What’s the biggest lie you’ve told to get a job?

[ThatCraftyLimeQuokka]

My friend once claimed to be vegan when applying for a vegan charity role, got the job and now just brings vegan lunches to work and sticks to plant-based meals when eating with colleagues. It worked out fine… but it got me thinking. Ever bent the truth to land a role?

Not a real job, but I was once asked to role-play the part of a prospective candidate to give management trainees "interviewing experience". I worked for an environmental organisation and i totally got into character: I'd been a producer of a David Attenborough documentary, I'd worked with Greta Thunberg, I'd written my thesis with the President of Greenpeace - you name it - I made it up!
The funniest thing was, one of the managers came up to me afterwards to discuss something I'd said because he had a particular interest in that area and he didn't believe me when I said i knew nothing about it because I was so convincing! 🤣

Isn't every interview just a version this? When asked 'why do you want to work here' we can't say the truth which is 'i need money / better hours / more holidays / easier commute' we play the game where we bullshit how interested we are in the business and how we've always wanted to work there and ready for our next challenge.

Oh yeah

Said I worked as a bid manager when I didn't

None as I wouldn't be able to pull it off.

I fairly recently found out that the 'hons' part of a degree was for doing a dissertation. I just thought it was called BA hons, so that was on my CV. I didn't do a dissertation. Had a bit of a panic recently when I got a new job and they needed to check my background and what I'd said on my CV. But I had already removed it....

Of course. I’m so old now that I’ve been able to give myself A grades at GCSE and a handful of A levels.

and just think - now is the perfect time to say you were high up at Toys R Us or Blockbuster Videos! Who’s checking?!

I have expanded the years I worked at certain jobs on my CV, mainly because I don’t want to explain a gap (which was due to a bad back injury. Don’t want to get into that, as it might be a red flag if an employer is worried about fitness, and my back is fine now!)

I don’t really care … have never felt bad about it. I work hard, so I guess I feel solid about my work history whether the dates are correct or not

Ohhhh my goodness 🤣🤣 this one is amazing!

Not all Honours degrees require a dissertation. It may be the difference in some universities/subjects, but it's not a universal requirement. Usually an honours degree requires 360 credits; a pass degree requires only 300 credits, and is not usually classified. The majority of UK degree courses are honours degrees. Check your degree certificate.

I wish the react button still had the 😆 emoji

Haha. Yes, I realised after I posted that it made me sound like a twat.

They weren't big roles, but I work in an incestuous industry and people often get approached.

Yes, I agree. That's a pretty standard 'lie' that most people would have told at one point or another.

That's hilarious!

i need to know what the accent was now.

I said ‘ like to have this job’ I didn’t want the job I was offered, so a deal was made that I worked in the office too as well as the job advertised which was lunchtime assistant. I got the job(s).

Well this thread evidently doesn't apply to you then does it? Or your gigantic forehead.

@PuppyMonkeyI’m imagining a really strong Somerset accent à la The Wurzels!

I said I was really interested in governance and policy development

I've never lied, but looking back I have managed to show remarkable levels of enthusiasm for some very ordinary roles. I'm not sure if it's good or bad, but I believed the cheesy, on message things I said at the time!

I always say I am highly motivated when in reality I would much rather never work another day in my life and spend that time lying on the sofa eating snacks and watching Netflix.

I had my boyfriend (now husband) give my reference… he was my former boss to be fair but still wildly unprofessional. That was 10 years ago and the people who hired me have moved on but I still live in fear that they’ll find out.

I said I felt very confident using Excel and that yes I used it most days in my current role. Also claimed to be confident in leading a team and liasing with departments. I’d never done anything similar in my life, only 19 years old at the time and had only ever worked briefly as a make up promotions girl in Boots (where I turned up, got handed a t-shirt to wear and gave out make up samples). I ended up shortlisted to the final 2 but thankfully didn’t get the job! I would have looked a complete prat if I’d got it and turned up clearly clueless.

Bingo! That was actually it hahah

I would really like to be an accountant; it sounds so interesting.

Can't believe they bought that one tbh

He’s just reminded me that he didn’t actually write the reference then the request came through… I did. Omg, I can’t believe I did that.

Why would a regional accent put employers off?