openly and frequently express how negatively you feel towards kids. Some positions at UK government such as civil service, might require you to have British Citizenship. A great quote from the Civil Service recruitment: nationality rules.pdf ""Alien" is the legal term for a person who is not British, Irish, Commonwealth citizen, or a British protected person. It is generally illegal to employ an alien in the Civil Service." So if the pre employment checks discover you're an alien, and you're applying for Civil Service job, you are probably not getting it. Reference checks can be the last deciding factor when an employer is considering you for a position. My wife recently got through a phone interview, then 2 in person interviews, and the last thing was just a reference from her previous employment. This nearly cost my wife's job, as the previous employer made a clerical error and marked her down as dismissed. Upon hearing this, the new employer no longer wanted to hire her and declined the offer. Thankfully it was just a very annoying error, but it got all straightened out within few days. This shows the importance of a positive reference.