Help! Really f**ked up!

[ToastyTots]

So DS slightly inflated his degree grade from a 2:2 to a 2:1.

It took him a long time to find a job after graduation so I told him to put 2:1 on his CV and he got a good job soon after. That job didn't check and he was there for 3 years. A management change early this year made the culture very toxic and it took a big strain on his MH so he resigned and was without a job for a few months until he was offered another much better job last month.

He had kept the 2:1 on his CV. New job had a screening process which asked him to put his degree grade in and as he'd kept the 2:1 on his CV, I told him he needed to put that down.

They've now asked for his degree certificate!

He's already started working for them and really loves it.

WTH can he do? He'll be sacked in the spot when he produces the certificate wont he!

Obviously not going to alter it as that'll land him in worse trouble.

He needs to come clean , explain that he wasn't having any luck with the correct grade so decided to see if it would make any difference if he put a 2:1 because he was confident that if he could get through an interview he would be good at the job. Ask them if they are happy with his work (although even if they are, his trustworthiness is questionable) and apologise profusely.

@ThunderMoo but he did get the job though. They should have checked certificates before giving a start date. That’s what they do at my place of work.

He would have had to sign the screening to say that the information is factual. He's in a world of shit and should own up immediately.

Business runs on trust that goes both ways.

I've seen cases where mitigation may be made for an exemplary track record, depends on the case. He might get lucky. Might not.

Yes for whatever reason they didn't and he got lucky but trust is a really important part of being an employee and I don't think they can trust him now.

Is it just the degree one they're after? Or GCSE/A level too. It is odd they want it if it isn't related.

Say he can't find it and has ordered a new one from the uni. If its unrelated and they also asked for others which he has provided then they may not bother ... or if they say send the uni one when he gets it just don't until they ask for it again.

Stupid to lie but it's where he is now. Hand it in if he has to, they may not check the grade. If he does claim typo irregardless how many places its in. Original typo then copy and pasted the error.

Lesson in not lying on your application!

The thing is, even if he gets away with it this time isn't it delaying more stress when he applies for another job? Or is he hoping that it won't matter by then as he'll omit the grade on his CV next time?

No and don’t you think the mother knows that?
Does it make people like you feel better to come on here kicking people while they are down?

I don't see the point of asking for a document and just photocopying it and filing it, never to be looked at?

It’s massive fuck up. I would send it in, see if they cross check, if they do grovel, but get ready to be fired.

He’s still got 3 years work experience with his old employer.

The problem with your theory @lapasion is assuming HR professionals just hobbled off the last boat. We also took degrees and professional qualifications. It enables us to ensure our organisation is a trustworthy one that people want to work for and do business with.

Shall we accept the architect with a 2:1 in Spanish or a Doctor that didn't make it through med school or a teacher without a clean DBS.

Exactly that. It is an outside org doing the screening! I guess he'll have to resign. Utterly shit as recently broke up with long term girlfriend a few weeks ago and he really needed this. Great environment, further training and career progression too.

It doesn't matter how old my DC are, I will always try to help them. I don't feel bad at all for the advice I gave him 3 years ago. It worked, he got off to a good start in his career and was highly though off in his last job.

Fuckity fuck!

Does it really matter if he got a 2:1 or 2:2? DH got a third and had no trouble getting good jobs as he was very hard working and is now a higher tax payer.
Hopefully they won't care that much what the grade was because he has good experience and they can see he's capable.

What I'd do is just submit it and see if they say anything. If they do, then apologise and say that it was a silly thing to do but he realised that he'd put 2.1 on the CV he'd submitted, thought he'd look stupid if he put something different on the portal and wouldn't be offered the job which he desperately wanted and is absolutely loving.

@Sparklingbrook it doesn't happen. Why? Because then we would be the ones getting the sack. Rightly.

I remember 30 years ago being asked to present my degree certificate. I didn’t have a degree, ignored the request and carried on successfully in the job before leaving to have my children. Returning to work in the same industry nobody asked about my degree just about my success in my previous job. Still here doing well and out performing people with any degrees. Sometimes you just have to get a break.
I am sure your son will be fine as his previous work ethics show his worth more than qualifications. Disclaimer for a lot of professional bodies you really can’t lie😜

If he was stupid enough to take the advice to lie on multiple occasions I’m surprised he even managed a 2:2. It would mean dismissal in my line of work once caught out, and degree classifications do get checked.

It's weird - I was offered 2 jobs from different companies a couple of years ago and they both wanted to see my university degree that I got over 20 years ago!!!

They're both multi-national blue chips with a fairly thorough screening process.

Which sector does your DS work in? And what type of company does he work in e.g. FTSE 100, FTSE 250, mid size company?

The problem is the 2.1 degree qualification is often a cut off for many companies, it's used to screen out potentially hundreds, if not thousands of potential candidates. If he had put down his actual 2.2 he might not have got his foot in the door.

I am sure there will be HR people on this thread - see what they say

Thanks, i thought as much.

@Pipsquiggle I'm in HR. He's buggered unless he comes completely clean and even then it's nowhere near a foregone conclusion.

He was actually offered 3 jobs in the same week as well. Guess it was luck of the draw which one would ask for his certificate!

Don’t panic. Just contact the external company say he made a mistake, offer no explanation just say an error it’s a 2:2 and submit the certificate. As an employer I would not be happy about a change of course or university to something more prestigious, but if I was employing someone on the basis of their previous experience rather than their degree mark I would let it go. It will come down to the employer. Nothing to lose at this point but don’t get hysterical over it, it won’t help.

Yeah, this is what I would tend to opt for. If I were him I'd actually say "my mum suggested this, she tends to give good life advice generally so I do listen to her. I wasn't very experienced in the world of work I thought that might be ok to do what she suggested. I've now realised it wasn't the right thing to do and really regret i. I have this dilemma because I really want this job, I feel I'm a really good fit. However I totally understand how this might make me appear and can understand if you don't feel I can carry on."

Or something like that.

Was it for a graduate job? Is there going to be a drip feed about how your DS got a 2:2 from Oxford or Cambridge?

They might all have asked for it. Hopefully he will change his CV for future applications, he must be really stressed from all this.

Only one in three employers ask for it?

@Oddieconvert
Why do you wish to know my age?
My advice was to hand in the certificate and see what happens. The OP is clearly upset, probably feels stupid and can't take her advice back. A 'Desmond' should never be quoted.
We all make mistakes, nobody is asking for a kicking. (and yes I am aware it was employment fraud). And before I get told they could sue for damages the company have to prove loss. Very hard with limited case law in the UK.
Good luck.