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"Lying" on your resume
Sorry this is kind of a long one! I thought I graduated from a College X in May 2006. It turns out I actually hadn't graduated--I was 3 credits shy. After "graduating" I moved twice in three months (long story) and eventually started a full-time job in October 2006. It wasn't until around Nov when someone asked me if I got my diploma that I realized I hadn't. I got some transfer credits I had from high school sent in, and my degree was conferred in May 2007 w/o me taking any more classes.
Here's the problem: I started the job I'm at in Oct '06, telling them I finished my degree before that. When I found out that wasn't true, I...didn't tell them. I was scared they would fire me on the spot for "lying" on my resume. Now, almost 2 yrs since I started, they're randomly conducting a staff-wide "audit" to be sure everyone has their credentials, and they may notice the discrepancy b/w my transcript & resume. I feel my options are: 1) Come clean now and hope they understand, knowing full well they'll probably fire me. 2) Submit my credentials and hope they don't notice the discrepancy [I'm pretty low on the totem pole...how hard will they look?] and 3) Quit my job, and be honest with my next interviews about my graduation date but hope they don't ask if I ever told this first job what happened.
So that's it...that's how I screwed myself. Any advice? Anyone see any other options? Thank you!
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More than likely, you're fine.
Simply explain the mix up. You had "graduated" but you hadn't finished with all the red tape to the point that you were "official"
You didn't lie, you didn't omit, it was simply a mistake that was easily and instantly rectified.
Approach it from an "oops, but its not a big deal" standpoint and they probably won't care.
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They know you and the quality of work that you do. I doubt they would fire you. You didn't blatantly lie nor claim to have attended a university you didn't. Tell them that you were being truthful when you applied in 2006.
You thought you passed all your courses and listed the degree thinking that it was going to be presented to you. Tell them you wish to rectify this by taking the remaining 3 credits in order to really possess that degree. If they fire you get a lawyer who can prove you didn't know you weren't getting the degree when you applied.
It's best to talk to your employer about it before they find it on their own. You stand a better shot by being honest. Why quit your job? They'll likely keep you as they're looking for people who blatantly lied about their qualifications to get a job they weren't supposed to.
Just remember don't count your chickens before the egg hatches next time. If you don't have a diploma in hand to show you received a degree don't list it even if it's in progress.
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