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Little White Lies


Mr Right Wing

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Hi Everybody

I realise many people are unemployed at the moment but I'm interested in how many of you lie on your CVs and to what extent -

Do you fabricate your qualifications?

Do you fabricate your software skills?

Do you fabricate your work history?

Do you fabricate your profile description to match the firms requirements?

Have you ever made an email account, pretended to be someone else and requested a reference from a previous employer to see what they write about you?

If they no longer have you on record have you lied about your job title, responsibilities and salary knowing you wont be caught?

If the business no longer exists have you made stuff up to make yourself an ideal applicant for a position?

Have you ever got a friend or family member to pretend to be a boss so you can write out your own references?

Spill the beans!

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Nope never have Never had too. Doing somethimes like that is not a little white lie it is a big ass lie. Doing a false appt in my line of work gets you to the door. And ban from ever working here again in any job.

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I'm unemplopyed right now..

I wrote up my CV last week and was honest all the way though.. No white lies..

I did however leave out some training & certificates because tbh I don't think those certificates are promotional..

Editied to add: The only thing worse than lying on a CV would be getting a Job you can't do because you lied on a CV..

Edited by Professor T
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Have never lied on a CV and never would. Anyone who lies on their CV can not be trusted when in the job. If I really wanted a job i would make it clear how much I really want it at the interview and would be honest if I did not have all the qualifications. If i had to go and get them qualifications then that is what I would do.

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Why would you fabricate actual skills, such as software skills? The other three you could probably get away with, as long as you have the actual skills needed to do the job. Without having the skills to do the job though it seems to be a bit redundant to apply in the first place, similar to what Prof T said in his last sentence.

Edited by ExpandMyMind
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Why would you fabricate actual skills, such as software skills? The other three you could probably get away with, as long as you have the actual skills needed to do the job. Without having the skills to do the job though it seems to be a bit redundant to apply in the first place, similar to what Prof T said in his last sentence.

More stuff for the debate - http://news.bbc.co.u...ine/4167204.stm - 25% of applicants lie on CVs. I've read somewhere else that increases to 40% during recessions as people get fed up with being unemployed. For the record I have never lied about my qualifications or software skills (no need too).

Whenever I apply for an interview (I'm employed by the way) I always check out the references from previous employers in advance. I create an email account, pretend to be someone asking for a reference for a job applicant and see what I get back. I must confess I lie on my CV for those firms no longer in business or who no longer have me in their employment records. Knowing what they send out for references also aids me as I match up my CV to them.

Edited by Mr Right Wing
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Spill the beans!

Why do you want to know?

re. your second post: what exactly was the nature of your lie then?

Edited by ouija ouija
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More stuff for the debate - http://news.bbc.co.u...ine/4167204.stm - 25% of applicants lie on CVs. I've read somewhere else that increases to 40% during recessions as people get fed up with being unemployed. For the record I have never lied about my qualifications or software skills (no need too).

Whenever I apply for an interview (I'm employed by the way) I always check out the references from previous employers in advance. I create an email account, pretend to be someone asking for a reference for a job applicant and see what I get back. I must confess I lie on my CV for those firms no longer in business or who no longer have me in their employment records. Knowing what they send out for references also aids me as I match up my CV to them.

Sneaky, but a good idea, no doubt.

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F.Y.I. CV's are the same thing as a resume in North America.

No - my only issue is removing qualifications. I removed the oldest jobs so I wouldn't look so old. I also tossed references to old technology that isn't used anymore.

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Why do you want to know?

re. your second post: what exactly was the nature of your lie then?

I have done 5 jobs in my life -

Job 1 - Their HR dept no longer has me on their records (I found out by doing the email trick).

Job 2 - Firm no longer in business.

Job 3 - Sacked for bullying (I did the email trick for this and the reference is not good muwhahaha!).

Job 4 - They have me on records and the reference is okay (the email trick again)

Job 5 - Still there.

On my CV I've stated that I got promoted to manager for jobs 1 + 2 (complete lies). I also remove job 3 and expand job 2 to cover the gap muwhahaha. I've never been caught out and I dont see how I would?

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Job 3 - Sacked for bullying (I did the email trick for this and the reference is not good muwhahaha!).

They can't give negative references, they can only decline to give one. So how did you get one then?

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Yes, I did lie once. I applied for a job at a chemical company and they had just installed their computers. It was in the early 80's and computers were just now becoming maistream. The office employees had all very recently finished a six week course on how to operate them. Only a couple of people understood it well and they were helping everyone else. When they ask me if I knew how to use Wordstar 2000 I told them I did, but I would need someone to show me how they had theirs set up. The guy worked with me for about an hour and showed me everything I needed to know to do the job. I had never even heard of Wordstar 2000. :lol:

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They can't give negative references, they can only decline to give one. So how did you get one then?

I sent the email saying someone had applied for a job at my business and I'm checking out their work history. I asked them to confirm the employment dates, salary, responsibilities and any disciplinary action.

