CV writing and the economics of truth

orange_juice_jones

As the country continues to slide further into a financial cesspit, I'm asking if it's truly justifiable to lie on your cv, in order to secure yourself those ever-elusive jobs.

Now I'd never condone it when it comes to professions where public safety is paramount (medical, armed services, public transport, etc), but for everything else...well, to be totally honest, if I were unemployed, and struggling to find work, I'd have no qualms at all with lying to get ahead of other job-hunters. Absolutely none at all.

That's not to say that I told total porkies to get my current job, though. Sure, there's embellishments a-plenty, and about as much professional BS in there as there is in an episode of The Apprentice, but hey, that's pretty much what everyone else does with their cvs, right? Selling yourself was never a crime.

But yeah, I'd seriously consider lying to get a job if I was unemployed now. I know that won't sit well with the resident white knights and moral crusaders on these forums, but as this country continues to get throttled hard by the recession, whilst big city bankers congratulate themselves with bigger bonuses, and politicians financing their mansion moats on the expense accounts, my moral compass has shifted somewhat in recent months. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

So, what does everyone else think?

Horace

I wouldn't lie on my CV and anyway if you get found out by the employer then you will get the sack for gross misconduct.

If you lie about your CV what else are you willing to lie about? Its a case of honesty and trust and if you are caught lying then you would be considered to be a dishonest and untrustworthy person.

taylor21_2

If you are have the competencies to fulfil the role then demonstrate them in your CV.

Its one thing writing the lies but its another recounting them accuratly during the interview and it even harder demonstrating them once you have the job.

Lie NO sell myself with truthful accounts of my achievements and competencies YES

ukjoel

Its far too easy to do this.
Companies have made a rod for their own backs by only providing references providing date of employment and reason for leaving.

It means that any 'friend' within the company or even outside (but less credible) can provide any reference the applicant wants.

This then means your relying on qualification certificates which can be again had very easily for a few hundred pounds.

Having said that I have never been asked to show any proof of my qualifications (3 blue chip employers in 10 years).

What it means unfortanately (especially now when jobs are thin) is that people will often go for a role several levels above their pay grade.

Interview technique and job ability are two different things and often the young pretender will look like the better prospect than the old fart in the interview. Words like vibrant, bubbly, outgoing all seem to be used these days.

IF you do lie though just make sure its not something that will be picked up. Saying you were a regional tennis table champion when you were at school when you were only a school champion is a safe bet.

Saying you can integrate networks or programme in Java is a no no.

The middle ground is claiming a 2 year work break was spent in Romania helping orphans when they only young people you were with were the others at Feltham young offenders institute.

If they dont do a CRB check then will they ever know?
If you do tell them - will you get the job?


It works the other way as well.
What about NOT putting things in your CV to dumb down your CV.
People do that all the time as they wont get the interview if overqualified.

Mr_Falling_Star

I would say outright lying no, especially where you could get caught out easily but a strettttcccching of the truth is OK

ferien_uk

I worked on a reception for one day last year. I just put the date on my CV as May 2008, so they probably assume I did it for a month.

I won't put anything incorrect if I even have the slightest chance of getting caught though, I'm not very good a bs-ing in interviews, and I worry that if I get the job I might accidentally reveal the truth when just chatting to someone over lunch.

I have done what ukjoel says and left things off. A few years a go I was trying to get a Christmas temp job in retail, wasn't having much luck, so tried leaving off my degree, and lo and behold, I got a job!

DCFC79

ferien_uk wrote: »

I have done what ukjoel says and left things off. A few years a go I was trying to get a Christmas temp job in retail, wasn't having much luck, so tried leaving off my degree, and lo and behold, I got a job!

doing this is ok, if the degrree is preventing you getting a job but lying on a cv is a no go, id never lie as i know it would backfire on me whether via previous employer or when im asked to do something and i cant do it as i lied about knowing how to do it, id rather be truthfull and if it means i dnt get the job then so be it

Lollypop75

While I absolutely , as a rule, do not lie on my CV or in interviews, I did end up doing it once. I'm pretty sure they didn't know, but it wasn't good. The interview was going pretty badly (actually my worst interview ever). When describing what I'd done in a previous role I was a little vague about one thing, with the effect that they thought I'd done more than I actually had. The interviewer asked me to clarify this, and I panicked, so rather than saying, "Oh, I wasn't very clear...." or whatever, I ended up spinning this massive web of horrible lies. It was so distressing!!!

ukjoel wrote: »

What it means unfortanately (especially now when jobs are thin) is that people will often go for a role several levels above their pay grade.

I'm pretty confused by this. Surely the recession means that lots of people are applying or roles that are way below their what they could do. I know I am.

ferien_uk wrote: »

I have done what ukjoel says and left things off. A few years a go I was trying to get a Christmas temp job in retail, wasn't having much luck, so tried leaving off my degree, and lo and behold, I got a job!

I've thought about doing this - what do you say about the huge gap?

orange_juice_jones

Lollypop75 wrote: »

I'm pretty confused by this. Surely the recession means that lots of people are applying or roles that are way below their what they could do. I know I am.

It made sense to me the first time around. People are desperate for any kind of work now, regardless of skill level. As mentioned earlier, young chancers are more likely to (dishonestly) land jobs over their older rivals. You gotta love this country's celebration of youth over everything else Thank god I've got that in my favour too

minerva_windsong

The taking my degree off bit doesn't sound like a bad idea, but it's the gap that would worry me as then I'd have to have something other than 'education' as a reason why I didn't work for two years...

I've never lied on a job application. Maybe my honesty is stopping me getting anything.

ferien_uk

Lollypop75 wrote: »

I've thought about doing this - what do you say about the huge gap?

I would tell them about it at interview. Just leave it off my CV/ application in order to get an interview. In the interview, you at least get the chance to explain why you're going for a job you're overqualified for.