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Your CV fibs
BBC News Online users emailed in to tell us whether they were CV fibbers or completely honest in their approach to job applications. Read what they had to say.
I just lied about my salary inflating it by £4,000 about half an hour before reading this article. Then I read with horror that P60s reveal salary! Thanks very much for drawing this to my attention
Tom Jones, UK
When you have been to a few interviews you soon realise that they all ask exactly the same questions. The most hated of these being the, "Did you ever have a member of staff you did not agree with, how did you resolve this", type of question that graduates will be familiar with.
I have never met anyone who actually had a truthful answer to that type of question. When you can predict the question in advance you have time to come up with a good fib so when you speak it you sound truthful. You can't really lie about qualifications because all they have to do is ask for the documents.
Paul Dick, UK
I have never lied on my CV. Whilst my A level results were not fantastic, I have listed all of the subjects and grades and am very proud of my degree - a 2:1. I worked hard for it and would never dream of 'bumping it up' to a 1st.
It offends me that people with lower class degrees or no degrees at all would lie about their qualifications. I work for an investment bank (not on the grad. scheme) and my job offer did not depend on me having a degree, but I was still asked by the personnel department to send them a photocopy of my degree certificate as soon as I received it. I know that people can forge certificate photocopies, but if all firms checked qualification claims with universities and colleges then people would be dissuaded from lying about their achievements.
Rosie, UK
When applying for my current job, I lied about my education, salary, responsibility and hobbies. All on the same CV. I wrote that I had 9 GCSE's + 3 A level when really I have 5 and 2 respectively. I claimed I was on £20k basic with a company BMW when really I was on £16k with my own Mini. I claimed that I led a team of five when I was the most junior within that team and I was adamant that I frequently enjoyed Parachuting, Private Flying, Squash, Rollerblading and Fishing. None of which I have ever done. However, I got the job and have been there two years with four promotions and I am a Recruiter!
Philip Gibson, United Kingdom
If you falsify your CV to get a job you are effectively committing fraud. You are taking a hell of a risk with your future career...is it really worth it? Companies are now employing specialist agencies to verify CVs, job histories and qualifications, so there is a very real chance that if you have falsified any aspect of your CV, you will be found out. You have been warned! I speak from experience......I'm a Fraud Investigator.
Dave Ridge, England
This is all well and good discussing the issue of dishonest CVs. What about dishonest employers?
Steven Ashfield, UK
During a flight from Singapore to Perth while I was backpacking around the world, I asked a steward if I could sit in the cockpit of the 747 when it landed. He asked the pilot who said I could if I had a pilots licence. Obviously I wasn't about to let this opportunity pass so I lied and said yes.
About 20 minutes before landing I was paged by the captain to take my seat. Once I got all strapped in he started asking me all sorts of questions about which planes I flew, where I took my lessons, what checks are essential before take off etc. All of which I knew nothing of. I had to come clean but he let me stay up there. He had to, his mother was in the other seat!!!!
Simon, Canada
I never lie about what I know, only how I got to know it. Nobody takes "I spent evenings figuring out how this product worked at home" seriously so you have to work your knowledge into your work life. Similarly, with an interest in going beyond the obvious, a year's experience tends to be more detailed than most people's three years (or, put another way, one year's experience three times).
My knowledge matches my CV, even if my actual experience doesn't. I've never had a job that wasn't impressed by my abilities and have never had an unsatisfied employer. Put it another way. I'm compensating by giving the right answers even though I am being asked the wrong questions.
Mike, US (UK citizen)
I don't have a degree and wanted to apply for a contract in Switzerland which required a degree. Arguments long the lines of "I have 15 years experience in the IT Industry" and "What could I have been taught 15 years ago that is relevant" fell on deaf ears. So I added a degree to the CV and got the job. Never once been asked for the proof.
Joe Anom, UK
The CV is merely a brochure, which is used to market and sell yourself to a prospective employer. How many brochures have you come across which provide negative information. Therefore there is nothing wrong with omitting the fact that you failed your Physics at O' Level (as I did), especially if it is not considered applicable to the position.
Jason Chambers, British, living in US
Lying is always wrong, on a CV or anything else. It is even worse when you write something false as you have plenty of time to think about it, whereas lying in speech is spontaneous.
