I recently faced a dilemma regarding my resume. After spending 8 years at a Fortune 500 company, I took a job at a lesser-known company in early 2026. I accepted a title downgrade and a pay cut because it offered remote work, which I needed for personal reasons. Unfortunately, the role turned out to be a poor fit, and I was let go after just 7 months during my probation period. Since then, I’ve been focusing on upskilling and have taken on some contractor work. Now, I'm considering leaving that 7-month job off my resume and backdating my contracting work to fill the gap. I did start preparing for the contracting role early, so I feel it’s not entirely dishonest. However, I’m worried about background checks potentially revealing that short stint. I’ve heard that omitting a job isn’t the same as lying about one, and that background checks mainly verify what’s on the application. Even if they did find out, I could explain that it was a poor fit and that it didn’t add much value to my resume due to the title downgrade. I’m seeking advice on whether I should go ahead and leave that job off my resume or if I should be more transparent about it.