Q. What’s the deal on background checks? I may or may not have fudged on my last employer — they were legit, but my pay and title were “elevated.” Will I lose my job offer?
A. While I don’t know whether or not you’ll lose your job offer, let’s talk about the background check process to share some insight. Companies decide how thorough they want to be with their background checks. Going forward keep in mind it’s always prudent to rely on honesty as the best policy. Seems like you have two options: come clean with the employer to get ahead of it or wait to see if they come back to you with concerns.
Not to scare you, but I’ve heard of workers losing their jobs even after they started working there, in one case several years after, because they falsified their college degrees. If they hadn’t included it in their resume and application, there probably wouldn’t have been issues, but since they lied about it, that was the issue. This points to integrity.
Also, sometimes a background check can take a week or more and at that point the company needs to onboard you to kick off technology, send you a new laptop and more. Again, this varies by company so while you may not lose your job offer, you may lose employment once you start working due to timing.
Keep in mind that public information people can Google about you, so it’s not only companies reaching out to former employers to verify your information; often larger companies don’t reach out directly as they rely on a third party to do the background check on their behalf.
While keeping honesty is the best policy as a rule of thumb, your resume should match the application in terms of job title, employment length, education degree and more.
Q. I got promoted and I’m in over my head. I’m not being trained, the resources I was offered aren’t happening, I’m stretched too thin. I’m miserable. Can I backtrack — I miss my old job!
A. First, let’s focus on the good: You got promoted and your employer recognizes your value to the organization. As for the gritty: Talk to your boss about your needs. Remind them of the resources you were offered — get specific. If it was to hire people, create a job description; if it was to borrow from other departments, identify who will start and when. Be proactive with solutions.
It may feel like a Catch-22 to admit to your boss that you’re in over your head, you’re new to the role and, understandably, your head is barely above water. Better to speak up sooner rather than later. Ask for help.
Do you need someone to show you the ropes, more access to other departments and/or systems, something else or all of the above? Get specific with your needs, prepare for a meeting with your boss and articulate what you need so both you and the team can be successful. It’s normal to feel wistful for your old job and want to ask for it back (which by the way, you can, but keep expectations in check), but this can also be growing pains into a discomfort zone, which is a positive sign of growth.
Tribune News Service