Francis Moore, UK
As someone who interviews people for technical and management positions I would say that the CV is merely an introductory guide to get me to meet the individual. The CV then becomes an aide memoire for the interview where the candidate sells themselves.
As for things like academic qualifications, hobbies and interests, well to tell the truth I barely notice them and certainly don't give any weighting either prior to or during the interview. I am far more interested in ascertaining what the candidate has done, why, how, what problems they have encountered and how they have dealt with them. My experience has been that I will find people of very similar ability with a wide range of academic qualifications.
Andy Davis, UK
I pretended that I supported Man Utd at the interview, so that they would favour me above others as I know that my potential boss loved the Reds. I did get the job, but now he invites me to go to matches, and I find football a chore.
Taj Gul, UK
When I applied for a job at Kodak UK I put that Coronation Street was one of my hobbies. My then manager said she had to interview anyone who could put that on their CV. I did actually get the job on that basis.
Stuart Hunt, USA
I just lied about my salary inflating it by £4,000 about half an hour before reading this article. Then I read with horror that P60s reveal salary! Thanks very much for drawing this to my attention
Tom Jones, UK
When you have been to a few interviews you soon realise that they all ask exactly the same questions. The most hated of these being the, "Did you ever have a member of staff you did not agree with, how did you resolve this", type of question that graduates will be familiar with.
I have never met anyone who actually had a truthful answer to that type of question. When you can predict the question in advance you have time to come up with a good fib so when you speak it you sound truthful. You can't really lie about qualifications because all they have to do is ask for the documents.
Paul Dick, UK
I have never lied on my CV. Whilst my A level results were not fantastic, I have listed all of the subjects and grades and am very proud of my degree - a 2:1. I worked hard for it and would never dream of 'bumping it up' to a 1st.
It offends me that people with lower class degrees or no degrees at all would lie about their qualifications. I work for an investment bank (not on the grad. scheme) and my job offer did not depend on me having a degree, but I was still asked by the personnel department to send them a photocopy of my degree certificate as soon as I received it. I know that people can forge certificate photocopies, but if all firms checked qualification claims with universities and colleges then people would be dissuaded from lying about their achievements.
Rosie, UK
When applying for my current job, I lied about my education, salary, responsibility and hobbies. All on the same CV. I wrote that I had 9 GCSE's + 3 A level when really I have 5 and 2 respectively. I claimed I was on £20k basic with a company BMW when really I was on £16k with my own Mini. I claimed that I led a team of five when I was the most junior within that team and I was adamant that I frequently enjoyed Parachuting, Private Flying, Squash, Rollerblading and Fishing. None of which I have ever done. However, I got the job and have been there two years with four promotions and I am a Recruiter!
Philip Gibson, United Kingdom
If you falsify your CV to get a job you are effectively committing fraud. You are taking a hell of a risk with your future career...is it really worth it? Companies are now employing specialist agencies to verify CVs, job histories and qualifications, so there is a very real chance that if you have falsified any aspect of your CV, you will be found out. You have been warned! I speak from experience......I'm a Fraud Investigator.
Dave Ridge, England
This is all well and good discussing the issue of dishonest CVs. What about dishonest employers?
Steven Ashfield, UK
During a flight from Singapore to Perth while I was backpacking around the world, I asked a steward if I could sit in the cockpit of the 747 when it landed. He asked the pilot who said I could if I had a pilots licence. Obviously I wasn't about to let this opportunity pass so I lied and said yes.
About 20 minutes before landing I was paged by the captain to take my seat. Once I got all strapped in he started asking me all sorts of questions about which planes I flew, where I took my lessons, what checks are essential before take off etc. All of which I knew nothing of. I had to come clean but he let me stay up there. He had to, his mother was in the other seat!!!!
Simon, Canada
I never lie about what I know, only how I got to know it. Nobody takes "I spent evenings figuring out how this product worked at home" seriously so you have to work your knowledge into your work life. Similarly, with an interest in going beyond the obvious, a year's experience tends to be more detailed than most people's three years (or, put another way, one year's experience three times).
My knowledge matches my CV, even if my actual experience doesn't. I've never had a job that wasn't impressed by my abilities and have never had an unsatisfied employer. Put it another way. I'm compensating by giving the right answers even though I am being asked the wrong questions.
Mike, US (UK citizen)
I don't have a degree and wanted to apply for a contract in Switzerland which required a degree. Arguments long the lines of "I have 15 years experience in the IT Industry" and "What could I have been taught 15 years ago that is relevant" fell on deaf ears. So I added a degree to the CV and got the job. Never once been asked for the proof.
