Lied on my CV

[longshot]

I think the OP has already decided to blag it.

[Pit Pony]

m3coupe said:

Pit Pony said:

To the OP: What you have done, time and time again is actually commit a criminal offence of Fraud. You have lied in order to gain something to which you wouldn't be entitled to. Not sure how serious this is, and I doubt you'd get more than a police caution, and whilst I think most people would understand why you did this, it's WRONG (as in living a lie, that will and has come back to bite you)

What you need to do is find an excuse for NOT taking your application further, and then when you apply in future start telling the Truth. Then you need to go to night school, and get some relevant qualifications. Perhaps start with the Local Council's adult careers advisor. - I had a 3 hour session with a nice lady from Connexions about 13 years ago and it put me in the right direction for a career change.

I kind of see where you are going with your first comment of fraud but it isn't a fraud and certainly something the police would never look at.

Nobody has lost anything, nobody has gained anything so no crime has been committed. It's also a civil matter so not a police issue.

To the OP, you have to come clean or give up. They've called your bluff, and you can't show. Chalk it up to experience, walk away and sort out your cv before applying for anything else.

I kind of see where you are going but it is actually fraud. Neither of us have any legal training, (although I did a module of employment law in 1985 as part of an engineering degree - which must be totally out of date by now), but if there is one high profile case where someone went to prison, then I'm sure the advice to the OP is wrong. Back out of this application. Don't tell them you lied. You might get a snotty HR person, who decides to drop you in it. unlikely, but worth taking the risk?

Pit Pony said:

TurricanII said:

One of the most famous examples of obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception is that of Neil Taylor: he produced a bogus degree certificate to secure the £115,000 position as head of the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust in 2003. After admitting the offence of obtaining a pecuniary advantage through deception, he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.

Thank you.

[Hilts]

Anyone care to have a guess at the percentage of CVs that contain let's say deliberate 'incorrect information', aka lies?

[TurricanII]

Errrr, I have no legal training or quals either, just in case that wasn't clear. But many different mentions of the fraud act 2006 on t'internet suggest that lying on the CV is bad whether or not you get the job

[theboss]

I do sympathise with the OP but agree that to be caught falsifying even a trivial / irrelevant qualification on one's CV will almost certainly have serious, far reaching consequences.

I had a surprise background check performed recently, I'm working as a contractor for a bank, and for the first time in 15 years (to my knowledge) my 'A' level results were verified based on the information on my CV. The school actually copied me into their email correspondence with the referencing agency enlisted to perform an in-depth background check. A discrepancy was actually raised over the A-level results queried and those on record - fortunately a mistake make by the references agency - but it went to show that even things which "shouldn't" really matter, are still checked from time to time.

Whilst my A-levels have absolutely no bearing whatsoever on my ability to perform the services I've been contracted to deliver, I suspect that a false claim would have resulted in immediate termination of contract.

I'm tempted to simply remove any reference to school on my CV as its of so little relevance - if anyone wants to know they can always ask.

Edited by theboss on Sunday 17th August 23:29

[blueg33]

I have been in my current role for 6 years, I have nearly 30 years experience in the industry at Director level. I still had to produce my exam certificates for this role, and for one that was headhunting me earlier this year.

I think it is becoming increasingly common for employers to check people out more

[CasuallyDressed]

longshot said:

I think the OP has already decided to blag it.

Hmm, somewhat.

I've contacted the people I did my NVQs with and confirmed that my Communication and Application of Number do in fact act as equivalents to English and Maths GCSE A-C.

I've just now contacted the recruitment department of where I'm applying and asked if I can present my NVQ certificates in lieu of my 'lost' GCSE certificates. If its a yes, then happy days. If its a no then I'll come clean and tell them the truth (apparently my emails have been going through to the head of HR, not some random bod).

I guess I'll find out today whether or not I'm continuing with this application.

[IainT]

toasty said:

CharlesdeGaulle said:

toasty said:

I just put I have 8 O-levels which is true.

I never mention which grades I got, there were a few Ds and Es.

It's not though, is it? A-C was an O Level pass, D-E was a CSE (so not an O Level)

I agree that some of this is rarely asked, and even more-rarely important, but honesty is key.

OP - either 'fess up right now, or withdraw, qualify and re-apply. Good luck.

I don't believe you are correct, I took Olevel French for example and got a D. This is the equivalent of some form of CSE grade but is still Olevel grade D.

Possibly hypocritically, I agree with you on the OP's situation though.

It's an O-Level D, equivalent to a grade 1 CSE. If isn't an O-Level 'pass' though. Passes are A-C and '8 O-Levels' implies passes or would to me if I read a CV with that claim on it.

[Pit Pony]

Hilts said:

Anyone care to have a guess at the percentage of CVs that contain let's say deliberate 'incorrect information', aka lies?

There's FACT that you can not dispute, (Like exam results and places you actually worked) and

there's SPIN, where you can write something in a more positive way.

[Pothole]

Hilts said:

Anyone care to have a guess at the percentage of CVs that contain let's say deliberate 'incorrect information', aka lies?

Many, perhaps

[Hilts]

Pit Pony said:

Hilts said:

Anyone care to have a guess at the percentage of CVs that contain let's say deliberate 'incorrect information', aka lies?

There's FACT that you can not dispute, (Like exam results and places you actually worked) and

there's SPIN, where you can write something in a more positive way.

OK cool, but that's not what I asked.

[Hilts]

Pothole said:

Hilts said:

Anyone care to have a guess at the percentage of CVs that contain let's say deliberate 'incorrect information', aka lies?

Many, perhaps

Again, percentages?

[Hilts]

23 October 2000.

Was a good day.

[Pit Pony]

Hilts said:

OK cool, but that's not what I asked.

On my CV, there are no lies.

[Hilts]

Pit Pony said:

Hilts said:

OK cool, but that's not what I asked.

On my CV, there are no lies.

Fantastic. I'm happy for you Mr. Honest and above board.

However that's still not...hey never mind.

[The Moose]

CasuallyDressed said:

Hmm, somewhat.

I've contacted the people I did my NVQs with and confirmed that my Communication and Application of Number do in fact act as equivalents to English and Maths GCSE A-C.

I've just now contacted the recruitment department of where I'm applying and asked if I can present my NVQ certificates in lieu of my 'lost' GCSE certificates. If its a yes, then happy days. If its a no then I'll come clean and tell them the truth (apparently my emails have been going through to the head of HR, not some random bod).

I guess I'll find out today whether or not I'm continuing with this application.

So, what happened??

[Kermit power]

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the OP's actions, he does seem extremely unlucky!

I've never even been asked for my degree certificate in the twenty years since I graduated, much less my O level certificates!

[DJRC]

I think my only time was my grad job. After that I don't recall being asked. If I was asked now I'd just tell them to ps off I've moved around a lot I don't know where they are and I have no intention of wasting my time about them. If they want to then do their own bloody work and contact the institutions themselves and ask/verify.

[longshot]

Kermit power said:

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the OP's actions, he does seem extremely unlucky!

I've never even been asked for my degree certificate in the twenty years since I graduated, much less my O level certificates!

Perhaps it depends on how professional and convincing you look.
I always take mine with me.

[Terminator X]

tenpenceshort said:

Pit Pony said:

To the OP: What you have done, time and time again is actually commit a criminal offence of Fraud. You have lied in order to gain something to which you wouldn't be entitled to. Not sure how serious this is, and I doubt you'd get more than a police caution, and whilst I think most people would understand why you did this, it's WRONG (as in living a lie, that will and has come back to bite you)

What you need to do is find an excuse for NOT taking your application further, and then when you apply in future start telling the Truth. Then you need to go to night school, and get some relevant qualifications. Perhaps start with the Local Council's adult careers advisor. - I had a 3 hour session with a nice lady from Connexions about 13 years ago and it put me in the right direction for a career change.

Can we please have some perspective here? The purpose of employers wanting GCSEs in Maths and English is to make sure the candidate is at least educated to some employable level. You only have to read the OP to realise he's well above average at least in written English.

If I were an employer, at least in an organisation where I had power to make decisions, I would not penalise the OP for feeling it necessary to tell porkies about the GCSEs, if I had met him and decided he was a reasonably educated and productive member of society.

It is important the OP comes clean, and it may end badly for him with this opportunity, but that is no reason to beat him with a pointy stick.

All those years at school wasted then, I should have just fked around for 11 years and come to work for you!

TX.