Lying about degree on CV?

[tropicalbird]

I completed 1 year of university 3 years ago and took a 1 year break due to pregnancy. I've attempted to complete my second year in 2 years and have failed due to lack of support around me and other personal difficulties.

I want to withdraw and get a full time job in an industry I'm interested in and I think my degree is now useless as its not directly related.

I got a high 2:2 in my year at university (58%). Could I put this on my CV as BSc(Hons) X subject 2:2 2014-2018 even though I didn't actually successfully complete the degree, or would that be misleading and dishonest?

I’ve always needed to provide degree certificates for jobs.

I wouldn't put anything down, an incomplete degree looks worse than a poor scoring degree as you haven't seen it out (for legitimate reasons I'm sure but could look flaky to a potential employer) Unfortunately 1 year of uni, unless doing a foundation degree, doesn't amount to any qualification. Could you contact people in the industry you are interested in to find out about different methods of entering?

Another HR person who has had to request degree certificates.

This was for entry level, temp positions so some applicants did think that they would get away with it or that we wouldn't check for junior roles. We did catch a few out and their offers were withdrawn immediately, and they were then black listed from further applications.

I really really wouldn't bother- even if they didn't ask for proof initially, all it would take would be for an internal audit to be done on their recruitment and on boarding processes for you to be caught out months later.

If it was your first year why would you put 2014-18? By all means put the first year on but make it clear it was 1 year, it still counts.

IF you're set on mentioning your time at university you could mention in your cover letter that you have X,Y,Z skills from studying said course at said university. Which is true (if you have that set of skills).

I hide on my CV the grade I obtained at university and just write BSc (hons) Course name but I do have a BSc with Hons which the few interviews I've been too the employer has over looked.

For my current role in a specialist field as a junior manager the interviewer asked me 'what have I done in the past 5 Years', I literally the whole time talking about work experience, internships and relevant jobs - the degree was more of a passing comment - I don't think employers really rate degrees high as they'd prefer someone with a work ethic, able to on with the team and able to do their job.

I got a high 2:2 in my year at university (58%).
Could I put this on my CV as BSc(Hons) X subject 2:2 2014-2018 even though I didn't actually successfully complete the degree,

Well no, because you haven't got a BSc

Why 2014-2018?

The OP said she did one year, took a year off, then took her second year over 2 years, but failed. So the bit about being at University between 2014 and 2018 is accurate. Nothing else would be.

It's not a lie to say you studied X course at Y university

omitting the dates and a grade is different from telling a lie imo

Op wasn't saying she studied x at y though? She was planning to say she has a degree that she hasn't got. She even put 2014-2018 in the OP. Ridiculous.

Oh ok, dates would be correct. But they are deliberately given to make it look like the BSc was achieved.

It's not a lie to say you studied X course at Y university

It is a lie by omission if you phrase it in a way that a person would reasonably assume you had passed the course. "Passed year one of degree course" fine, "spent four years studying BSc (Hons) Maths" not fine.

You can say you completed a year if it relevant. I wouldn't use the classification of 2.2 to be honest, just say pass. Anything else would be dishonest.

I’m not going to comment on whether you should or should not do it - that’s up to you but I have never in my life (and have held very senior positions and recruited for all levels of role asked or been asked to prove any of my education. I would say it depends very much on the industry you want to apply for as to whether you will be asked.

Not a hr person but every employee I’ve worked forbhas asked for my degree certificate and they also check up with the university.

Of course it’s misleading, it’s not true! Employers do check up you know.

DH recently let someone go for lying about their qualifications. His suspicions were raised when the person in question was really struggling to do his job. DH rang up the college he claimed to hCe studied at and they’d never heard of him (DH assumed that the agency who’d supplied him in the first place had checked his qualifications). He checks the qualifications of everyone he interviews now; embellishing your qualifications is surprisingly common, outright lying less so, but not uncommon.

If you are going to lie (and I wouldn’t advise it as you will get caught) why not say you just have a PhD from Oxbridge? Most employers I have worked for ask for a 2:1 or higher, so saying you got a 2:2 in your first year would close more doors than it would open I’m sure - just don’t mention it at all on your CV!

I’ve always been asked for original certificates.

Putting BSc (hons) is incredibly misleading. It implies passes at s vets in number if credits which you didn’t even attend enough lectures for.

Don’t do this.

You don't even have one years worth of '2:2-ness'...it doesn't work like that. You have X number of credits towards your degree. Your degree course may have some sort of exit qualification. I got something for completing 2 years of architecture studies. I can't remember what it was cause it was essentially useless and I just forget it exists, but you can't claim BSc (Hons) when you have essentially only completed a year and a bit. If you're getting 58% at the first year level, you'll really need to buckle down to pass the full degree anyway. It took me 4 years to get my BSc (Hons) degree...you can't try to fudge having the same thing when you've scrabbled through a few years of a course. I was asked to give proof of my BSc (Hons) certificate and my MSc certificate...you would be too.

Another one here who thinks that would be a terrible idea. You completed first year, and have found second year to difficult to pass. It doesn't matter really what grade you got in year one, you haven't been able to progress academically within that subject. They may be equivalent to a college qualification, or you can just put down the subjects themselves and the pass marks. The way you're trying to write it gives the illusion of completion- and I can guarantee they won't interview you if they work out what you're writing, and if they do, will disregard you at interview for trying to get them to assume something. Unless it's politics and having a bendy truth is an advantage...........

I used to work in HR and would have expected to see your certificates. If you started the job and were then unable to provide them, you would be fired immediately. I would also wonder what else you had lied about on your CV.

You should also say goodbye to a good reference for any future jobs.

There are plenty of people who have suffered deep personal traumas during their degrees and have gone on to complete them so I don't think you should award yourself a degree because of personal circumstances. Also I agree with pp that recruitment/managers can easily tell who has faked their qualifications because certain things don't match up

Don't lie, whatever you do!

Given it's a 2:2, I'd not mention it at all as it will sink you if there are applicants with more favourable results.

Just focus on the relevant experience you have.

mother

Yup! I had glandular fever and managed to get through.

About 6 years ago there was an audit done on all the staff working for our department. It resulted in 1 person being sacked because they lied about their degree and another person being suspended and demoted due to " irregularities " around either their claimed expierence or qualifications. I'm not sure which as a lot of it was kept quiet.
Anyone that lies about their expierence or qualifications is a fool.

MotherOfMinions that is such a good point - many people have gone through some awful times and still complete their degrees, or at least don’t think they should award one to themselves!