Phase two: Keep your job

Don’t lie (duh)

A couple years ago, we did a [headhunting] search for a national advertising position at a major news company. We had an ideal candidate who had 15 years of experience in that world. She was very well-known in New York City, with a proven track record of success at three magazines. On her résumé, after listing her years of experience, it said that she had a bachelor of arts at such and such university in such and such year. She was offered the job—an excellent job working with excellent people—and started right away. The company did a credit report, plus an automotive, criminal and college verification, and a verification of employment dates and titles—all the standard stuff. It was found that she did not have a college degree. She was maybe a year away from getting it, and had lied about it on her résumé. She was fired immediately.

The company wouldn’t have cared that she didn’t have a degree, but the deception made the person who hired her look bad. Most employers will say that a B.A., B.S. or equivalent is required, but the majority of them will overlook your lack of a degree if you’re right for the job. The honesty part, though? Employers can’t get past that, nor should they have to.

—As told to Kate Lowenstein by a partner at an executive search firm