Feeling Guilty About Faking Experience: How Do I Handle the Fear of Being Found Out?

I graduated from a US university in 2012 and was job hunting for close to a year. Finally, I found a contract position with one of the MNC clients of a local consultancy firm. I worked for close to 6 months at the MNC client before returning to India due to unfortunate circumstances.

I noticed that no companies in India were willing to offer me a job even with 6 months of experience and were more concerned about the gap of 1 year I had during the US job search. Dejected, I asked the local consultancy firm in the US to issue me an offer letter and relieving letter stating I joined them soon after my graduation. Therefore, on paper, I now had 1 year and 6 months of experience.

I soon found a job with a major MNC and worked for close to 1.5 years before switching to another big firm where I have been working for 2 years now. I am assuming the background checks got cleared because of my relevant documents and cooperation by the local consultancy firm.

Seeking Advice on Professional Dilemma

I am here to ask for your advice about two issues I am facing now.

1. The guilt that I put a year of fake experience haunts me every day. I keep having nightmares.
2. I mentioned on my resume that I was employed by the local consultancy firm and worked at their US MNC client for 1.5 years instead of 6 months. I am afraid the client will find out the truth from my social media profile.

Thanks for your help.

Dear,

Please do not mention anything on your social media profile in detail which can create curiosity or delve deep into your past employment. Also, refrain from discussing it within professional circles. Additionally, ensure with the US firm that they maintain records for 1.5 years rather than just 6 months to accurately reflect your experience. This precaution is necessary in the event your ex-boss departs, as it will be imperative for BV verification in the future. Do not feel overly guilty; circumstances sometimes necessitate behaviors that may not seem ideal.

Trying to reverse this extra experience will create more problems. It is a very difficult situation, and only you can make a decision. I would, in your place, show only the truth and not resort to false experience. Think carefully, introspect, review the papers thoroughly, consult the relevant agency, and then make a decision. The fact that you feel guilty is a good sign of a person who wants to do no wrong.

My consultancy will cooperate with BV, irrespective of my ex-boss being there or not. The only worry I have is about social media. I think I will lose out on a lot of potential job opportunities and networking online if I don't create an online presence. I don't want people to know the name of the consultancy since it's a small company, and people might get curious to verify. What if I mention the name of the consultancy's client (MNC) for the 1.6 years and block my team members from the client online?

Social Media and Background Checks

If you are worried about social media, don't be. Social media is not a credible source for background checks, especially after the Facebook incident. You can pretty much sue a company if they hire agencies that use social media as a credible source. Besides, you also have the right to your privacy. All in all, a social media profile only carries information you have published, not what others have published without your permission. No company is foolish enough to lose a good employee by taking that into consideration. Nobody has this kind of time to waste.

Ethics in Employment

Why feel guilty about all this? Do you think for-profit organizations employ people who are 100% ethical? Each day, you read about people who once graduated from top B-schools committing fraud that costs many their jobs and careers. Yet, shamelessly, they start new companies, and many will join them for a mere hike of 5% to 15%.

I think you ought to understand you are just doing a job, not protecting a nation or saving lives. Go live your life freely.