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!

Never had my degree checked and never checked anyone else’s.

Very few places hire people just because they have a degree these days. In fact we don’t ask about education in my huge company as it can be a social mobility blocker.

So if your daughter applied to my company we wouldn’t see her education at all and would judge her on her interview and any assessment only

Obviously not talking about professions that need a degree such as medicine or law!

Another here that wouldn't care if it was a 2:1 or a 1st but would think very hard about hiring a liar, my current job checked. If I spotted it then I'd look back at who came second and may well see if they were still interested.

I think the laughing it off and the "Every one lies" comment would put me off her as much as the actual deed of lying.

I would definitely back off from a friendship with some one who had that attitude to life.

A 2.1 is a really good degree. Her stupid action makes me wonder how she managed to achieve that.

As others have said: her lying will come back to bite her at some point.

Well done to your DD BTW. Great achievement by her.

Depends what the job is and if a degree is required to be accepted for it.

But if the only jobs you're going for are jobs that DONT require a degree then it was a waste of time and money anyway

My degree certificate (I’m old, if that’s relevant) does not state my degree class…..

Same, I would not hire someone who was lying before the job even started for literally no reason.

But more importantly I wouldn't be in a relationship with someone who thought it was okay to lie for vanity (or any other reason).

Whether or not she'll be found out by a future employer, she's a liar, and I would be seeing her in a poor light. If she can publicly lie about this, she'll lie about other things.

I’ve always had to show my degree certificate. She will be found out.

Depends on what sort of jobs she's applying for. I work in media and I've never once been asked about my degree. I do have one! But nobody cares, to the point where I wonder if it's even worth putting on my CV. It might be more important if you're new to the world of work and employers have little else to go on, though.

My horrible ex on Linkedin said he has a degree in computing from the University of Derby!

He didn't go to University or indeed, pass A level maths.

Definitely not worth lying for. I would always check certificates and grades when I recruited in the past.
A friend of my DD claimed to be alumni from a very specific and select uni. But she wasn't, she left after the first year after failing it. She got into a lot of trouble for that!

It could be a lot worse than that! She could be found out in ten or twenty years. Recently a nurse manager in South Wales (who admittedly lied about lots of things on her CV) was sent to prison for a period I can't remember, told to pay back ten years salary, professional registration cancelled and pension cancelled.

Proof of dishonesty can come back to bite you many years later. She needs correcting by someone before she potentially ruins her whole life.

It’s not a slap in the face, Jen will get caught out.

Shame, we used to like Jen.

Now your DD needs to decide whether she still wants to go out with Jenny bullshit.

Teaching here. Original certificates required at interview.

She’s a silly girl, sorry. She will get found out (most places do require to see original certificates these days), and the difference between 2.1 and first class will be considerably less important than the fact she lied. We absolutely reserve the right to dismiss for this (although we could choose not to, but generally we would because of the trust issue).

Sad and shocked is a bit much...

No it's not, sadly. The degree level is trivial for most purposes but the dishonesty is not.

Yes this. My DD was 1% off a first but would not lie.

If you deliberately and knowingly nick a pen it's wrong, if you pick one up and it's in your pocket that's fine. It's the deliberately doing something false that makes you untrustworthy.

I hear u OP. she is taking a huge risk with the potential for serious comebacks.
Also, I would feel uncomfortable about the 'lying' aspect of it.
As hard as it is, try and detach

Totally agree. This is a ridiculous idea. Having a 2:1 is not a bar to any graduate job.

but lying about her degree will almost certainly get any job offer withdrawn.

I never look at degree level- only experience and outside interests. It’s about the whole person.

i can think of no roles ( possibly academia?) where a job would be awarded purely on degree level. In fact, some employers see a first as a potential warning flag that this person may be less of an all-rounder.

Lot of employers say they want to see evidence of candidates making the most of university and bein go involved in clubs, holding positions of responsibility ( team treasurer etc)

so it’s a pointless exercise!

She will need to show her degree certificate, so pointless lying.

Invite her round for something to eat and then settle down to watch old episodes of the Apprentice. The episodes where Lord Sugars friends expose the candidates stupidity, lies and exaggerations.

I have taken quite a bit of stationery from work. And done a lot of personal printing over the years. I promise you it doesn't lead to anything worse. If it did I'd probably be breaking into Hatton Garden vaults by now.