Joe Anom, UK
The CV is merely a brochure, which is used to market and sell yourself to a prospective employer. How many brochures have you come across which provide negative information. Therefore there is nothing wrong with omitting the fact that you failed your Physics at O' Level (as I did), especially if it is not considered applicable to the position.
Jason Chambers, British, living in US
Lying is always wrong, on a CV or anything else. It is even worse when you write something false as you have plenty of time to think about it, whereas lying in speech is spontaneous.
Francis Moore, UK
As someone who interviews people for technical and management positions I would say that the CV is merely an introductory guide to get me to meet the individual. The CV then becomes an aide memoire for the interview where the candidate sells themselves.
As for things like academic qualifications, hobbies and interests, well to tell the truth I barely notice them and certainly don't give any weighting either prior to or during the interview. I am far more interested in ascertaining what the candidate has done, why, how, what problems they have encountered and how they have dealt with them. My experience has been that I will find people of very similar ability with a wide range of academic qualifications.
Andy Davis, UK
I pretended that I supported Man Utd at the interview, so that they would favour me above others as I know that my potential boss loved the Reds. I did get the job, but now he invites me to go to matches, and I find football a chore.
Taj Gul, UK
When I applied for a job at Kodak UK I put that Coronation Street was one of my hobbies. My then manager said she had to interview anyone who could put that on their CV. I did actually get the job on that basis.
Stuart Hunt, USA
I once put that I could speak fluent French on my CV. In fact I can just about struggle to order a coffee.  |
Mike Hadlow, British living in Australia
|
I once put that I could speak fluent French on my CV. In fact I can just about struggle to order a coffee. This was for a job in Japan (JET programme) where an aptitude for languages was a distinct advantage. Unfortunately one of the interviewers started speaking to me in French the moment I walked into the room. I had to admit that I really didn't know any French and left convinced that I'd never get the job. However, they accepted me for the standby list and I eventually found myself working in Sendai, Japan for 2 years. Now I speak fluent Japanese.
Mike Hadlow, British living in Australia
As an employer who regularly has to read CVs (28 tonight for instance!) I look for evidence of what an individual did personally. If they say they implemented a major project then I probe that at interview, frequently finding they did little more than make the tea. Any good interviewer will use a competence based technique and "drill down" on a candidate's achievements so don't lie on the CV.
Have I ever lied? No so I've probably lost some interesting job opportunities. A final thought: if you say you've got fluent French and then find yourself posted to Marseilles, will you really want that job if your French isn't really fluent? Lying on your CV may end you in a real mess - don't do it!
Andrew Berkinshaw-Smith, England
Mike Hadlow, British living in Australia
As an employer who regularly has to read CVs (28 tonight for instance!) I look for evidence of what an individual did personally. If they say they implemented a major project then I probe that at interview, frequently finding they did little more than make the tea. Any good interviewer will use a competence based technique and "drill down" on a candidate's achievements so don't lie on the CV.
Have I ever lied? No so I've probably lost some interesting job opportunities. A final thought: if you say you've got fluent French and then find yourself posted to Marseilles, will you really want that job if your French isn't really fluent? Lying on your CV may end you in a real mess - don't do it!
Andrew Berkinshaw-Smith, England
I thought how stupid this company was in believing my garbage, but I was firing back some great answers. |
Sally Anvers, England
|
Years ago I worked on a Youth Training Scheme (remember those?!). I was sent to work for the Head Office a fashion company and there I was put to full use by making teas, answering the phones, photocopying and all the other important responsibilities one gets as a YTS worker. Anyway, years later I was really fed up doing routine office work and came across an advert for a fashion buyer. I decided to 'amend' my CV to include fashion buying responsibilities instead of the YTS duties I did previously.
I remembered names of the buyers I worked with and the terminology of fashion merchandising. I sent the CV in, was interviewed and got the job (I thought how stupid this company was in believing my garbage, but I was firing back some great answers). I got a great salary and a car and was a bit nervous about them taking up references, but this was overcome because all they were interested in was my last two jobs which were not even fashion buying related! (They didn't even check those out).
Anyway, I did very well, but grew bored in this job and am now onto other things! I do recruiting now and feel I am the best person for this job as I can weed out all the fakers like me - I know the game, I would never trust someone like me!
