Question: Changed Dates On Resume to Cover a Gap, Too Late to Tell the Truth to President of Company?

After college I played online poker for two years as my main income. It was a tumultuous period where I dealt with serious illness, surgery, homelessness, alcohol recovery, and had several near death experiences.

Before any of that I'd spent 9 months in China in 2004. After being given a hard time by interviewers about my unemployment gap "why didn't you go to work right after college?", I changed the dates I was in China from 2004 to 2008.

Found out after getting hired that the president of the company is considering opening a location in China and wants to have lunch and hear what I have to say about China.

Is it too late to tell the truth about the dates on my resume without risking getting fired? If I lost this job I'd be devastated. I'm not comfortable lying (this is the only time I ever lied about anything, that I can remember). For now I'm just avoiding getting into specifics with the company president.

How should I handle this?

Answer:

I feel for you.

You spent some time in China so you do have some knowledge. Stretch that out. Search for relevant things in China that you should know. Research up on the issues of China today. He is keen to hear of your experience in China and likely is interested in opportunities there just now. Obvious things are the risk, lack of rule of law, lack of regulation etc.

Not saying lying is ok but if the choice is losing your job, might as well try and salvage it.

You will be fired as you have proved you are dishonest and therefore cannot be relied on, especially in a senior position