Lying to get a job

mel123 · 01-07-2006 1:13pm #1

My friend has an interview set up next week for a job. Thing is she completly lied on her cv to get the job which she found on some jobs website. She has even gone so far as to say she has done a course which she hasnt. She reckons as long as they dont ask to see the certificate she will be grand. I on the other hand dont think she will pull it off. Anyway, im just wondering is this normal for people to do?? I would never have thought of doing it, but then again if it will land me a good job i may think of it when going for another job!!

Huggles · 01-07-2006 1:17pm

mel123 wrote:

My friend has an interview set up next week for a job. Thing is she completly lied on her cv to get the job which she found on some jobs website. She has even gone so far as to say she has done a course which she hasnt. She reckons as long as they dont ask to see the certificate she will be grand. I on the other hand dont think she will pull it off. Anyway, im just wondering is this normal for people to do?? I would never have thought of doing it, but then again if it will land me a good job i may think of it when going for another job!!

I think its normal to STRETCH the truth not out and out lie! She won't pull it off.

Wishbone Ash · 01-07-2006 1:20pm

mel123 wrote:

My friend has an interview set up next week for a job. Thing is she completly lied on her cv to get the job which she found on some jobs website. She has even gone so far as to say she has done a course which she hasnt. She reckons as long as they dont ask to see the certificate she will be grand. I on the other hand dont think she will pull it off. Anyway, im just wondering is this normal for people to do?? I would never have thought of doing it, but then again if it will land me a good job i may think of it when going for another job!!

A lot of people may be economical with the truth but it's very risky to blatantly lie. I imagine they are going to want to see certs anyway!

"O what a wicked web we weave, when we set out to deceive"

abetarrush · 01-07-2006 1:38pm

Ha, she's gonna crash and burn

mel123 · 01-07-2006 2:45pm

If they dont ask to see certs from the college course which she never did, id say down the line she will slip up and they might find out....not sure if that will matter then if she has proved herself?!

Ruu_Old · 01-07-2006 2:47pm

I wouldnt advise it now, they will check up on her certificates even without having to ask for them in person, sooner or later they will find out.

Smoggy · 01-07-2006 6:56pm

If its a poor ass job and she is intelligent she will pull it off.
If its a half decent job , she will be well out of her depth, found out in the first 2 weeks and not get a reference as she sails heads first out the door.

DOLEMAN · 01-07-2006 7:23pm

A labourer friend of mine pretended he had a Business Degree. Now he's a fund accountant earning 35k.

It really depends how confident and how good you are at lying.

Most jobs you can pick up with a little bit of training and cop on.

Wouldn't try it myself (don't need to) but I understand people doing it if they're desperate...

damnyanks · 01-07-2006 8:15pm

Then you get fired straight away when they eventually do find out you lied. Also if you work there for any length of time you probably won't to put them down on your CV meaning you have to explain that 1 - 2 year absence of work on your next interview.

the_syco · 01-07-2006 10:18pm

A few people on these boards (I won't mention any names, but they've admited it), and have kept their job, but the promotion was held off. Other people can lie, and get away with it, but only if they know their sh|t.

Otherwise, if one of the people @ the interview has done the course, and asks a few questions, she's f*cked. Also, if they see that the time layout is wrong, ie: 2 full time jobs when she was meant to have done the course/done the course somewhere that doesn't do it, she'll be up sh|t creek, tbh.

DonkeyStyle \o/ · 01-07-2006 10:49pm

If it's a government job, just tell her to buy a degree online... seems to do the trick.

leeroybrown · 02-07-2006 12:22am

There are quite a lot of people out there who blag their way into a job and get away with it. Personally speaking I hope she gets found out as it really belittles the work of those who studied for the qualitication she is pretending to have.

I think it's fairly normal practice to massage the truth if necessary for a CV or an interview. I've played up my experience and level of involvement in areas for interviews. If it's done well with some subtlety I think it's good interview technique that helps you sell yourself to an employer.

Huggles · 02-07-2006 12:38am

leeroybrown wrote:

There are quite a lot of people out there who blag their way into a job and get away with it. Personally speaking I hope she gets found out as it really belittles the work of those who studied for the qualitication she is pretending to have.

I think it's fairly normal practice to massage the truth if necessary for a CV or an interview. I've played up my experience and level of involvement in areas for interviews. If it's done well with some subtlety I think it's good interview technique that helps you sell yourself to an employer.

Yes agree. Agree strongly with the first point.

Belittles those of us who studied to get our qualifications to get our foot in the door then work our way up.

There is a guy in my place who was found out last week after me being suspicious for about 2 months.

Won't say too much about it but he fuucked up in spectacular stylee and missed something hugely importanty that a properly trained eye would have spotted a mile off!

Lump · 02-07-2006 8:53am

She's going to look like a fool in the interview.....

mel123 · 02-07-2006 12:43pm

Ill keep u's posted, i have a feeling she could pull off the interview and stuff, and like some of ye said, when it comes to working she will defo get caught.

