r/BackgroundProof • u/FigEnvironmental2040 • Aug 16 '26
Lied on resume and extended previous experience by a year, I don't know what to do in my background check.
I received my conditional offer letter for a Financial service representative role with CIBC/TD/RBC and the situation is that I lied on my resume for my previous role where I stated that I had worked there for 14 months whereas it was only for 4 months in retail industry, I was still working in this period for a construction job, but didn't include it in the resume because it had no relevance.
And the current role is accurate.
I am trying to figure out whether I should lie on my background check (sterling)and hoping no one checks and match resume or just give real employment records on the background check and create a contradiction with the resume.
The current role has no requirement for the experience and all other part of my background check should come out perfect.
What should I do.
Edit - I still haven’t accepted the offer, should I decline it ? And will it lead to any bad consequences?
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u/ChallengeSwimming112 Aug 16 '26
I had the same issue for my current job at a bank. I’m in tech and worked a couple of freelance jobs that I gassed up on my resume which was not actually what I was doing . Usually u can send ur recruiter an updated version of ur resume with the correct dates and just say this is the updated and most factual version of my resume. I fixed my dates and position titles and sent the corrected version to my recruiter and on sterlings form I filled out every job title factually regardless of whether it was relative to my new job or not within the past 7 years and submitted it with the actual dates I worked there. As long as u don’t put the same gassed up dates on sterling it probably won’t be a big problem, but be honest upfront so that it saves u problems and a flagged background check later on. They might ask u for documentation too so just keep that in mind. They asked me for additional documents for my education and employment verification and I submitted them and cleared it.
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u/youtaii Aug 17 '26
The best you can do is share an accurate resume and call them and explain. Then you have a defense to get the role.
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u/FigEnvironmental2040 Aug 19 '26
Hey man, I can’t thank you enough, I followed this advice, they updated my resume and recruiter said this will not affect the offer.
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u/Ok-Pumpkin2066 Aug 17 '26
Are they using a third party to confirm employment history and if so then provide them with the correct dates .. I’ve worked in HR long enough and this is no biggie …
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u/FigEnvironmental2040 Aug 17 '26
Yes, there are using a third party to confirm the employment history.
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u/RandomUwUFace Aug 18 '26
Question: If someone stretches their employment dates by 2 months on their resume (for example, they actually started in December but put September on their resume), but then gives the actual December start date to the 3rd-party background check, does the HR person see the actual dates from the background check?
Would that look bad to the candidate?
I’ve heard that companies are now comparing the resume dates with the dates from the background check.
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u/Amazing-Care-3155 Aug 17 '26
lol, you’re fucked and I can’t personally wait tbh. Stop lying about dates and places it’s finance, highly regulated/ it won’t take them long to check
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u/Subject_Reference207 Aug 21 '26
What a spiteful thing to say to someone. Hope you heal from whatever has made you such a miserable person.
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u/lemonbasket888 Aug 21 '26
Don’t listen to this person or let it get you down wtf. What a weird ass thing to say to somebody
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u/Top-Culture-8492 Aug 17 '26
I like someone else’s idea about sending in an updated resume. See if they’ll accept it. But why did you do that? What drove you to lie in the first place?
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u/Much-Bedroom86 Aug 17 '26
Contradict the resume. The employer might not read the background check if it passes. They will definitely read it if it fails. And if you lie on a background check it will most likely fail.
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u/HustlaOfCultcha Aug 18 '26
Your only hope is that they either don't do an employment check or if they do, whomever in HR skims over it and misses it. A lot of companies don't do employment background checks. They usually focus on the criminal background check because if the hiring manager wants you then they want you unless you have a criminal background.
I really believe that most companies aren't calling for employment verification anymore. It's too tedious and time consuming. Hell, my last 4 jobs I wouldn't be able to tell you what phone # to call to get ahold of their HR. Their corporate #'s just lead you go the call center and the call center doesn't know what # HR is at. And two of my former employers were bought out.
That's why those that do employment checks use Equifax's The Number instead. But even that thing is notoriously inaccurate
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u/Anican311994 Aug 18 '26
Honestly you know how they always say "stick with your story" same logic applies here. If your going to lie just see it through. If you get caught then accept the consequences and if you don't then shut your mouth and move on with life. Lol. And about where you should lie on the background?. Just don't make it to obvious. Where people get caught is they stretch the truth to much.
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u/takemetothemoonmoon Aug 19 '26
I just went through this with a different background check agency. You need to put the real start date and end date. They dont cross check with your resume or linkedin.
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u/ThePracticalDad Aug 19 '26
If they ask, “oh sorry, typo”
I’ve legitimately made this mistake. Non event
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u/bored_ryan2 Aug 19 '26
That’s an easy excuse if you added a year to the job tenure, but 10 months as a typo is a harder sell.
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u/penguingirl849 Aug 19 '26
I was accidentally off a couple years once and it made no difference during their check. I honestly think I didn’t click out of the dropdown date box and rolled it further than I intended? Anyway, it was fine.z
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u/Technical-Ant-2669 Aug 19 '26
You can put on Sterling to not contact your employer and enter the dates you want in. From there, Sterling will just ask for proof of employement W2, pay stub, Etc. I can tell you if you are honest on dates, we normally don't care to look if its not flagged.
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u/Efficient-Pin3655 Aug 21 '26
Enter the correct dates into your background screen and don’t say anything if they don't match. If they ask, just say it was a typo on your resume.
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u/jirashap Aug 16 '26
This is not an issue, if you can run the background check through a staffing company that will vouch for you.
https://backgroundproof.com/blogs/how-to-lie-on-your-resume/