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Dear Quota Team,
I've been living a lie for eight years, and it's finally catching up to me. When I first applied for my entry-level sales role, I put my state university on my resume even though I dropped out senior year for financial reasons. No one ever verified it, and my performance spoke for itself—I became a top rep, then got promoted to sales manager internally where they obviously didn't background check again. Now I've been offered a director position at a Fortune 500 company, and I'm terrified they'll discover I never actually graduated. My track record is stellar, I've built and led successful teams, and I genuinely deserve this opportunity based on my results. But this director role will definitely include a thorough background check, and I'm panicking about losing everything I've worked for because of a lie I told when I was desperate for my first break. Should I come clean to the new company before they discover it, try to quickly finish my degree, or just hope they focus on my proven experience over a piece of paper?
Undereducated in Location withheld
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Dear Undereducated,
You're facing the consequences of a decision that helped launch your career but now threatens to derail it—and Fortune 500 companies will absolutely verify your education. You have two realistic options: come clean immediately to the new company, emphasizing your proven track record and explaining the circumstances that led to dropping out, or withdraw from consideration and focus on completing your degree before pursuing similar opportunities. The first option is risky but shows integrity and gives them a chance to value your results over credentials; the second protects your current position while you fix the underlying issue. Whatever you do, don't let them discover the lie during their background check—that guarantees losing both the opportunity and your reputation in the industry.
