I have been working at a new job for a couple days now but I got an email about a blip in my screening. they are asking for proof I worked a certain time at my old job. I wrote on my resume that I worked there for 1 year instead of the 6 months I actually did so now I'm scared I'm going to get fired. Is there any possibility this won't end in termination? I've decided to come clean to my boss but I'm not sure how, like what should I say, if I should send an email about it. Aso, a third party entity is conducting the background check, what do I tell them? Disclaimer I'm already aware lying on a resume is really stupid and I regret it so much.
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8Why did you lie in the first place? The reason is important since it needs to be part of your damage control strategy– HilmarCommented Oct 25, 2019 at 16:14
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Also as part of damage control, what has changed since then?– Patricia ShanahanCommented Oct 25, 2019 at 17:13
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@JoeStrazzere: I don't know. But it's still worth trying to keep in control of the story. The question is likely to come up and so you might as well get in front of it. "I was worried about how my resume looks and I made a serious mistake in judgement" is better than "I'm just an idiot" or "I lie all the time, it's no big deal"– HilmarCommented Oct 27, 2019 at 17:13
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4 Answers
Is there any possibility this won't end in termination?
All you can do is tell the truth to all parties involved ( your boss and the third party if you are in communication with them ) and hope for the best. If the fact that you lied and are missing 6 months of experience isn't that important to the company then you may be able to retain your job, but I would not count on it.
You should work on correcting your resume and making sure it is as accurate as possible and start looking for a new place to work. Even if you remain at your current company, you already have a very bad incident on your record, which may hurt you down the road with this company.
The main problem to address here is that you lied intentionally. The 6 months are probably not a big deal, but lying is.
So you need to come clean and fess up. You need to write down and review and practice what you are going to say. This needs to be a good story and delivered well.
A big part of this story needs to be explaining why you did lie in the first place and why your employer can be sure that you will never ever lie again. If you can address these two points well, you may still have a shot at keeping the job. If not, your chances are rather slim
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Is sending an email the best way to address this then? I'll definitely get very emotional if I do it in person.– saddCommented Oct 25, 2019 at 16:25
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I don't know why I lied. I guess I saw the employment gap as unattractive. I used the information to get a different job and they didnt do the same background check so nothing came up. I know being young is an unattractive reason but would it help my case?– saddCommented Oct 25, 2019 at 16:29
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2@sadd have you learned anything from this? That's part of the story - what you learned and why it's not something they need to worry about in the future. Commented Oct 25, 2019 at 16:34
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1@sadd No, claiming youth as a reason for the original lie won't help you much. You aren't that much older now than you were when you prepared this CV in the first place, so leaning on youth as an excuse will only suggest that you will make similar errors for quite some time into the future and make it hard to argue that you've improved enough for your employer to trust you. Give an explanation, not an excuse for what happened. Commented Oct 25, 2019 at 17:20
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1It would be MUCH better do this in person. The whole point of the exercise is demonstrating that you are mature enough to admit to your mistakes, are capable of learning from them and are willing to accept the consequences. E-mail feels evasive and immature.– HilmarCommented Oct 25, 2019 at 18:36
So you took what was a minor issue (a 6 month gap) and turned it into a much more serious issue, namely your trustworthiness.
Come clean, accept whatever consequences come from it, learn from it, and move on with your life.
Lying never achieves anything good or worthwhile.
answered Oct 25, 2019 at 17:00
Your problem is not the six months. Your problem is that they will have doubts on the rest of the CV. Fix Cv and start looking for a new job.
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2Yup. They'll wonder: 1. What else has he lied about? 2. What else will he lie about? The knowledge that an enployee is capable of dishonesty damages the relationship of trust that needs to exist between employer and employee. Commented Oct 26, 2019 at 15:48