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Original poster

Husband lied on CV - offered job but they want a reference!

260 replies

PeanutyButtery · 25/03/2021 21:34

DH lost his job last February and he's finally been offered a job back in his field. He's been working in a supermarket for the last six months.

He left the supermarket job off his CV because it's not relevant and instead put that he's been working as a consultant for an organisation (prestigious well-known company that's relevant to the new role) from last March until now. Problem is that he won a tender to provide that organisation with services, signed a contract and everything but they never actually sent him any work.

HR called this week to say that they are offering him the job and does he accept. He said yes and then they asked for references. He gave two people from his previous employer but HR replied asking specifically for a reference from X organisation as it's his "current employer".

He replied to say that since that consultancy has ended, HR can contact the company he is working for right now (which is a freelance client he has actually been working for). But he did put the email address for a contact person at X organisation.

I'm so worried they are going to contact X organisation who will say sorry but this guy never worked for us, and that they'll rescind the offer (it's only an oral offer anyway). DH doesn't seem so worried. He was convinced they wouldn't contact references, but actually his previous employer and freelance client have both said they've already been contacted.

Is there anything he can do to fix this situation? It's been two days and nothing... they contacted the references immediately who both replied that same day

OP posts:
SeaShoreGalore · 26/03/2021 02:22

I normally hate it when I read about people lying on their CVs, but I think this was a pretty white lie! Fingers crossed for you.

gutful · 26/03/2021 02:36

I thought lying on a CV meant adjusting dates of times at workplaces, or changing your job title from "coordinator" to "manager" etc

Not lying about whole jobs!

Your husband is a goose & deserves to not get the role.

ForwardRanger · 26/03/2021 02:45

@memberofthewedding

Shoe me the person who does not tell a lie or two on their CV or at least garnish the truth!

I run a company and have given a reference to a relative who did a few small jobs for me but made it sound like a full time job to cover up a gap on his CV. Ive also written references for myself in the past. Its so much easier now with email.

I dont know how DH is going to fix this. Lets just hope he is lucky.

Maybe in England, it's a criminal offence where I live. It is fraud - obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception.
Sansaplans · 26/03/2021 03:12

He needs to be honest with them, if they like him as a candidate they'll probably still offer him the job.

AnyOldPrion · 26/03/2021 03:16

I hope he gets it anyway, OP. I definitely wouldn’t be contacting them and ‘fessing up at this stage. Hopefully, even if he gets it, he will realise it wasn’t the best idea and won’t do it again.

daisiesanddaffodils · 26/03/2021 03:31

Hope it works out for you OP. These threads are always slightly uncomfortable as there’s a strong element of schadenfreude running through them.

There is nothing wrong with working in a supermarket but it ultimately can be damaging CV wise. It’s naive to think it isn’t.

I wish you and your DH the best Flowers

LaBellina · 26/03/2021 04:29

I wouldn’t come forward if I were him and keep my fingers crossed that they won’t find out. He has nothing to lose at this point except the job offer so I would take the bet and keep my mouth shut.

MyOtherProfile · 26/03/2021 04:39

More shocked at memberofthewedding than OPs dh.

Is lying on a CV really a thing? Wouldn't cross my mind that anyone did it.

121hugsneeded · 26/03/2021 05:00

There is sooooo much BS on Linked in and in peoples cv's at the moment it's impossible to believe any of it. It's rife.

I hire with a trial period so I can assess if they CAN actually do the job they say they can now .

PeggyHill · 26/03/2021 05:47

@MyOtherProfile

More shocked at memberofthewedding than OPs dh.

Is lying on a CV really a thing? Wouldn't cross my mind that anyone did it.

I used to work in recruitment, then moved over to HR.

Lying on CVs is so common that it honestly is more of a surprise to me when someone hasn't lied. They are usually small "white" lies, but occassiosnlly it's a big whopper. The big whoppers usually cause a stir if they are found out, but the little ones rarely seem to come to anything.

nitsandwormsdodger · 26/03/2021 05:52

Tricky
it was dumb to lie but then I suppose he wouldn't have been offered the job had he been honest?

nitsandwormsdodger · 26/03/2021 05:55

Side issue
I don't like that he didn't listen to you and is now blaming you for what he chose to do ! !

ShadierThanaPalmTree · 26/03/2021 06:18

Lying on CVs is so common that it honestly is more of a surprise to me when someone hasn't lied.

It has genuinely never occurred to me to lie on a CV, apparently I'm missing a trick!

