DD's girlfriend lying about her degree result

[WhitePolarBear]

DD (22) just graduated and is applying for jobs. Has been updating her LinkedIn profile etc. She worked so hard at uni and was delighted to get a First Class degree, which she has put on her education section.

DD's girlfriend 'Jen'* of 2 years (who we've met, had to stay etc and had become quite fond of...) has also set up her profile, but has listed her degree result as a 'First' when actually she got a (still very good) 2:1.
When DD casually mentioned it, Jen laughed it off and said 'everyone lies on their profiles and CVs' and claimed 'nobody will ever know'.

We're both sad and shocked I think. DD said to me it feels like a 'slap in the face' for those students who REALLY got a first class degree, and we feel sad that Jen thinks nothing of her lying and deception.

Nothing can/will be done, but just wondered what folk thought?

*not her real name!

Says a lot about 'Jen' as a person. I don't think I'd want to employ someone with sort of outlook on life.

I really couldn't care less if I was in your position. She's likely to be found out, so let her learn the hard way.

I also think you're way too invested in all this and being OTT.

I had an ex who lied about something far less important ok an cv and felt humiliated when he was found out. I pretended to be sympathetic but in fact his lie amplified my sense of him as being self serving and less than honest. He fell in my estimation.

Yes I would advise everyone tried to relax about it and not even get involved, even your DD, let people make their own choices. They are adults now after all. If it backfires then that’s a life lesson, if it doesn’t then who knows maybe it worked in her favour, and there’s more to life and the ability to be good at a job than what it says on a CV anyway! There’s also much worse lies in my opinion so I don’t think I’d be stressing too much over what I suspect is already an incredibly hard jobs market for graduates…

She'll get caught out eventually. I was asked (for the first time in my career) to produce my degree certificates when I started a new job in my late 30s. Cue a panicked phone call to my parents to see if they could find them (they'd moved since I graduated/left home and anything of mine got chucked out/up in the loft).

Me too! This was for a caring job and despite my O level and A level maths certificates I still had to take a functional maths test.

It really depends who she applies to work with.

I'm nearly 50 and have never been asked for degree or A-level certificates by an employer, not once!

I've had several different employers too. Mostly small organisations, but not all of them.

So, she may well get away with it.

She's silly to do it though, she risks getting offered a job which would have offered it to her anyway if she'd told the truth. But losing it as they find out she lied. Which would be hugely embarrassing!

Pretty dumb of her, even now, at the grand old age of 50 (cough cough) I still have to take my degree and post grad certs to every interview, they take them to copy, first thing.

I would be screwed then as I never got a physical certificates for my GCSE's.

LinkedIn isn't a job application, but it's a good way to attract recruiters, as long as she doesn't put it on an actual application, it's likely fine.
That said on of my best friends has been putting a maths degree they don't have on CVs for the last 21 years... no one has ever checked 🤣

In my industry background checks including qualifications are very common/essential for many roles. These also include checks on online presence, so even if Jen doesnt repeat the lie on a specific application she might still get caught out when they google her.

At 22 and just out of uni she is (like we all were at some point) still immature and inexperienced when it comes to the job market. I would share my experience with her, adult to adult, so she can make an informed choice from here. Looking back, i’d have been grateful for someone to point this out (not that linkedin was a thing in my day!)

She is an idiot. In a lot of jobs getting a first or a 2.1 will make no difference, so why lie. In some jobs it will be important and they will want proof so she risks being revealed as a liar and losing her job/ potential job. There are no benefits either way. She has already reaped one negative by falling down in your estimation.

I do employment checks and we absolutely do check and take copies of degree certificates.

It could, but that's not a good reason to deny the majority of graduates the opportunity to have their achievements recognised?
That's a bit like saying we're not going to announce who won Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in an Olympic race in case the person who came last is embarrassed?
In my experience the people who get 3rds don't bother turning up to graduation anyway!

By the way, I say this as someone who got the dreaded 'Desmond' (2:2) back in the 80s, and as someone with a surname at the end of the alphabet I was pretty late to be called on stage.

If anything, the experience was a wake-up call and gave me a kick up the backside to work harder when I went back into higher education later!

Your dd’s first should be accolade enough, op.
You really feel she deserved the brass band and ticker tape parade as well, don’t you?
😂

I'm a big fan of celebrating hard work and success, yes, what's wrong with that?
It seems that in every other walk of life it's absolutely OK to highlight people at the top of their game, except in higher education - it's weird.

Let's just give olympic medals to everyone who took part, eh? And not dare share where they came in the league table...

Oh, stop it. Do you actually know how many people get firsts now?
About a third of the cohort…
Those getting 2:1’s have also done very well.
There’s no podium, and no need for one.

Don’t think DD (and certainly not you) should take it so personally…

It’s DGF’s choice if she does this. She may well get caught. If anything, you might want to caution her that employers are likely to check. Otherwise, it’s nothing to be “sad” about?!

If DD has a problem with the dishonesty, that is fair enough and a different matter - maybe she wouldn’t want to stay with somebody who is dishonest generally.

Your daughter has done really well, but to be blunt, these days she's nothing special. And really, your issue is to do with your feelings about your daughter, feeling like your daughter's partner's 2:1 somehow diminishes your daughter's first. Despite what you imply, her partner hasn't committed any heinous act.

But that's where I disagree - I think we SHOULD be celebrating the top third (or half or whatever, if you want to include 2:1s)

We celebrate success and excellence in sport and across the creative industries, why not in academia?
Why shouldn't we acknowledge there's a difference between the student who rolled out of bed just enough to get 41% and the student who worked their ass off to get 99%?

@WhitePolarBear I was lucky as when I got my degree in the 80s (I got a 2:1) my surname was right at the beginning of the alphabet so I was called first! No one in my year got a first. Nowadays they seem as common as 2:1s were back in the day. Ds got a first this year in his degree as did ALL his friends at their respective universities and all my friends' dc.

Most employers ask to see certificates so it’ll come back and bite her in due course and she’ll have the embarrassment of being caught out in a lie. I wouldn’t worry about it

Depends on the firm but most agencies that hire for banks, government and so on use referencing companies that check - everything -. Any lie, even a job title will be instant dismissal so really not worth it.

Yes, that’s my experience too.
It’s reminds me of when the 9’s were introduced at GCSE’s, and they estimated that only around 2% of entrants would achieve one. They’re now completely routine.

Yes dd3 did her gcses this year - 10 9s - her friend only got 5 9s and 4 8s ( and another grade) and he's apparently not that academic!! It's like the A dd1 'only' got 9 As and 2 As - she actually asked for a remark but didn't get it whereas dd2 got 11A*. I did O levels and whilst I did get 4 A grades I have never felt the slightest bit ashamed of my Bs and Cs. Passing was considered an achievement by itself.