DEAR HARRIETTE: I started my first corporate job three months ago, but I lied about having prior experience in order to get it. It was really daunting at first. I was worried that I wouldn't know what to do, but I somehow managed to make it work. So far, everyone at the workplace has been extremely welcoming and helpful in teaching me the ropes. Although I've made some mistakes, I'm learning quickly. However, this has caused me to become exhausted as there's so much for me to take in and figure out! Despite this, I've maintained the facade of knowing what I'm doing thus far. Is it possible for me to keep this up in the long term? — Fake It Till You Make It DEAR FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT: I am not a proponent of lying. It rarely works to your advantage. But given that you did lie to get into this job, your responsibility now is to do everything you can to become proficient and then excellent at it. Exhaustion may be the price you have to pay until you are solid in your skills and execution. Three months may feel like a long time, but it is not. That actually matches the probationary period that many companies use to evaluate whether employees are capable of doing the job they were hired to execute. So, stay on point and keep learning.
