CV exaggerations - should I care?
Discussion
I've received a CV from a recruitment agency for somebody looking for Finance work. The person actually used to work in my Dept on a temp contract 12 months ago and this is included on the CV. However the CV seems to be exaggerating the level of responsibility quite significantly (as well as the salary the person was on).
The work was basicially providing finance support to operational managers, paying £25k. According to the CV it was preparing / reviewing Annual Accounts, KPIs, basically doing senior manager-level stuff. the salary she quoted whilst she was employed here was £35k.
It might be the person being a bit cheeky and "bigging up" the CV. It might be the Agency just making assumptions. I also know that when she left us she lied about the salary she was on when she negotiated her new contract.
Should I let the agency know she's pulling a fast one? There's some pretty blatant lies in there, it affects me not a jot but its not very professional (IMO).
The work was basicially providing finance support to operational managers, paying £25k. According to the CV it was preparing / reviewing Annual Accounts, KPIs, basically doing senior manager-level stuff. the salary she quoted whilst she was employed here was £35k.
It might be the person being a bit cheeky and "bigging up" the CV. It might be the Agency just making assumptions. I also know that when she left us she lied about the salary she was on when she negotiated her new contract.
Should I let the agency know she's pulling a fast one? There's some pretty blatant lies in there, it affects me not a jot but its not very professional (IMO).
Personally I'd tell them. I'm honest on mine, so why should someone else 'get ahead' by lying on theirs?
I think the money side of it is less relevant, everyone wants a few more bob. Lying about salary is one thing, buy lying about skills is too much.
ETA: Ask her for an interview and start questioning the time she was at your firm. "It says here you done X and Y, funny as I don't remember you doing that" etc...
I think the money side of it is less relevant, everyone wants a few more bob. Lying about salary is one thing, buy lying about skills is too much.
ETA: Ask her for an interview and start questioning the time she was at your firm. "It says here you done X and Y, funny as I don't remember you doing that" etc...
kooky guy said:
I didn't think people put previous/existing salaries on a CV? I've never seen one with salaries shown - they're just not relevant.
You pay them what you think they're worth, surely?
Her salary expectation (this time round) were on the covering email.You pay them what you think they're worth, surely?
When she left us last time the Agency which placed her into her new role phoned me asking if they could backfill her old role. When I asked why they were oferring me candidates on £30k plus they told me that's what she had told her new employers she was being paid.
Hope that makes sense.
illmonkey said:
Personally I'd tell them. I'm honest on mine, so why should someone else 'get ahead' by lying on theirs?
I think the money side of it is less relevant, everyone wants a few more bob. Lying about salary is one thing, buy lying about skills is too much.
ETA: Ask her for an interview and start questioning the time she was at your firm. "It says here you done X and Y, funny as I don't remember you doing that" etc...
"Oh it's the Agency. they've made a mistake. I told them I "assisted" with preparing Annual Accounts / Commitee reports" (whilst fluttering eyelashes and leaning forward).I think the money side of it is less relevant, everyone wants a few more bob. Lying about salary is one thing, buy lying about skills is too much.
ETA: Ask her for an interview and start questioning the time she was at your firm. "It says here you done X and Y, funny as I don't remember you doing that" etc...
Countdown said:
kooky guy said:
I didn't think people put previous/existing salaries on a CV? I've never seen one with salaries shown - they're just not relevant.
You pay them what you think they're worth, surely?
Her salary expectation (this time round) were on the covering email.You pay them what you think they're worth, surely?
When she left us last time the Agency which placed her into her new role phoned me asking if they could backfill her old role. When I asked why they were oferring me candidates on £30k plus they told me that's what she had told her new employers she was being paid.
Hope that makes sense.
Bit of a large jump, most people I know state their previous salary and what they want to move and usually ask 10-20% as its not worth the risk otherwise.
Du1point8 said:
She was trying to get a jump up in salary with new employers, not a lot more.
Bit of a large jump, most people I know state their previous salary and what they want to move and usually ask 10-20% as its not worth the risk otherwise.
I understand the thing about the "jump up" but £10k ?? Shirley a p155take.Bit of a large jump, most people I know state their previous salary and what they want to move and usually ask 10-20% as its not worth the risk otherwise.
