Have you ever lied on your CV?

[Module]

Have you ever lied on your CV (/resume)? Or lied to get a job? If so, in what way?

Would you ever help somebody else lie? To what degree?

[apathy maybe]

I used to think that it was bad to lie on my CV. But many people told me that I should. It hasn't helped me get a job though.

I would be happy to be a reference for someone, and lie a bit for them on the telephone.

I have family friends on as references, and try and make it seem as if they are something else.

[bcbm]

i leave out illegal jobs or jobs i worked less than a month.

[Led Zeppelin]

Have you ever lied on your CV (/resume)? Or lied to get a job? If so, in what way?

Would you ever help somebody else lie? To what degree?

Yes, quite often.

That's actually expected from a lot of people, at least from my experience. When I was getting help writing a CV they told me to make stuff up in order to make it look better than it was, but not really important stuff like work experience because they can trace that back if they ask for references.

[Charles Xavier]

HR staff are trained to look at your resumes, they are looking that you are committed to a job, having a job at least 2 years is what they ideally want. Changing your job a lot doesn't look good on a resume. They want to know you're going to show up regularly and work hard.

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

Have you ever told the truth on a CV?

Seriously though theres degrees of bullshit for instance i was a sea explorer (better then scout)

So I was a Patrol Leader in the sea scouts with sevral badges for being hardworking etc

Unfortunately i cannot say "I invented the scout movement" or even "I was a scout leader" because that would be detected.


Degrees of bullshit.

[Dr Mindbender]

I once used my activity in the anti-nazi league to help me get a job.

The job was working for charity, so i told them at the interview i was used to giving out flyers for the ANL.
:D

They didn't think any less of me for my politics which i thought was pretty cool of them at the time. What wasn't cool of them was they sacked me after 2 weeks. Arseholes.

[Bitter Ashes]

I never include my time in the army on my CV. Far too much stigma asociated with it and I asked my employer who I was working with before I was called out, whether he'd agree to me saying I had continued working there instead.
I also leave my my current refferance as the voluntary work I do rather than my supermaket job that I was sacked from.

[Bilan]

No, just because there's the risk that they actually will call the person, and I'll get in shit for it, and/or not get the job.
In my experience, its better to be honest with employers about it. I haven't worked for a while, I would usually explain why. In your case, you could tell them you were a student and your parents didn't want you to work while you were at school, even if that's not true.
The smaller the lie, the better.
But the problem with lying about it is what they might come to expect of you when working. Say if applied at a café and you said you had experience at one, they would expect you to be skilled in waitering, and that, contrary to what most people think, will be a rather nasty experience if they do employ you if you don't know what you're doing; whilst if you're honest with them, and say you haven't but are keen to learn, and then you do mess up on your first day, they will be more understanding of it (depending on the boss).

[LOLseph Stalin]

HR staff are trained to look at your resumes, they are looking that you are committed to a job, having a job at least 2 years is what they ideally want. Changing your job a lot doesn't look good on a resume. They want to know you're going to show up regularly and work hard.

That's why you don't list all your jobs. I have only had two plus volunteer work so it's never a problem for me.

[JimmyJazz]

If leaving shortish jobs off your resume is a lie, hell yes I've lied. Otherwise, I can only remember one instance where I didn't know my real job title so I winged it, and it turned out to be a much lowlier title than what I had put.

On my CV/school applications, no I haven't that I remember.

[ukuli]

Basically I just include all the official, capitalist jobs, as well as the ones in "reputable" NGO's. Though I leave out those first jobs in the 90s.

And I leave out all of those activist type things, as they would seem bad to a capitalist employer. Even though in reality they often have been very useful experience... :blushing:

[Das war einmal]

If you lie too much, it will become obvious fast enough. You can and should exaggerate certain qualities of yourself, they'll want to hear that one way or another, but saying you've got certain degrades or a certain expertise that you really don't have dont sound like a real bright idea

[LOLseph Stalin]

Who knows? Maybe i'll have to resort to lying now since I lost my job after only a few months.

[Honggweilo]

Lying is not only tollerated, its a norm. But never boldly lie though, don't just make up obnoxious stuff you can't back up, just twist the truth a little. For example If you have experience with webdesign and scripting languages, just make up a course you went to. They never really ask to present a diploma anyway.

Also never include your political activities in applying for functions that could take offence to those activities. Even if some skills you gained through activism (legal knowledge, editing, ect.) are usefull. Just relate those skills to made up past activities.

[LOLseph Stalin]

Also never include your political activities in applying for functions that could take offence to those activities. Even if some skills you gained through activism (legal knowledge, editing, ect.) are usefull. Just relate those skills to made up past activities.

Of course. Here in Canada we're not supposed to include references to religious or political views. So you can't say stuff about being a member of a revolutionary group or something if they ask about activities you're involved in.

[rednordman]

:Dlol at this thread: I always remember getting given a 'frank' talk from my older brother about how my CV wasnt flashy enough to get me a job and how it is important to 'elaborate' and 'fabricate' certain aspects. This is while having qualifications and experience n all. I hate this system, nothing is ever good enough. I might add that the job I'm in now did not require a CV.

[LOLseph Stalin]

I might add that the job I'm in now did not require a CV.

That seems to be rare in our current system. Usually CV's are required so the bourgeois pigs can find the best slave to oppress.

[Honggweilo]

Also a important note, keep your facebook's "googleability" on the down low, employers love to fish for dirt there.

[Wanted Man]

I guess bold-faced lies like "I successfully managed a major corporation over the past ten years" would not fly, but of course, it makes sense to exaggerate certain qualities.

Another question: what if you have little (relevant) prior work experience? In that case, I wonder if a chronological cv might not actually detract from your efforts to get a decent job. I'm considering writing a functional cv instead.

[pastradamus]

To lie on your CV is common practice. Nine times out of Ten the Employer does not go through every job on your list with reference. I say if it makes your CV look better then use false information. The Employer will cram your head with false information of his/her own anyway so I say screw them and lie on your CV, besides with this global depression (and its a depression not a recession) one must be absolutely ruthless in finding work.

[LOLseph Stalin]

one must be absolutely ruthless in finding work.

Definitely. I just lost my job I only had for about three months. It took me forever to get hired there too.