You went through all the hoops - resume, job hunting, interviewing and they make you an offer.  You're set, right?  Wrong!  You still need to keep working.

Bad credit - bad idea.  It's stunning, sad and silly that any employer would make a decision based on whether you paid your credit cards on time - especially in this economic situation - but I guess they do.  I am not sure what difference it makes.  I guess there is this weird logic that if you went nuts at Nordstrom you also go nuts in the new job.  Still it seems like 50% of companies do credit checks.

What can you do?

If you know you have bad credit and your new employer asks you for a credit report it's time to fess up.  Explain what happened, hopefully showing that it wasn't splurges on silly items but the challenges of the economy that did you in.    If they like you enough then you maybe good to go.  If you don't say anything you may have no chance.