Have you ever lied on your CV? Were you found out?

[Shirleyphallus]

I’m in the process of applying for jobs and am keeping to the letter of the law on qualifications / results etc as I’m terrified of being found out for embellishing it somehow!

Has anyone ever lied on their cv and if so, what was the outcome?

@ragwort that was in reply to the pp who said that everyone in their organisation, including the exec have to complete application forms

I did O'levels back in the day but I couldn't tell you what subjects they were in as it's so long ago and I never received my certificates (afaik) and both parents died many years ago. I usually state something like '8 O'levels including English & Maths' on application forms as I have postgrad awards so no-one has ever asked for evidence of anything prior to my first degree. I left school and home at 16.

I used to have responsibility for confirming medical qualifications some years ago and it was surprising how many people working as medics overseas were using fake credentials. I often wondered how they'd been discovered and if any of my acquaintances mention going overseas for cosmetic work because it's cheaper, it just makes me shudder!

I’m Head of Careers in a school and complete info requests / references for past pupils. We once had a request for qualification information from an American Police Department for someone who was at the school in the early 1980s! They were definitely being thorough 😀

The sector I work in also uses application forms extensively, so that everyone answers the same questions. We also have to ask the same questions of each candidate at interview.

Interesting that the debate here focuses on qualifications, which is fair enough. What about qualities though? How many people are really the team players that we're obliged to be (or claim to have to be)?

Yes I heavily edited my GCSE results when I was searching for menial work as a student . I didn’t even pass maths initially and barely scraped a C during a stressful resit. I have a first in English Lit and now teach it so that is my strength, maths never was.

I was never found out. I doubt most perspective employers give a shit.

Not lies, no, but I omit the A level that I failed (I still have 3 others with good grades) and the first job I applied for after university, my CV had a prediction of a higher degree result than I actually achieved, and they just never asked what I got once the results came out. That was the only job I had until I started my own business, so it's not come up since.

This is Dave. Dave lied about having sheep dog experience on his CV and got caught out. Don't be like Dave.

Kool in my local hospital a general surgeon was exposed for having fake credentials. He had been an operating room orderly in his home country. That's not the astonishing bit, though - it took the Trust 8 years to realise, and it was only because he had pissed off some staff he worked with so much, they went to the 90s equivalent of doxxing him

Actually, now I think of it, there was also a scandal at my undergrad university: one of the heads of the colleges had made up a lot of his qualifications. And, iirc, his actual ordination! Same scenario - he pissed off some students, who started digging - and brought the whole house of cards tumbling down...

From my scientific sample of two, I conclude that the way to get away with lying on your CV is not to piss people off so that they start trying to get you.

And don't be like Dave

Hefzi - I bet I know who you mean - does the University of Pennsylvania mean anything?

@KERALA1 - that reminds me, when I met DP, one of his CV hobbies was 'Doing DIY'....
well we've been together a decade now and like fuck is DIY his hobby!?! I feel robbed!

@Hefzi - he must have been a pretty good surgeon to have got away with it for so long!

We do, of course, use headhunters but there is still a requirement for an application form to ensure equality of information requested. CVs are spin and Doesn’t necessarily have that extra signature/tick to say this is a complete and true record.
My husband was headhunted but still needed to complete an application form. His role is with a very technologically advanced organisation.
Far from being archaic, companies with application forms tend to be more modern and have a stronger commitment to equality and integrity.

I agree about applicatiin forms.
especially in public sector or affiliates companies that adhere to certain standards.
headhunters might trawl through relevant job adverts and suggest to apply for role, but it's up to the applicant to fill in those forms and attend assessment centre etc.

I've never ever had to produce a certificate, and I almost wish now with hindsight that I had lied as I could have been much more, shall we say, imaginative about my qualifications. I guess it's partly because I started my working life rather a long time ago when employers were less fussy, and as time went on people were more interested in my employment experience. Over more recent years I reached a point where personal contacts kicked in and I'd become reasonably well known in my field, and no-one cared about my qualifications at all.

JohnMcCain I believe that there was also some issue years later with? Head of the Business School? You'd have thought they'd have tightened up after the first time

To PP who said about the surgeon -apparently, he was brilliant: his colleagues couldn't believe it when it came out. No concerns ever!

You can probably learn a lot of simple medical procedures on YouTube these days; and save yourself £££££ on university fees! 🤣

I've never lied. Ot is normal to have to supply certificates for your highest qualifications in my line of work, so I keep my certificates safe but I'd really struggle to remember my job dates to anything closer than the nearest month (I'm in my 50s), I might have job offer leters stashed in the loft I guess.

chilledteacher LOL

I am literally talking to my friend now. He said since he changed his CV (lies about his experience), he has been getting lots of interviews. He already failed a few interviews, phone and tests but he thinks he is close to getting one.

I am actually annoyed.

I work in the public sector and we have withdrawn a job offer from the preferred candidate as she'd lied about having a certain qualification. Awkward for her as she'd already handed in her notice on her old job but we did say at interview we needed to see original exam certificates.

Not a lie, but a couple of exaggerations in the style of Paul Nuttall, the former UKIP leader, about outside interests. Including nomination for an award for which self-nomination was allowed.

I called my school for my certs and they just didn't have them - too long ago. So I was turned down because I didn't have an o level cert from over 20 years ago. I was also made to feel shit for not going to uni - people didn't just go years ago. They thought I was hiding something as ' everyone goes to uni'

I went to every networking event I could find - and got a job. They were senior enough and old enough to override Hr who ignored my experience and glowing references as I couldn't produce school certs. I did have my accounting exam results though.

No. I don't need to lie on my cv to get a job. And I'm a professional so my qualification certificates are shown to my employer as proof, along with my membership to the professional body.

Lots of high level jobs use online agencies for degree results (I do these at my job) not for a-levels or GCSE's

When I moved out for university I lied on my CV about the length of my previous experience. To be fair it was only a temporary retail assistant roles and I was very poor.

I managed to secure lots of interviews and got two jobs, with a few weeks in between. Job 1 didn’t ask for references, just gave me the job. Job 2 did want references but I just gave them Job 1’s details and said my CV was outdated and this was my most recent one. God knows if Job 1 actually provided a reference as I wasn’t there for long! But I ended up working at Job 2 for years.