.In today’s day and age, almost every job requires a drug test as part of the onboarding process. If you’ve never been tested or are worried about your results, this process can be stressful and intimidating. Rather than going into it blind, here are three things to do before you get tested.
Things You Want to Prepare
The first thing to do before your drug test is to prepare yourself accordingly. There are two main types of tests- saliva and urine. If you’re taking a urine test, one of the main ways you’ll want to prepare is by drinking plenty of fluids ahead of time. Water or electrolyte drinks won’t skew your results, but they’ll make the entire testing process easier.
Next, you want to pay attention to whether or not you need to fast. Before you go googling things like “do poppy seeds show up on drug test,” look to see if you’re allowed to eat beforehand. If you can, don’t worry about your breakfast. Things like poppy seeds may give you a false positive, so avoid your favorite bagel on the day of your test. Preparation a few days in advance will greatly reduce your stress when you go get tested.
Bring Your Paperwork
Second, don’t forget to bring your paperwork. Whether you’re getting your drug test done in-house or at a clinic, the last thing you want is to get there and not have all the papers you need. Before you go in for your test, make sure you have all your onboarding information and your medical records. Depending on where you go to get tested, they may have digital copies of your information on file, but you don’t want to risk missing something when you finally get to the clinic.
Along with your work information, make sure you bring your personal ID and health insurance cards. While most places don’t bill for work-related drug tests, it’s better to keep your insurance and ID with you just in case. If you have a work ID, you may want to bring that with your paperwork as well. You might feel like you have an overabundance of papers with you, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Avoid Illicit Substances
Finally, avoid illicit substances before your drug test. While this seems like a no-brainer, it still is worth saying. For a few weeks before your scheduled test, avoid things like marijuana, opioids, and illegal prescription drugs. Even if you think they’ll clear your system by your scheduled testing date. You don’t want to risk employment for one night of fun. Rather than potentially screwing up your professional life, just steer clear of any substances that would show up on a drug test. The last thing you want is to be rejected from the hiring process for something you did weeks ago.
To sum things up, getting a drug test for work doesn’t have to be a stressful event. With a little bit of preparation, you can walk into the testing center with full confidence and leave with a new job lined up.