Countdown said:
Du1point8 said:
She was trying to get a jump up in salary with new employers, not a lot more.
Bit of a large jump, most people I know state their previous salary and what they want to move and usually ask 10-20% as its not worth the risk otherwise.
I understand the thing about the "jump up" but £10k ?? Shirley a p155take.Bit of a large jump, most people I know state their previous salary and what they want to move and usually ask 10-20% as its not worth the risk otherwise.
k up myself...I told an agency I wanted X salary and then got to final interviews, just to be told that cause agent put me in at X + Y (Y being an extra 27%) that I was priced out of the job... I was furious when I found out...
So there might by another side to this story that the agent is just after their commission and the candidate doesnt know.
Du1point8 said:
Countdown said:
Du1point8 said:
She was trying to get a jump up in salary with new employers, not a lot more.
Bit of a large jump, most people I know state their previous salary and what they want to move and usually ask 10-20% as its not worth the risk otherwise.
I understand the thing about the "jump up" but £10k ?? Shirley a p155take.Bit of a large jump, most people I know state their previous salary and what they want to move and usually ask 10-20% as its not worth the risk otherwise.
k up myself...I told an agency I wanted X salary and then got to final interviews, just to be told that cause agent put me in at X + Y (Y being an extra 27%) that I was priced out of the job... I was furious when I found out...
So there might by another side to this story that the agent is just after their commission and the candidate doesnt know.
Has the agency known the truth they wouldn't have wasted my time and theirs by sending me overpriced candidates.
Countdown said:
Du1point8 said:
Countdown said:
Du1point8 said:
She was trying to get a jump up in salary with new employers, not a lot more.
Bit of a large jump, most people I know state their previous salary and what they want to move and usually ask 10-20% as its not worth the risk otherwise.
I understand the thing about the "jump up" but £10k ?? Shirley a p155take.Bit of a large jump, most people I know state their previous salary and what they want to move and usually ask 10-20% as its not worth the risk otherwise.
k up myself...I told an agency I wanted X salary and then got to final interviews, just to be told that cause agent put me in at X + Y (Y being an extra 27%) that I was priced out of the job... I was furious when I found out...
So there might by another side to this story that the agent is just after their commission and the candidate doesnt know.
Has the agency known the truth they wouldn't have wasted my time and theirs by sending me overpriced candidates.
Du1point8 said:
I would go with Agency fk up myself...
I told an agency I wanted X salary and then got to final interviews, just to be told that cause agent put me in at X + Y (Y being an extra 27%) that I was priced out of the job... I was furious when I found out...
So there might by another side to this story that the agent is just after their commission and the candidate doesnt know.
I've had similar but the other way round. I told an agency what i wanted and they put me forward for an interview telling me it was paying X. Interview went well, so went back for a 2nd interview and spent an hour looking round the company and meeting with the MD. So then they talk about salary right at the end of the 2nd interview after a good 1.5 hours worth or time invested on all our parts. It turns out they were offering 20% below what the agency had told me, and we were all shocked and annoyed at the complete waste of time. Basically, the agency had just wanted to get me in there and hope i'd like it and take a massive cut! Hugely annoying!!k up myself...I told an agency I wanted X salary and then got to final interviews, just to be told that cause agent put me in at X + Y (Y being an extra 27%) that I was priced out of the job... I was furious when I found out...
So there might by another side to this story that the agent is just after their commission and the candidate doesnt know.
nick s said:
I've had similar but the other way round. I told an agency what i wanted and they put me forward for an interview telling me it was paying X. Interview went well, so went back for a 2nd interview and spent an hour looking round the company and meeting with the MD. So then they talk about salary right at the end of the 2nd interview after a good 1.5 hours worth or time invested on all our parts. It turns out they were offering 20% below what the agency had told me, and we were all shocked and annoyed at the complete waste of time. Basically, the agency had just wanted to get me in there and hope i'd like it and take a massive cut! Hugely annoying!!
You have my smpathies - that's happened to us recently as well.Circulated a Job Spect to various agencies, telling them we're looking at paying £20-£22 ph and that £22 is the absolute max. Get about 50 CVs sent in, several good applicants, including one girl who is absolutely perfect for the job. She would basically fit right in with nearly zero training.
