Lying on a resume?

[Robert Maxwell]

While exaggerating one's accomplishments is pretty common on resumes, I've never heard of flat-out lying being a routine practice. Does this happen a lot? Does it follow you around if you're caught? What are the potential consequences?

As far as I'm concerned, that's more or less fraud. If it, in any way, increased their chances of getting hired, it's a problem. I don't see how that can be a tolerable practice. I also don't think it's enough that some outside company wanted you to lie, it's still your resume.

There are ways to hide your lack of experience (for example, I once used paragraph form instead of bullet form, which makes every small thing seem more important and helps fill up space). You can also do small things without having to identify that they were small. Otherwise, the remedy is to actually do things you can put on your resume.

Well, that last part is the Catch-22. Nobody wants to hire you without experience, so you need a resume showing you have experience--but you don't have any. Getting over that initial hump is tough.

Not that it excuses lying, of course.

My friend has decided he won't go along with lying. They're supposed to present him with his employment contract today, and he intends to find some reason to reject that, so it'll be a situation in which he "quit" rather than getting fired (which apparently happened to one of his coworkers who refused to lie.)

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Trust me, I know that quite well. I've had two summers of working for free, volunteering for various projects, and doing school-related events connected to what I want to do on my free time before I'm confident my resume looks full enough to put me on an even playing field (until someone from Georgetown applies for the job, in which case I'm screwed either way).

But lying about it is unethical - even if it won't backfire it can follow you around.

 

[doubleohfive]

I say don't let him do it, for most of the reasons people have been citing here.

Out here, my resume is very different than the one I had back home when I worked at the university. The Hollywood resume is much more concise; people don't care what you're able to do per se - they just want to see, typically that you know how to use Word and that you've worked on a few shows. Seriously. This is why anybody --and I mean anybody-- can land a job in Hollywood and make it.

This is also why it's so damn important in the biz that people like you -- references on resumes are all the more important -- is he easy to be around? Is he punctual? Will he annoy me, or is he cool? Things like this are valued much more than education or qualification, at least in specific arm of the industry.

Everything else they need to know about you, they find out in your interview or via your reference. And if they like you on that first meeting (or its their boss recommending you), you get the job.

As for your friend - I'm in complete agreement with Timby -- while it may have the benefit of getting him this job now, your friend needs to seriously consider the likelihood that the company would drop him if they were ever called out on his resume.

 

[JarodRussell]

Exaggerating isn't bad, if you can actually walk the walk but never had the chance to officially go on record with it. Some people just never got a fair chance even though they are perfectly qualified, so bending the rules isn't always bad. In other words, don't write cheques your ass can't cash.

I'm not talking about faking a diploma or shit like that.

 

[doubleohfive]

Exaggerating isn't bad, if you can actually walk the walk but never had the chance to officially go on record with it. Some people just never got a fair chance even though they are perfectly qualified, so bending the rules isn't always bad. In other words, don't write cheques your ass can't cash.

I'm not talking about faking a diploma or shit like that.

 

[FPAlpha]

Exaggerating isn't bad, if you can actually walk the walk but never had the chance to officially go on record with it. Some people just never got a fair chance even though they are perfectly qualified, so bending the rules isn't always bad. In other words, don't write cheques your ass can't cash.

I'm not talking about faking a diploma or shit like that.

Pretty much it.. everyone is polishing their resume, i.e. highlighting your strengths and experiences and downplaying the not so good parts.

Experienced HR people often enough see through the bullshit and can judge if it's just harmless polishing or actual lying and if you even lie about your qualifications a simple work field related question might let you go up in flames.

If you're really unlucky and the field is small where you apply to chances are that companies talk and this spreads so you've effectively destroyed your career before it even has begun.

 

[marksound]

I would politely decline to be dishonest about my experience. If my actual history and work ethic isn't good enough to get me in the door, I don't deserve the job.

Character is doing the right thing even when no one is looking.

 

[Starbreaker]

I wouldn't lie about a job, but I do make sure I omit some jobs I've had in the past that didn't last and fudge the dates by a few months if need be.

 

[MNM]

There's lying and then there are creative ways to tell the truth.

No, both are lying.

 

[bigdaddy]

I have never heard of a company doing this! That's risky with little reward.

I have bent the truth on resumes, we all do. But it's not lying, it's just making things sound better than they actually were.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

There's lying and then there are creative ways to tell the truth.

No, both are lying.

No, they are not.

 

[RevDMV]

Some of the placement consulting firms are just plain scummy.

I'm late to this party, and it's been said pretty much already, but I'll toss this in from my angle.

