The panicked email I received the other day, and it's not the first one, said "Accidentally, on purpose, I had listed false dates for my last job on my resume. Now I am really really scared as what could happen if I disclose the truth - or if I don't disclose the truth. What should I do?"
What do you do when you've lied on your resume and now it might make a big difference in the outcome of your job search? Do you take a chance that you won't get caught? Or, do you try and fix the problem without jeopardizing your chances of getting the job?
Of course, it wasn't smart to lie on your resume in the first place, because it can come back to haunt you. Even after you've been hired, lying on a job application is grounds for termination at any point in the future - even years later. That said, what can you do now when the damage is already done? There's no easy answer, but here are the options for what you can do when you lied on your resume.