NutellaEllaElla · 26/03/2021 06:18

@nitsandwormsdodger

Side issue I don't like that he didn't listen to you and is now blaming you for what he chose to do ! !
Yeah, couldn't believe it when I read that!
Ostagazuzulum · 26/03/2021 06:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn as it looks like this was posted on the wrong thread.

Throwntothewolves · 26/03/2021 06:30

My DH recently rewrote his CV as he was struggling to get interviews, and when he did they all focused on the gaps in his recent employment, and not his years of experience.
He lost his job a year ago for obvious reasons and since then has done several temporary jobs through various agencies, but has been unemployed in between, on occasion because we had no childcare due to covid and I had to work.
Now you'd think that employers would understand that covid is the reason for this potted history over the past year, but no. So he removed a few of the jobs and stretched the others to cover the small gaps. Yes he's lying, but he was struggling to get anywhere with the truth, and since he did that a week ago he's had several interviews, with only 'normal' questions about recent employment. Fingers crossed he will be offered a permanent job soon, agency work is fine but far from a stable, reliable income.

So I can absolutely see why people lie on their CVs. But it's the extent of the lying here that matters. Your DH said he's been working in a job for the last year when he hasn't even worked a day for that company. He should not have lied so spectacularly, but I can see why he did. All he can do now is sit tight and wait to hear if he's successful. If not, he'd be wise not to pull that stunt again.

I'm not sure whether putting the supermarket work on his CV is a good idea or not. Nothing wrong with working in a supermarket, and he's kept on earning, which shows enterprise and resilience, but it could look like he was unable to get work in his normal field because he isn't good enough. Depends on the industry I guess, and how impacted by covid it has been. However the truth is better than an outright lie.

Sarahandco · 26/03/2021 06:31

He should have said that although they took him on there was no work available so he went to work in a supermarket. That would have been impressive to many employers.

TangoWhiskyAlphaTango · 26/03/2021 06:36

@Ostagazuzulum

I know you really didn't want this in DM, but is it awful I hope bridezilla reads it, recognises herself and gets a reality check???Grin It might sound tight, even if I could afford it, I'd be annoyed if I was expected to spend 1k on A hen do. Insane
Got the right thread?!
pictish · 26/03/2021 06:40

People do lie on CVs but they bloody shouldn’t...the embarrassment of being caught out! Aaagh.
You can’t just fabricate your most recent job ffs...of COURSE they’re going to check it out!

I do have some sympathy for him but not much. It was a really stupid thing to do. Glad he’s learned his lesson...can’t believe he needed to though.

KatherineJaneway · 26/03/2021 06:48

Did your dh explicitly state what work he had been doing for this organisation?

Brownteddybear · 26/03/2021 06:50

I can't understand his logic of not putting his most recent job "as it's not relevant" yet brazenly putting a massive bare faced lie on there and not expecting them to check it out. It's so untrustworthy and misleading and incredibly unprofessional of him.

I also don't like how he's blaming you for not coaching him better Hmm

PurBal · 26/03/2021 06:53

It sounds like he embellished rather than lied. I agree with your DH, he has a contract. But I'd also be saying I was self employed and that this was "just" a client. I've worked for many prestigious clients, sometimes only once because of the nature of my previous industry, I still included them on my CV. Although obviously not listed as an employer

pictish · 26/03/2021 06:57

“I can't understand his logic of not putting his most recent job "as it's not relevant" yet brazenly putting a massive bare faced lie on there and not expecting them to check it out. It's so untrustworthy and misleading and incredibly unprofessional of him.”

I agree with this. His ego has scuppered and revealed him. You did warn him but he thought he was smarter than everyone. God knows why. His arrogance may well have cost him this job. How ironic.

Snakebyte · 26/03/2021 06:58

Since your DH has told them the consultancy has ended and given them an alternative, I think you'll be okay. If HR come back and ask to contact the other company, let them do so because after all you husband did have a relationship with the previous company. He won the tender and did the medical so technically he was on their books, just waiting for the work to materialise. Since he was self-employed might he have been doing preparation work independently ready for when the contract came through. So I think if push comes to shove you can make an argument that he did have the understanding that he was in a relationship with prestigious company during that time. It just didn't work out as expected in the end. Just wait and see what happens. I think it will be okay.

Thatwentbadly · 26/03/2021 06:59

@queenofthenorthwest

I thought that on a reference you can literally only put, I would/would not employ this person?

If this is true I'd brazen it out

Not true at all. Although that’s all some companies offer.