Sally Anvers, England
The most "creative" item on my CV was when I repeated a year at Uni. If any employers bothered to examine the dates closely they would notice, but I'm happy to report that so far that hasn't happened.
Stew, UK
My worst lie was when I told my interviewer that I was fluent in Japanese, but unfortunately he was brought up there and started trying to have a conversation with me. I went bright red and ran out of the room, needless to say I didn't get the job.
Andy Lees, England, UK
What is the point of faking your CV when it eventually will be revealed? merely to get employed regardless of thinking about your future? It is an absolute nonsense!
Miss. S Park, South Korea
During a year out from Univ. of London in the eighties, I worked for BP Research for 14 months in Sunbury-on-Thames. I really did work with one other person, Dr. Sheila Hallam, to set up a research project. Understandably, I put that on my CV for several years, but it was not until recently that I found out that BP had no record of this fact. The firm that hired me 8 years ago found out before my interview. My boss told me recently at my partnership dinner. The moral of the story? The world is a sea of lies, make sure you are not just flotsam.
Jon Bailey, USA
I remembered names of the buyers I worked with and the terminology of fashion merchandising. I sent the CV in, was interviewed and got the job (I thought how stupid this company was in believing my garbage, but I was firing back some great answers). I got a great salary and a car and was a bit nervous about them taking up references, but this was overcome because all they were interested in was my last two jobs which were not even fashion buying related! (They didn't even check those out).
Anyway, I did very well, but grew bored in this job and am now onto other things! I do recruiting now and feel I am the best person for this job as I can weed out all the fakers like me - I know the game, I would never trust someone like me!
Sally Anvers, England
The most "creative" item on my CV was when I repeated a year at Uni. If any employers bothered to examine the dates closely they would notice, but I'm happy to report that so far that hasn't happened.
Stew, UK
My worst lie was when I told my interviewer that I was fluent in Japanese, but unfortunately he was brought up there and started trying to have a conversation with me. I went bright red and ran out of the room, needless to say I didn't get the job.
Andy Lees, England, UK
What is the point of faking your CV when it eventually will be revealed? merely to get employed regardless of thinking about your future? It is an absolute nonsense!
Miss. S Park, South Korea
During a year out from Univ. of London in the eighties, I worked for BP Research for 14 months in Sunbury-on-Thames. I really did work with one other person, Dr. Sheila Hallam, to set up a research project. Understandably, I put that on my CV for several years, but it was not until recently that I found out that BP had no record of this fact. The firm that hired me 8 years ago found out before my interview. My boss told me recently at my partnership dinner. The moral of the story? The world is a sea of lies, make sure you are not just flotsam.
Jon Bailey, USA
If you want to put something on your CV go and do that thing to make it true if it is so important as to put it on there. |
Jo Short, Australia
|
Call me naive for never having even contemplated the fact that someone may lie an their CV. Call me "goody two shoes" for saying I have never put something on my CV that wasn't true.
I just find it unbelievable that someone should lie. Why can't we start to take responsibility for our actions and be more honest. No wonder the world is in the state it is in. If you want to put something on your CV go and do that thing to make it true if it is so important as to put it on there.
Jo Short, Australia
I just find it unbelievable that someone should lie. Why can't we start to take responsibility for our actions and be more honest. No wonder the world is in the state it is in. If you want to put something on your CV go and do that thing to make it true if it is so important as to put it on there.
Jo Short, Australia
That little lie helped my career immensely as I now work overseas and I've got a six figure salary. |
Neil, USA
|
I work in the Information Technology sector. I get my first job when I was 18 I had to interview and take an aptitude test. I also was waiting for my computer Science "A" level result. I was offered the job and was doing pretty well when the boss asked me if the result had come in. I told him it hadn't even though it had (I'd failed) but that I'd look into it. Somebody else was fired because they didn't pass.
I eventually told him that I'd passed. Luckily he didn't ask to see the certificate. That little lie helped my career immensely as I now work overseas, have worked in South Africa, Argentina and all over the US and I've got a six figure salary.
Neil, USA
I remember seeing a job advert the year Sun introduced Java. The ad sought a programmer with three years of Java programming experience. In this case, the company was practically asking prospective candidates to lie on their CV. Perhaps corporations need to be a little more realistic when advertising jobs.