They replied. They werent negative but they were truthful. They said I got sacked for gross misconduct related to bullying. Therefore I have edited the job out of my CV.

Edited by Mr Right Wing
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I sent the email saying someone had applied for a job at my business and I'm checking out their work history. I asked them to confirm the employment dates, salary, responsibilities and any disciplinary action.

They replied. They werent negative but they were truthful. They said I got sacked for gross misconduct related to bullying.

Oh right...didn't realise they could do that, you learn something new every day...

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Yes, I did lie once. I applied for a job at a chemical company and they had just installed their computers. It was in the early 80's and computers were just now becoming maistream. The office employees had all very recently finished a six week course on how to operate them. Only a couple of people understood it well and they were helping everyone else. When they ask me if I knew how to use Wordstar 2000 I told them I did, but I would need someone to show me how they had theirs set up. The guy worked with me for about an hour and showed me everything I needed to know to do the job. I had never even heard of Wordstar 2000. :lol:

So you take calculated risks too to get ahead?

If I know I wont get caught I lie away.

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Hi Everybody

I realise many people are unemployed at the moment but I'm interested in how many of you lie on your CVs and to what extent -

Do you fabricate your qualifications?

Do you fabricate your software skills?

Do you fabricate your work history?

Do you fabricate your profile description to match the firms requirements?

Have you ever made an email account, pretended to be someone else and requested a reference from a previous employer to see what they write about you?

If they no longer have you on record have you lied about your job title, responsibilities and salary knowing you wont be caught?

If the business no longer exists have you made stuff up to make yourself an ideal applicant for a position?

Have you ever got a friend or family member to pretend to be a boss so you can write out your own references?

Spill the beans!

Will Mr Right Wing finally confess? Stay tuned lol

As for me no..I don't see the point... too much to remember I have it in my head that if I took a chance and lied on a CV, what if the person interviewing knows more about the qualifications you pretended to have and quizzes you? Like IE -The college, he or she could have attended there? You don't know what can happen Same with job experience ..I feared them finding out one way or another... To sum up I am too chicken to do it lol

I would have trouble making up fake emails for a forum if I wanted multi ID;s, that would put my head astray, trying to remember all the different passwords.. Too much hassle... I stick with two emails, and only one of those I use and never changed ..

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So you take calculated risks too to get ahead?

I figure what is the worst that could happen? :w00t:

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They can't give negative references, they can only decline to give one. So how did you get one then?

Very true... I have heard a few managers and bosses say if anyone calls for a reference I can decline... I was lucky to get good enough references when applying for jobs...

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So you take calculated risks too to get ahead?

If I know I wont get caught I lie away.

Long runs the fox... The thing about lying too much, is you wound up forgetting things you told.. Other liars can lie so much that they wound up believing in their own lies...

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Very true... I have heard a few managers and bosses say if anyone calls for a reference I can decline... I was lucky to get good enough references when applying for jobs...

That's what I thought! Maybe there's wriggle room with certain misconduct cases though that i'm not aware of. I've worked for myself in one way or another for quite a few years so I don't really have any experience with references.

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Nope, I have never lied on my CV or any of that stuff. I wouldn't want to start a business relationship based on lies of any sort. I'd be really unhappy or angry if my prospective employer lied to me, so I wouldn't want to do it to them.

Guess I'm just too honest to dink around with lying. I usually don't tell little white ones like my girlfriend looks good when she does not, let alone flat out lying in relation to jobs.

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Long runs the fox... The thing about lying too much, is you wound up forgetting things you told.. Other liars can lie so much that they wound up believing in their own lies...

Lying about management experience is easy as I have the management qualifications (real ones from a real uni).

It isnt much lying at all. Once they see you know your stuff they place their confidence in you. Lets face it unless they have a polygraph machine in their office I'm getting away with it lol.

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That's what I thought! Maybe there's wriggle room with certain misconduct cases though that i'm not aware of. I've worked for myself in one way or another for quite a few years so I don't really have any experience with references.

Last place I worked checked references after they hired the people... A few got fired right away for lying / misleading the company.. If you have mainly worked for yourself you wouldn't have those worries ..

Edited by Beckys_Mom
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Lying about management experience is easy as I have the management qualifications (real ones from a real uni).

It isnt much lying at all. Once they see you know your stuff they place their confidence in you. Lets face it unless they have a polygraph machine in their office I'm getting away with it lol.

Like I said in a previous post, some place can hire you and wait a while then check for references and fire you just as fast.. B&Q do that, and I am sure many more like them

If you can get away with it, more power to you...Over here we would call you a chancer lol

Edited by Beckys_Mom
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Like I said in a previous post, some place can hire you and wait a while then check for references and fire you just as fast.. B&Q do that, and I am sure many more like them

If you can get away with it, more power to you...Over here we would call you a chancer lol

A chancer, I like it lol

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