I've been in the software development business in different positions for almost 30 years now. Early on a joke was made that someone's resume should have been submitted for a Hugo.

Especially now with the ease and ubiquitous background checking I would follow the following:

NEVER, lie, fib exaggerated about a class, training, certification or degree. IF you didn't earn or take it. Don't put it down. You'll be found, and the consequences are quick and long term.

If you're working on a certificate or degree, put down the expected completion date. Honestly, software is the one business you can get away with experiences and self training. Outside of the bigger shops, like MS and Google, who are trending to only folks from major uni's anyway. (I don't have a BS, left to pursue a start up)

As far as technical experience, programming languages, databases, etc. My take is, if you think you know enough to defend your knowledge in an interview go for it. Again, don't lie about a project, "I've worked on it at home on my own" has never been a problem with me. Again software is different that way, as a hiring manager, I only care that you have the skill.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Some of the placement consulting firms are just plain scummy.

I'm late to this party, and it's been said pretty much already, but I'll toss this in from my angle.

I've been in the software development business in different positions for almost 30 years now. Early on a joke was made that someone's resume should have been submitted for a Hugo.

Especially now with the ease and ubiquitous background checking I would follow the following:

NEVER, lie, fib exaggerated about a class, training, certification or degree. IF you didn't earn or take it. Don't put it down. You'll be found, and the consequences are quick and long term.

If you're working on a certificate or degree, put down the expected completion date. Honestly, software is the one business you can get away with experiences and self training. Outside of the bigger shops, like MS and Google, who are trending to only folks from major uni's anyway. (I don't have a BS, left to pursue a start up)

As far as technical experience, programming languages, databases, etc. My take is, if you think you know enough to defend your knowledge in an interview go for it. Again, don't lie about a project, "I've worked on it at home on my own" has never been a problem with me. Again software is different that way, as a hiring manager, I only care that you have the skill.

This is all consistent with my experiences, too.

I have heard of people lying about getting degrees and holding certifications. I understand there are even companies who will provide fake references for you.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

I have heard of people lying about getting degrees and holding certifications. I understand there are even companies who will provide fake references for you.

Why does this not surprise me? One can buy everything from a high school book report to a doctoral dissertation, so why not a reference?

So sad.

 

[Finn]

I have heard of people lying about getting degrees and holding certifications. I understand there are even companies who will provide fake references for you.

Why does this not surprise me? One can buy everything from a high school book report to a doctoral dissertation, so why not a reference?

So sad.

This reminds me. One also needs to...ensure they actually graduated. I know it doesn't make sense. But when I was a Junior in college back when I was working on my biology degree, an older student joined the program. He was late in his 20s or maybe early 30s.

Apparently, he was in the program some years before and apparently he left thinking he had graduated. He actually marched in the graduation robe and all...

After a couple of years doing odd jobs, he finally got an interview for a job that actually required a BA/BS in Biology. All was going well and it looked like they were going to hire him. But when the employer checked with his transcripts and the university, it turned out he didn't graduate and did not earn a degree. He was very dumbfounded when they told him that they couldn't hire him because he didn't have a degree.

It turned out he had to take a couple of courses. While universities do sometimes give graduates those diploma things without the actual diploma due to paperwork, waiting for a signature or whatever, he had to have gotten permission from the registar. Plus I don't know how he didn't notice how the diploma didn't arrive (I got my first diploma four months after my official graduation date). I have no idea how this happened to this guy. He was nice and does know his stuff when it comes to biology.

Also, a lot of people undersell themselves. They may forgot a couple of things they did in an earlier job that did not fall under their job description or when they told the employer about their experiences.

 

[doubleohfive]

I have heard of people lying about getting degrees and holding certifications. I understand there are even companies who will provide fake references for you.

Why does this not surprise me? One can buy everything from a high school book report to a doctoral dissertation, so why not a reference?

So sad.

Didn't this just happen with the former CEO of Yahoo? And wasn't he ousted because of it?

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I have heard of people lying about getting degrees and holding certifications. I understand there are even companies who will provide fake references for you.

Why does this not surprise me? One can buy everything from a high school book report to a doctoral dissertation, so why not a reference?

So sad.

Didn't this just happen with the former CEO of Yahoo? And wasn't he ousted because of it?

Yeah, I remember that. Although in Thompson's case, he never submitted a resume and it's not clear how the bogus computer science degree wound up in his bio.

Here is an interesting article about it.

 

[DonIago]

Hmph. I referenced that back on page 1...

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Hmph. I referenced that back on page 1...

Pardon me for skipping your contextless one-liner. (I didn't remember the CEO's name until I looked him up for the post above.)

 

[DonIago]