Leo Ureel, USA
No, I've never lied in a CV. The whole process of lying sets you up for later discovery. This is a risk I would rather not take. Admittedly, I haven't sent out my CV "in anger" - in search of another job - for over ten years. However, my CV is still required by my employer to secure technical projects. If any lies or misrepresentations of the truth were to be found, my career would be over, and deservedly so.
Duncan Barr, Japan
I eventually told him that I'd passed. Luckily he didn't ask to see the certificate. That little lie helped my career immensely as I now work overseas, have worked in South Africa, Argentina and all over the US and I've got a six figure salary.
Neil, USA
I remember seeing a job advert the year Sun introduced Java. The ad sought a programmer with three years of Java programming experience. In this case, the company was practically asking prospective candidates to lie on their CV. Perhaps corporations need to be a little more realistic when advertising jobs.
Leo Ureel, USA
No, I've never lied in a CV. The whole process of lying sets you up for later discovery. This is a risk I would rather not take. Admittedly, I haven't sent out my CV "in anger" - in search of another job - for over ten years. However, my CV is still required by my employer to secure technical projects. If any lies or misrepresentations of the truth were to be found, my career would be over, and deservedly so.
Duncan Barr, Japan
What about companies totally lying to candidates about duties, promotions, potential earnings and working conditions? |
Brett Parker, UK
|
What about companies totally lying to candidates about duties, promotions, potential earnings and working conditions? It seems to me that companies want people to be over qualified and jump through virtual hoops to get a job. But what commitment do they give you. Most companies care far more about their shareholders than about their employees.
Whilst companies continue on this track they will only bring into their ranks persons who are best able to "put on a bit of a front" thus perpetuating the situation. Everyone is fooling everyone...
Brett Parker, UK
I have always lied on my CV and today I manage a team of strategic consultants within a division of a big 5 consulting company. My comprehensive school education remains a closely guarded secret.
Robert Tripe, UK
I Make it a point never to lie on a CV, but I do know of a woman who I went to university with. She had no clue what so ever on computing technical skills, she had the management skills of a furbee and during group work failed to pull her weight costing the group marks.
A "little" lie in her CV.... Where is she now? Said woman somehow managed to get a job as Senior IT officer in an NHS trust. If you want to know were incompetence and wasted value for money in the NHS is going look no further.
Mike, UK
I have never lied on my CV, and can't stand people who do. I excelled at school and worked hard for my qualifications. I think that liars should be severely punished, not least because of the high costs of recruitment that are wasted. I am glad that employers are now making more stringent checks so that those who have studied hard do not get pushed aside for those who have only ever worked hard at lying and cheating.
Suzey, UK
The hobbies section is a killer. You can hardly put "drinking, smoking and sitting on my bum watching telly" as your hobby now, can you? I make up different hobbies every revision of my CV. My girlfriend bumps up her degree from 2:2 to 2:1, which is distinctly more risky in my opinion. Despite this, neither of us have been found out.
Rob Harris, England
Whilst companies continue on this track they will only bring into their ranks persons who are best able to "put on a bit of a front" thus perpetuating the situation. Everyone is fooling everyone...
Brett Parker, UK
I have always lied on my CV and today I manage a team of strategic consultants within a division of a big 5 consulting company. My comprehensive school education remains a closely guarded secret.
Robert Tripe, UK
I Make it a point never to lie on a CV, but I do know of a woman who I went to university with. She had no clue what so ever on computing technical skills, she had the management skills of a furbee and during group work failed to pull her weight costing the group marks.
A "little" lie in her CV.... Where is she now? Said woman somehow managed to get a job as Senior IT officer in an NHS trust. If you want to know were incompetence and wasted value for money in the NHS is going look no further.
Mike, UK
I have never lied on my CV, and can't stand people who do. I excelled at school and worked hard for my qualifications. I think that liars should be severely punished, not least because of the high costs of recruitment that are wasted. I am glad that employers are now making more stringent checks so that those who have studied hard do not get pushed aside for those who have only ever worked hard at lying and cheating.
Suzey, UK
The hobbies section is a killer. You can hardly put "drinking, smoking and sitting on my bum watching telly" as your hobby now, can you? I make up different hobbies every revision of my CV. My girlfriend bumps up her degree from 2:2 to 2:1, which is distinctly more risky in my opinion. Despite this, neither of us have been found out.
Rob Harris, England
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