A girl in my current job lied about her age, she was over 30 and thought that they might of wanted someone younger. She eventually got caught, she got pulled up on it but didnt get fired....

Wishbone Ash · 02-07-2006 12:46pm

mel123 wrote:

A girl in my current job lied about her age, she was over 30 and thought that they might of wanted someone younger. She eventually got caught, she got pulled up on it but didnt get fired....

She didn't get fired because it would have been illegal to do so unless she was under 18 (16?) or over 65.

Our man in Havana · 02-07-2006 3:21pm

I know someone that has a degree obtained online and is working away no bother. He says there is f all they can do as the degree was obtained legally and he knows his stuff.

Huggles · 02-07-2006 3:29pm

Just thinking there that her lies could get someone else fired if they didn't ask for certificates. Two people out of a job then. Tut tut.

Our man in Havana · 02-07-2006 3:33pm

I have never been asked to show certs for any job I have ever had. Once it was down on the CV it was taken as read.

Huggles · 02-07-2006 3:38pm

Bond-007 wrote:

I have never been asked to show certs for any job I have ever had. Once it was down on the CV it was taken as read.

Well for any jobs ive had or went for they checked my degree with DCU.

Our man in Havana · 02-07-2006 3:40pm

Must depend of the employer/HR monkey.

Huggles · 02-07-2006 3:42pm

Bond-007 wrote:

Must depend of the employer/HR monkey.

Yeah I guess so, personally id be pissed if someone got a job ahead of me through lying about a having a qualification I had the whole time, I'd be greatly p1ssed.

Civilian_Target · 02-07-2006 7:44pm

Depends on the job. You could probably make up a business or arts degree, and in IT, because "knowledge" of a subject is a vague term, a "knowledge" of language XY can mean anything from basics to proficiency

k974 · 03-07-2006 1:06am

all these people saying she wont get away with it etc.

grow some balls and chance it all you need is a bit of neck! **** it your caught out your caught out but i bet if she's got the balls to try it she'll get away with it.

live a little! same sort of people bothered their tv license is out of date or some thing. you'd be surprised how far a bit of neck will take you in this world!!

mel123 · 03-07-2006 10:05am

Ive done a few college courses over the years and never been asked to show any of my certs. A bit weird alright.

DamoKen · 03-07-2006 11:50am

mel123 wrote:

Ive done a few college courses over the years and never been asked to show any of my certs. A bit weird alright.

I've often wondered about that myself as I've never been asked to provide evidence of my qualifications. Is it possible/legal for a company to check with the college in question without your permission? Can't see why it wouldn't unless it violates the data protection act or something. Be interested if anyone in a HR or management role could answer that.

DOLEMAN · 03-07-2006 11:52am

If you did your degree 5 - 10 years previous and (highly unlikely) they ask to see a copy of it, if you said "it's in my parents house in cork" they'd probably leave it at that. HR people are shockingly lazy (they are too used to doing nothing) so they won't want the hassle of trying to figure out if you're lying or not.

In this world, the scumbags get rich and the honest pay the taxes...

Our man in Havana · 03-07-2006 12:16pm

DamoKen wrote:

I've often wondered about that myself as I've never been asked to provide evidence of my qualifications. Is it possible/legal for a company to check with the college in question without your permission? Can't see why it wouldn't unless it violates the data protection act or something. Be interested if anyone in a HR or management role could answer that.

The college in question would be bound under the data protection act and could not talk about it unless you gave written permission.

DamoKen · 03-07-2006 12:26pm

Bond-007 wrote:

The college in question would be bound under the data protection act and could not talk about it unless you gave written permission.

which you of course would have no problem giving as no one would lie about such a thing!

It really does highlight the laziness of HR departments though if they couldn't be ars€d doing a simple and I would have thought fundamental check before agreeing to employ someone!

So this girl is taking advantage of someone else being too lazy to do their job. All she's doing at the end of the day is taking the obligatory "massaging" of the truth one step further and playing the system. Fair balls to her if she gets it then.

cheers for the clarification on that Bond, now for my next appointment..., Masters or Phd???

Our man in Havana · 03-07-2006 12:35pm

www.instantdegrees.com

:D:D

Dahakka · 03-07-2006 12:48pm

If she's dealing with a half decent company, she won't last. A friend of mine went through a similar experience recently; lied to get the job and happened to get it. Two weeks later the company noticed a distinct lack of knowledge on the stuff she was supposed to be hired for. She was asked for course credentials, couldn't produce them, out the door she went. So I'd strongly advise against it to prevent embarrassment and further trouble down the line. Word goes around, you know.

Regards

Dahakka

Jail8ird · 03-07-2006 2:39pm

I've been trying to find work in Galway for a number of weeks
now and I'm amazed the number of people who tell me to just
blag it. I'm not too technical but am told to BS it since half
the job descriptions are a load of bullony anyway.
If this girl has the cop-on she'll be fine since why would she
blag to get into a job that she knows nowt about. I think
she'll make it

the_syco · 03-07-2006 4:06pm

Bond-007 wrote:

The college in question would be bound under the data protection act and could not talk about it unless you gave written permission.

