Would You Lie on Your Resume?
Thursday March 2, 2006
We've had some discussion about whether telling the truth matters when it comes to resume writing. I said that I didn't think there ever a reason anyone should lie on their resume. Some people agreed with me, others suggested that "People who get ahead are the ones who take some educated risks." I'm wondering what you think and whether you would ever lie on your resume?
Comments
lie at the first day at work is improper
Lie, no. Accentuate, yes.
Up until lately, I’d have said.. “no way! never!”
Howvere, after watching this president of ours and his administration, the head of HealthSouth, the guy at ERnron and corporate America lie to anyone in the pursuit of “profit”, and having been laid off while watching our company lie to people baout the services they are provoding, well, what the hell. Go for it.
Corporations deserve what they get. They lie to employees all the time.
Ever heard these lies?
Our employees are our greatest asset.
We value your opinion.,
This is strictly business.
I have an open-door policy.
Why should we care what they want, do or think?
I agree with Jim to an extent. Unfortunately with that sort of mentality, things will only get worse. If we preach good morals and try to adhere to them we can hope for reform in the government and big business. If we play by their rules we no longer have any leverage to fight against it!
Well, up until 4 years ago, I would have said I would never lie on my resume either, but I was fired from a job in my rural home town and I continued to put this employer on my resume and learned quite a bit later that the reason I wasn’t getting job offers or asked to come for interviews was from what this employer was telling people when they called them. As I understand it was negative. Now I was told I could take them to court, but my career counselor called them and she did not feel that what they were saying was going to take me far in court, so I have never pursued it. But I feel that is why after 4 years, I am still looking for a permanent full-time job and can only find part-time or temporary work because of this small rural area and people knowing each other and how word travels. I feel they have ruined my chances of finding a decent job anywhere around here or nearby. And despite the fact that they say employers by law can only tell another employer that yes you worked there and verify dates – this employer has gone far over that and it just doesn’t seem fair to me. Where are my rights? Why should I be subjected to placing a bad-mouthing employer on my resume, when she fired me for problems she had long before I came on the scene and she apparently needed a scape goat! It isn’t right and it isn’t fair to me. If I could sue her for the last 4 years of lost wages…I would in a heart beat…and I am not the kind of person who believes in doing that!
Further…
Today brings another mega-merger, with a projected 10,000 jobs lost to it.
When are the people that actually do the work going to wake up and smell the coffee?
After 2 years of diligent work, 71 other hard-working people and myself were laid off without so-much as a “by your leave” and told that “It is strictly a business decsison.” Try telling that to the electric dept. as they cut off your power or the water people or whoever. Guess what they will say? Thet could care less.
As far as the “moral” part of it, how is it moral to destroy your employees future and ruin their lives simply by calling it “business”.
I have no trust whatsoever in any business manager, period. They hide behind their position and call it “business”. Then they wonder why employees aren’t “loyal.”
Right.
I took a job, after being unemployed for over a year, with a contractor who asked its employees to sign a non compete letter. Big mistake! This contractor lost its contract with their employer due to bad management decisions. The incoming contractor wanted to hire all of us but our company is now refusing to allow us to move on with our lives because they are holding the non compete letter over our heads. It states that they basically own us for 18 mon. after our last date of employment, which in this case is unfair. We did not quit the company, they LOST the contract due to their negligence. This is preventing
most of us from being able to find employment in our field of work. We are being forced to seek legal counsel from a labor attorney, which is not going to be cheap. Our attorney states that we will win our case if forced to go to litigation but it will cost several thousand dollars.
I would NOT recommend signing a non compete letter without having some type of agreement signed by them & notarized, giving you a way out of it in the event you are left unemployed or there is a justifiable reason you have to leave their employ.
Interesting question. I read an article in the Scientific American Mind yesterday on the subject of lying. We all do it. And those who do it well are more successful than those who don’t lie well. What does that say about our species? I would omit certain things on my resume, but not lie about what I’ve done or the extent of my experience. From reading the comments posted here, I would have to agree that many of our “leaders” in government and business are not good role models. Perhaps, however, we should expect people in higher positions to be deceitful and amoral – according to Scientific American Mind, they got where they are by being good at lying. Too bad…..
(Pilate) ‘You aren’t a king, are you?’
(Jesus) ‘You are saying that I’m a king. This is why I was born and why I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is on the side of truth listens to my voice.’
(Pilate) ‘What is truth?’
best-ringtone
Too bad you can’t be truly honest and tell them “I took a year off because work is a drag that crushes your freedom.” Even the most stone-faced recruiter should understand that many things can’t be properly enjoyed when you’re 65+. Being a steady drone throughout one’s “working life” is no real accomplishment. I think a few mini-retirements are justified before the final one.
I have learned that truth does not exist because just when you think something is true it ends up changing. Truth only lasts for so long.
After 8 years at a firm, I accepted my first management position at a new firm. The new departmental head was directionless and blown by the wind. A few months later, I was fired. Now my spotless employment record has a job that lasted last than three months. If I list it on my resume using only month and year for the duration, I appear to have worked there for 4 months. If I list it using the year format, I appear to have worked there for a year. Using a year format makes me look like a liar, although that is the recommended way of dealing with this problem. I would never overstate my ability to do a job but I think I will have to use the year format and let people draw their own conclusions. So I have spent the last five months doing whatever I want. Jim is right: employers lie to us all the time.
every workers lie in their companies. i would never believe someone never lie…if its for your own sake, then why shouldn’t??
you will be more succesful at work if you know how to lie smart. dont be such a fool, everybody lies, including you…
I have never gotten a job by telling the truth. When they ask if you have experience, just say “Of course, that’s my specialty!”… As far as education checks go, I’ve never had a problem with my Photo-Shopped diploma and transcripts. Sure, some employers will check these things, but, outside the big cities, 2 out of 3 won’t bother.