DEAR HARRIETTE: I just got a job at a bank -- my dream job.
Right away, I made the biggest mistake in my career: I miscounted money that I was giving to a customer and gave the customer $200 more than they had asked for. It was a rookie mistake. I should have double-checked the money, but I didn’t. Instead of telling my boss, I changed the total amount in the system to cover my mistake until I came up with a better plan. I told my co-worker my situation, and instead of having my back, she told our manager about it. My manager fired me on the spot, and now my career in finance is officially ruined. How can I plead my case and talk my way into getting my job back? -- Mismanaged Money, Boston
DEAR MISMANAGED MONEY: This is a tough one, not so much because you miscounted and gave away too much money, but because you lied about it and attempted to cover it up. Your integrity is in question, and that is a very difficult thing to repair.
Speak to your former boss, apologize and admit that you know you made a huge mistake. Tell him what you were planning, which, I assume, was to find a way to put the money back in the next day. Confess that you realize your plan was not appropriate, that you panicked and that you are terribly sorry. Ask for a second chance. If that doesn't work, you can ask your boss to not badmouth you to future employers if they call for a reference check.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)