I wonder, though, are they allowed to say if you ever went to college there...

Gone West · 03-07-2006 4:14pm

nope thats all bullshít.
for all your talk of data protection act...
Theres also the freedom of information act.

Theres no point posting stuff if you know absolutely nothing about the topic at hand. Any HR, student records office worker, or management type will tell you that all it takes is a quick email or phone call to any Irish university to confirm that someone has completed the course they cited.

As it should be.
Data protection my árse!
Where do we get these people...

Gegerty · 03-07-2006 4:37pm

Jail8ird wrote:

I've been trying to find work in Galway for a number of weeks
now and I'm amazed the number of people who tell me to just
blag it. I'm not too technical but am told to BS it since half
the job descriptions are a load of bullony anyway.
If this girl has the cop-on she'll be fine since why would she
blag to get into a job that she knows nowt about. I think
she'll make it

Exactly. If she knows her stuff then thats all that matters. If they're unsure about you in the interview but they like what they see on your CV then they'll probably ring up on your references and ask for certs etc. to make sure you're not blagging it. I think they expect people to exaggerate on their CV's but lying is another thing.

Thanks just my opinion I'm not an interviewer.

Our man in Havana · 03-07-2006 4:55pm

FuzzyLogic wrote:

nope thats all bullshít.
for all your talk of data protection act...
Theres also the freedom of information act.

Theres no point posting stuff if you know absolutely nothing about the topic at hand. Any HR, student records office worker, or management type will tell you that all it takes is a quick email or phone call to any Irish university to confirm that someone has completed the course they cited.

As it should be.
Data protection my árse!
Where do we get these people...

Well then, most HR people don't know the law. Where I went to college they told us that they would not discuss their students attendance, exam results etc with a 3rd party without written consent. I called the Data Protection office today and they confirmed this.

Gone West · 03-07-2006 5:06pm

yeah its the difference between "real life" and "what you read in the law/books/media/ what people tell you/what you believe/etc"

delete as appropriate.

Cake Fiend · 03-07-2006 5:55pm

I don't know where everyone is getting the idea that she'll be caught out straight away - I wouldn't be surprised in the least (depending on the type of job of course) if she got away with a bare-faced lie. I've never once had any of my (truthful!) references checked out to my knowledge.

Hopefully she will get caught out though

Sleepy · 03-07-2006 6:03pm

A friend of mine literally made up a bank in America that he said he'd worked in for three months during a summer over there when going for his first job in fund administration. 2 years in, he's working for a different company and left the first place with excellent references. Sometimes being a lying get works...

DOLEMAN · 03-07-2006 6:21pm

Sleepy, I bet you it was the same funds company that my labourer (!!) friend went to work for.

Does it begin with a "P" ?

Their HR person obviously is a complete waste of space and money...

Tha Gopher · 04-07-2006 6:29pm

Some of you make me ashamed to be Irish, what happened to us. Wah wah thats dishonest, just because I was a sucker and did what my mammy told me means that some trickster shouldnt get ahead.

I say go for it, it could work. HR departments are disgracefully lazy and incompetent. Hell, I worked in the financial sector, Id access to credit card numbers, bank details yadda yadda for THREE MONTHS before my references/record was checked (dont have a record but it would be a safe bet to say they didnt check until then)

Go for it. My uncles been the most respected GP in this area for 30 years now. Its amazing how a word processer and colour printer could fool people on the health boards in the 1970s......

He eventually got the hang of it, mostly from what he read on the back of old sugar packets.

Dahakka · 05-07-2006 9:28am

"He eventually got the hang of it, mostly from what he read on the back of old sugar packets."

Got the hang of it? The hang of being a GP? Gosh, that's a confidence-inspiring fact, isn't it? The next time you go to the dentist, bear in mind that they may be trying to "get the hang of it" while they tinker away inside your mouth.:eek:

Gurgle · 05-07-2006 10:16am

mel123 wrote:

She has even gone so far as to say she has done a course which she hasnt.

Are we talking a Bachelor's Degree here or some 2-bit FAS course where you get a certificate of attendance?

If its option B, she'll be fine.
If its option A, she'll probably be fine.

jamescrombie · 05-07-2006 11:28am

when i was in the Uk i made up a bank in Boston where i was working as a security guard. I said Boston Private Bank and i worked in IT there for 3 months... HR called me 3 weeks into the job saying that Boston Private Bank have no recollection of me... i was sh1tting it.. It was christmas and i was going back to ireland so they said bring in a wage slip... i didnt have a clue what to do.. was stressed all christmas... when i came back in January sitting on my desk was a leaver form for the HR person ... i was quickly went down and retired her PC and Closed her outlook permanetly CLOSE ESCAPE

Lying to get a job

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