As if a job interview wasn't a stressful enough experience, you now have this to worry about: Is your credit up to par?

That's because an increasing number of employers are using applicants' credit history to help gauge how responsible they are, particularly for any jobs that involve handling money. A survey by the Society for Human Resource Management found that 35% of employers checked applicants' credit reports in 2003, up from just 19% in 1996.

"If something in your background implies that you are not able to handle money or that you can't be trusted when you're not being observed, employers will take that into account," says Gerry Crispin, principal of CareerXroads, a Kendall Park, N.J., consulting firm on recruiting.

Some consumer activists and bankruptcy lawyers decry the use of credit reports for this new purpose, because they think it hurts poor people whose bill-paying histories may be marred for almost no fault of their own. But there aren't laws preventing employers from using credit reports to deem a candidate irresponsible.

You Have Rights

However, you do have more rights when applying for a job than you do when applying for a loan or credit card. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, a prospective employer must obtain your permission in writing before he can access your credit history.

If the employer denies your application based on this credit history, he must give you a copy of the report and materials explaining how you can dispute with the credit bureaus anything you feel is inaccurate.

The Federal Trade Commission enforces this requirement: In July, for instance, two Las Vegas casinos paid $325,000 in civil penalties after the FTC sued them for denying jobs to people based on their credit reports, without informing them of their rights under the federal law.

Of course, these rights only go so far. A company could say that its decision was based not on your credit history but other factors. "The standard line is, 'We hired someone who is a little stronger in the skill areas we were looking for, and you came in second,'" Mr. Crispin says.

Explain 'Sticky Stuff'

If you do have a credit problem -- stemming, say, from uninsured medical care -- the best thing is to explain it upfront.

"It's much better to be real, and not to worry about it too much," says Mr. Crispin. "If you do have some sticky stuff, the critical thing is: What do you have on the plus side indicating your performance?"

It isn't only people with credit problems who could find themselves denied jobs. A quarter of all credit reports contain serious errors, according to a recent survey by U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

The survey found people with accounts that didn't belong to them, payments marked as late when they weren't, and even things like tax liens and judgments attributed to the wrong people. "That kind of thing is basically the kiss of death for any job application," says Ed Mierzwinski, consumer program director for the nonprofit research group.

So what to do? The first step is to check your credit report before applying for any jobs. The three major credit-reporting bureaus all make reports available online for $9. Some states also let you get one free report per year. The sites are www.experian.com, www.transunion.com and www.equifax.com.

If you find a mistake, contact the credit bureau. The bureau is required to conduct an investigation into any disputed items. If that doesn't resolve the matter, you can have a statement put on your report explaining your side of the story.