So after interviewing I call the agency to tell them the good news.
"Great - we'll contact her and come back to you to agree details"
Calls back to say "Yes she'd love the job and would be happy to work at £28ph" Wtf?????
Explained to them that, as stated on the emails I had sent them, the max rate was £22ph, why were we having this discussion?
Apparently (according to the Agency) when they sent her CV through she was available at £22, but she had recently been offered a job at £28ph so she was looking for us to match it.
I told them I wasn't prepared to do that and asked them if they wanted to reconsider. Which they did (by apparently reducing their margins
)When the girl started she explained it was all b
ks. The agency had told her she would get £22 (i.e. £28 less agency cut IIRC). When we refused to budge they'd tried to get her to reduce her hourly rate but she wasn't having it.Some of them can be a bunch of shysters.
I am in the process of looking for a new job .I too think current salary should be nothing to do with your future employer , I have never been asked to put it on my CV .Obviously the recruitment consultant has asked but it should not really have any baring on the new role.A good consultant should only put people forward for roles that both match their salary expectations and experience otherwise it a waste of time for everyone concerned .I know for instance for my level of reponsibility and experience I am significantly underpaid but this why this is any buisiness of a future employer and do not see.If a role is advertised as being £35,000-£40,000 that is what the future employed should be looking to pay , a recruiter should not be sending people to the interview who are expecting £50,000 -£60,000.
With regards to lying on your CV I would like to think a good interviewer would know if you got as far as the interview stage
With regards to lying on your CV I would like to think a good interviewer would know if you got as far as the interview stage
Countdown, I think you should forget her and the agency and employ myself. I am about to be made redundant from a job which pays £10k under what I should earn (im a CAD design engineer), but i was comfortable as was only 2 miles from home and my little boy 
so made for a happy home life.
I can do finance
I wouldnt lie on my CV and i always say my actual salary to the new employer as they would see it on the P45 anyways. I know people who lie and say they have qualifications they dont have, but feel Karma is a bh! itll catch up with them and this is one prime example your facing!
Andy
(CV ready and waiting, haha)
so made for a happy home life.I can do finance
I wouldnt lie on my CV and i always say my actual salary to the new employer as they would see it on the P45 anyways. I know people who lie and say they have qualifications they dont have, but feel Karma is a bh! itll catch up with them and this is one prime example your facing!Andy
(CV ready and waiting, haha)
CupraAndy said:
Countdown, I think you should forget her and the agency and employ myself. I am about to be made redundant from a job which pays £10k under what I should earn (im a CAD design engineer), but i was comfortable as was only 2 miles from home and my little boy so made for a happy home life.
I can do finance I wouldnt lie on my CV and i always say my actual salary to the new employer as they would see it on the P45 anyways. I know people who lie and say they have qualifications they dont have, but feel Karma is a bh! itll catch up with them and this is one prime example your facing!
Andy
(CV ready and waiting, haha)
Go one Countown give CupraAndy a chance so made for a happy home life.I can do finance
I wouldnt lie on my CV and i always say my actual salary to the new employer as they would see it on the P45 anyways. I know people who lie and say they have qualifications they dont have, but feel Karma is a bh! itll catch up with them and this is one prime example your facing!Andy
(CV ready and waiting, haha)
Office_Monkey said:
If it's finance, would she be registered with a professional body? AAT/ACCA/CIMA etc?
If so, I may be inclined to contact them as this would surely breach any ethical code of conduct.
She's ACCA but my guess is she'll pretend the Agency got it wrong. If the Agency call me I might mention it, otherwise I think it would be petty of me to call them. She WAS very competent and probably could have done those tasks so I can see why she's trying to blag it. If so, I may be inclined to contact them as this would surely breach any ethical code of conduct.
If yoU think she's lying or just being economical with the truth it's a matter of trust, and if you can't trust her you don't want her surely? Personally I'd move on and get somebody else. So yes, you should care but don't waste too much energy on her. In any event, lying on a CV is covered by section 16 of the Theft Act 1968 (obtaining a pecuniary advantage) if proof beyond reasonable doubt exists.
Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff