Lying On a CV - Peoples/Employers thoughts/experiences

[acd80]

badgers_back said:

Same company noooo

Few moves on glowing references, good experience, full set of industry qualifications and a high level of security clearance...

You'd better hope that your case officer never finds out that you've tried to hide something as once they start digging, they don't tend to stop until your clearances have been suspended or revoked...

[TwigtheWonderkid]

There's not a single lie on my CV, but when I read it I can hardly recognise myself, which I'm quite proud of.
Don't lie, but you can be creative.
Popping down to Rymans to by a new calculator for the accounts dept can easily become "exclusively sourced, purchased and successfully delivered new computer hardware for finance department, all within a limited time scale."

[Sir Bagalot]

DeuxCentCinq said:

My company fired someone who accidentally put that they got a B in GCSE Geography and a C in History instead of the other way round. He was a 42 year old finance dept. manager with two degrees and a bunch of professional qualifications, but they literally fired him from an £80k a year (+ bonus) job for that mistake.

Does someone applying for a £80K post seriously list their grades? Mine simply states X GCSE's including Maths and English

[talksthetorque]

If it's a decent size company there will be the standard HR form for every job from tea boy ( Yes I know there's no such thing as a tea boy any more) to FD then yes, it will have a tabulated section for exams/grades.

I bet he wish he tried harder in History.....

[Kermit power]

SidewaysSi said:

Every employer will ask for your GCSEs, A Levels and degree at graduate level guaranteed.

Ask for and verify are two different things though. I've never knowingly had an employer verify mine. They'd be welcome to do so though, as I wouldn't dream of lying about anything objective on a CV.

Subjective areas are a different matter, of course. If you can't embellish those to make yourself look good in sales, how on earth can the employer expect you to make their products or services look good?

[Kermit power]

mattf93 said:

Thanks for the responses guys, just really wanted to get some proper advice from people that have done well. as I stated I'm not going to lie on my CV if I get a 2:2 So be it. I am naturally gifted at geography surprisingly (never got less than 90% in an exam at gcse or A-Level and full marks in all my courseworks (amazing at bullstting with regards to rivers and case studies).
I chose law as the employability projects afterwards, and transferable skills afterwards seem to be more important to employers and give me more options after. I did law at A level and did ok but not exceptionally, my final exam let me down and I came out with a B so decided to continue. In hindsight it perhaps may have been better to change but I wanted to 'prove to myself' I could stick it out and do a degree. - sounds silly now but oh well.
I just don't want to end up in a crappy local job at home (Rutland), I'd like to get a decent job/career but appreciate I may need to get some experience under my belt of o get a 2:2.

I now hate law (bores me to tears now). So any advice as to where to go from here would be great. As I said above I have no intention of lying to get into a position just need pointers of where to go next. That said I am planning on doing a ski season this winter (was going to do before uni).

Thanks Chaps for your responses - hope I don't seem too much of a giant dick head ??

My sister also did law (and got a 2:2). By the end of her degree, the one thing she was categorically certain of in life was that she didn't want to be a lawyer!!

She joined the Army, spent seven years as an officer, and has subsequently worked around the world in various conflict resolution roles for which I'm sure her legal background has been useful, despite not having to be a lawyer, and absolutely loves it.

Of course, if you actually wanted to become a lawyer, you'd need legal qualifications, just as a doctor or civil engineer would need the appropriate qualifications, but those roles are the exception. For the vast majority of careers, just having a degree is far more important than the subject matter so long as you've not studied Ethnic Basket Weaving or some other similarly trivial bks.

Work your arse off now, and tell yourself the boredom is finite. If you can pull yourself through to a 2:1, you need never look at another legal text again, but your career choice for things other than law will become that bit broader.

Good luck!

[LeoSayer]

In the words of Morrissey (sorry) "Cause there's always someone, somewhere, with a big nose, who knows. Who trips you up and laughs when you fall"

A lie like that will stay with you forever and you'll never be able to relax in whatever position you hold.

In my experience, one lie can lead to another which can lead to another.

[Sir Humphrey]

Sir Bagalot said:

Does someone applying for a £80K post seriously list their grades? Mine simply states X GCSE's including Maths and English

They must have wanted him gone anyway to nail him for something like that, you're hardly going to not hire an £80kpa finance manager on the basis that they didn't get a B in GCSE history.

Edited by Sir Humphrey on Saturday 16th May 01:58

[KFC]

Sir Humphrey said:

They must have wanted him gone anyway to nail him for something like that, you're hardly going to not hire an £80kpa finance manager on the basis that they didn't get a B in GCSE history.

Edited by Sir Humphrey on Saturday 16th May 01:58

We're definitely not getting the full story.

I don't even see how you could realistically fire someone for that anyway. a B and a C round the wrong way is neither here or there... its hardly swapping a desmond for a first, is it?

[mph1977]

swerni said:

KFC said:

Sir Humphrey said:

They must have wanted him gone anyway to nail him for something like that, you're hardly going to not hire an £80kpa finance manager on the basis that they didn't get a B in GCSE history.

Edited by Sir Humphrey on Saturday 16th May 01:58

We're definitely not getting the full story.

I don't even see how you could realistically fire someone for that anyway. a B and a C round the wrong way is neither here or there... its hardly swapping a desmond for a first, is it?

Either that or it never happened.
In 26 years, I've never been asked to prove my grades and woukdnt even know how to.

other than presenting certificates / results slips with centre no. and candidate no. you mean ?

[MentalSarcasm]

To give some balance to people saying they've never been asked to show exam results, I've been applying for admin jobs recently, had 4 interviews since January, 3 of them have asked me to bring in my degree and A-Level certificates to be copied before the interview, and the one that didn't said they would request copies if I was offered the role (presumably the offer would then be revoked if it was shown I'd lied).

[mph1977]

swerni said:

mph1977 said:

swerni said:

KFC said:

Sir Humphrey said:

They must have wanted him gone anyway to nail him for something like that, you're hardly going to not hire an £80kpa finance manager on the basis that they didn't get a B in GCSE history.

Edited by Sir Humphrey on Saturday 16th May 01:58

We're definitely not getting the full story.

I don't even see how you could realistically fire someone for that anyway. a B and a C round the wrong way is neither here or there... its hardly swapping a desmond for a first, is it?

Either that or it never happened.
In 26 years, I've never been asked to prove my grades and woukdnt even know how to.

other than presenting certificates / results slips with centre no. and candidate no. you mean ?

That assumes you have them.
I'm sure I may once been given them, but don't have them and haven't seen them since.

oh dear, carelessness has costs - the successor bodies to the original exam boards will issue confirmations for a tidy sum ...

[Vaud]

I've been asked for my degree certificate, never GCSE/A-levels.

[Countdown]

Sir Humphrey said:

Sir Bagalot said:

Does someone applying for a £80K post seriously list their grades? Mine simply states X GCSE's including Maths and English

They must have wanted him gone anyway to nail him for something like that, you're hardly going to not hire an £80kpa finance manager on the basis that they didn't get a B in GCSE history.

Edited by Sir Humphrey on Saturday 16th May 01:58

That was my first thought as well. Given what a faff it is to find and train up decent staff you would only get rid if they were cr@p at their job. Why would you even be looking at their grades if they had been appointed and cleared their probation term?

[Countdown]

mr_spock said:

I had one CV through from an agent - the candidate used to work for me at another company but didn't know I was the hiring manager.

On his CV he claimed he did my job!

No interview, and the recruiter told in no uncertain terms not to bother me any more.

Same thing happened here! The applicant put down bits of my job and bits of my boss's job - doing journal entries translated into "Prepared the annual accounts"

It was a shame really as she was stunning and, if she hadn't lied on her form I would have appointed - she was actually very good at her job.

[Langweilig]

oilslick said:

Most big companies will put you through some kind of vetting process that'll probably uncover your lie. Smaller companies are more pot-luck.

My company demands that successful applicants submit original examination and qualification certificates.

No certificates = no job.

[TotalControl]

I've been applying for Junior PM/ Project Coordinator roles for the past few months. Haven't had a single response back which, to be honest, is quite demotivating with not having enough experience. I need the role for experience but they want someone who already has it. Catch22.

Do I lie? I have considered it in all honesty, but don't because I want to be hired for what I know. I'd rather not get bitten in the arse later on.

This thread is now making me think if others that have been successful in obtaining said roles have lied at all.

[Vaud]

TotalControl said:

I've been applying for Junior PM/ Project Coordinator roles for the past few months. Haven't had a single response back which, to be honest, is quite demotivating with not having enough experience. I need the role for experience but they want someone who already has it. Catch22.

Do I lie? I have considered it in all honesty, but don't because I want to be hired for what I know. I'd rather not get bitten in the arse later on.

This thread is now making me think if others that have been successful in obtaining said roles have lied at all.

What transferable skills can you apply? What project techniques do you already use? How can you demonstrate them from your recent work? Etc. you can be truthful and tune a cv to a role.

[p1stonhead]

Sounds like id be screwed in a lot of companies.

I think I have my (only 3 year old) degree certificate but I have moved house twice since then so who knows. I certainly dont have anything before that - no chance.

Never been asked, never been queried - only worked for smaller ones mind.

[Vaud]

p1stonhead said:

Sounds like id be screwed in a lot of companies.

I think I have my (only 3 year old) degree certificate but I have moved house twice since then so who knows. I certainly dont have anything before that - no chance.

Never been asked, never been queried.

You can get statements from exam boards, in case you ever need it.