Misleading Job Application

LegacyUser

Hey, not entirely sure if I've wandered in to the right forum for this but I wanted to go unreg for a bit of advice.

I applied last month to a job at a relatively large accountancy firm through it's website. It's not an entirely orthodox application process in that you don't send in a CV, you simply apply through browser by filling in your details, entering college exam results etc.

Anyway, the majority of the application I answered entirely truthfully apart from my leaving cert results. I didn't have the transcripts of the results on hand nor could I find them (been 8 years since I sat them) so I just took an estimated guess at what I thought I might have gotten. Eventually came across the results couple of weeks later but I'm at about 35-40 points lower than I had put in the application. In the application, my LC points were 350 but in reality they're closer to 315.

I thought nothing of guessing the LC results because it was the LC and I figured even if I was a little off I had a strong 1.1 in the discipline and a couple of academic awards and extra-curriculars which I thought would be more relevant (I've since found out that big accounting firms use LC points to filter out applicants they don't want, and so the LC would actually be quite important to them)

Anyway, I've been called out for an interview next week, and I'm not sure what to do. Should I ring up before the interview and explain situation, should I wait, do the interview and see if I get an offer? Would really love to get the job but am worried that something like this would reflect very poorly on me.

Any advice appreciated, thanks

Monkey Allen

I'd do the interview first and then explain the error on LC results if they are requested.

Frank Black

Jonhuntar27 wrote: »

Should I ring up before the interview and explain situation,

Absolutly not - it's highly unlikly they will even check your LC results - they'll be far more interested in your 3rd level qulaifications. If they do check simply explain what happened.

moochers

Say nothing, it's highly unlikely they will even ask about your LC results.
I wasn't even aware that the LC results were relevant on c.v's. In my c.v the only reference I have to my LC is the school and year.

Teyla Emmagan

Don't worry about it. Go and excel at the interview. It will never ever come up.

wirelessdude01

LC results stand for nothing now once you have a 3rd level qual.

TwoGallants

Do you really think employers care about this once you've demonstrated your capability at third level. L.C. results are just a filter determining what college you get in to, once you're in UNI they really don't matter anymore.

Yeah, unless asked, then I wouldn't admit to anything. A lot of people bend the wording on their CV in different ways.

Princess Peach

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

LC results stand for nothing now once you have a 3rd level qual.

Not exactly true. Accountancy firms like to know Leaving Cert results as the format and study pace of the LC is a lot more similar to the exams set by the professional accountancy bodies than 3rd level exams. If a company is going to pay you to sit professional exams, they like to see you can perform well under the pressure, as you did in the LC.

I wouldn't go cancelling your interview at all though, just bring in a truthful copy of your CV and if asked, explain.

wirelessdude01

Princess Peach wrote: »

Not exactly true. Accountancy firms like to know Leaving Cert results as the format and study pace of the LC is a lot more similar to the exams set by the professional accountancy bodies than 3rd level exams. If a company is going to pay you to sit professional exams, they like to see you can perform well under the pressure, as you did in the LC.

I wouldn't go cancelling your interview at all though, just bring in a truthful copy of your CV and if asked, explain.

Surely that fact that the OP got enough points in the first place to get onto the course shows that they can perform under pressure? The LC really isn't an accurate measure of performance anyway but that is a totally different argument.

Princess Peach

It's going to be up to the hiring committee do decide if the candidate is a good fit, I'm just saying that all accountancy companies will ask for LC results if you're not fully qualified.

jubella

Accountancy firms want to see consistency in exam performance so it's highly likely they will check. Some even have a minimum LC points requirement to be considered. I would do the interview, but call HR after and explain the situation.

wallycharlo

I would not draw any attention to it, as I see nothing to be gained at this stage from that, i.e. disclosing it could give the impression that you are careless or indeed devious.

Unfortunately the truth can often be lost to the perceived truth.

iusedtoknow

Not once in my career (IT) have i been asked for LC/high school results. They tend to pay attention to the highest level of education rather than you school "career"...

On my CV now, I have "Leaving Certificate - 2005"

Neyite

OP, the online process for accountancy graduate positions are a bit different, and likely they will check. In the interview, bring it up with them towards the end of the interview that you made a genuine error in the application and this was your earliest opportunity to correct it.

This, says more about the character of the person that they want there - in that you will make mistakes (and we all do, when we start a new job) but that you own up to them, bring them to the attention of those that need to know, and try to correct them. This is a great quality to have in a worker.

Besides, accountants are professionally bound to act ethically. If you lie or cover it up, it will look way worse.

BUT don't cancel the interview!!

LegacyUser

Yeah I knew accountancy firms were a bit more anal when it came to LC points, regardless of performance at 3rd level, hence the dilemma. I'm going to go to the interview anyway and see how it goes. Haven't decided whether to mention it during interview or afterwards, I'll see how the interview itself goes. If I think there's a possibility I'll get a callback then I'll have to mention it sometime before the offer's tendered, otherwise I'll say nothing. Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

smallerthanyou

Don't worry about it. I've been through the process on the hiring and being hired in big four. In my years they didn't check or make any reference to lc results in interview. They don't ask for transcripts. They only request college transcripts. They only use lc results as a ranking tool.

kjl

If I was going to hire you, I wouldn't care about 35 points in the LC when you have a first class honours degree. Don't call it a 1.1 though, that is not correct.