Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Work

Chat with other users about all things related to working life on our Work forum.

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:
Oblomov21 · 26/03/2021 07:10

Do nothing. He has to get this straight in his head, and be comfortable about it, or else he won't be able until brazen it out.

Gemma's suggestion re no reference is perfect. And then also just casually slip in that he did a bit of work for Sainsbury's, 'we needed the money'.
Which sounds totally plausible. No one would think twice!

Oblomov21 · 26/03/2021 07:15

"P45s are redundant now with live tax reporting."

Shock Eh? News to me! I have starters giving me P45's still.
Seafog · 26/03/2021 07:20

The lying on the CV is bad, but to then try and blame you now, for not stopping him then?
That there is a responsibility shirker, and would piss me off to no end.

Brefugee · 26/03/2021 07:20

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

I don't. I do tailor my CV to the job I'm applying for and leave out relevant information. But I'M too scared of what happened to OPs husband happening to me, so I don't. And i don't know anyone who does.

ShipOfTheseus · 26/03/2021 07:23

Companies aren’t obliged to give a reference. What do people do then? What if the company no longer exists? Not one of the companies I previously worked for is still in existence- bought out, taken over, subsumed into something else. What do self-employed people do who don’t have an employer?

Lockdownbear · 26/03/2021 07:28

The poster who suggested that he says he updated his CV but was then not sent any work probably has the best answer.

But the issue with lying on CVs isn't the formal written reference it's the informal phone call to an acquaintance that carries most weight.

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 26/03/2021 07:31

I once worked somewhere - one of the newly appointed senior members of staff had lied about their previous experience and more particularly their salary (I believe the seniority of the post they'd held prior to being appointed to the organisation we were working for). The deception came to light and she was frogmarched out of the office one day never to return.

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 26/03/2021 07:34

The poster who suggested that he says he updated his CV but was then not sent any work probably has the best answer. And yes, yes to this approach. Although, did your DH/the interview panel not have to talk about that role in the interview?

TomHardyAndMe · 26/03/2021 07:37

@ShipOfTheseus

Companies aren’t obliged to give a reference. What do people do then? What if the company no longer exists? Not one of the companies I previously worked for is still in existence- bought out, taken over, subsumed into something else. What do self-employed people do who don’t have an employer?
I had to get a reference from my accountant in the self employed situation.
Dozer · 26/03/2021 07:49

He said YOU should’ve told him not to, when you had!

Charming, and a liar.

HowAboutAH0tCupOfShutTheHellUp · 26/03/2021 07:49

@Brefugee

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

I don't. I do tailor my CV to the job I'm applying for and leave out relevant information. But I'M too scared of what happened to OPs husband happening to me, so I don't. And i don't know anyone who does.

Same, my CV reflects the truth of my working life and education. Too easy now for employers to run checks, and being proved a liar is hardly good for career progression.
Hamhockandmash · 26/03/2021 07:55

@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.

I’ve never lied on a cv...why would you, if you get caught out you potentially damage your reputation within your industry.

I would leave it and hope for the best, however in future admit he worked for the supermarket - it’s honest, it shows that he is willing to do a variety of work too. A supermarket isn’t a shameful place to work, especially during a pandemic, and there will be skills he has developed that are important.

RosesAndHellebores · 26/03/2021 08:21

Most frequent reason for withdrawal of an offer of employment is that dates on references and CV/applications do not match and/or salaries and job titles. If people tell lies to get the job, they will tell lies in the job. Trust and confidence are breached immediately. If the hiring manager insists I recommend a rigorous probation and that advice is usually ignored despite multiple niggles. Three/four years down the line we are left with a capability issue and a vexatious employee.

thedancingbear · 26/03/2021 08:22

The best thing would perhaps be not to lie on a CV.

I would never, ever employ someone who was a proven bullshitter.

SionnachGlic · 26/03/2021 08:23

I would not lie on a cv. I would tweak it somewhat depending on roles offered so as to highlight more relevant skills but I would not lie. I def would not try to represent that I had worked somewhere when I hadn't. As HR persons have said, it is a firing offence if discovered after you have started...so it isn't just a matter of getting in the door either. And in my organisation people have been fired for it.
What if someone on staff worked on the project for the organisation or knows someone that did (that DH lied about)...will he be able to lie that he was there...maybe far fetched in some industries but not in the profession I'm in...it is a small world & a few questions in conversation would have someone sussed & a lie like that found out.

For your family's financial wellbeing etc, I hope it works out.... but it was a stupid move & hopefully he has learned his lesson.

TeachesOfPeaches · 26/03/2021 08:36

I imagine he must have spent a fair bit of the interview process talking about his time at the consultancy. Did he make up projects?

NotAPanda · 26/03/2021 08:41

It really depends on the exact wording - if he was on ‘their books’ as a contractor then he wasn’t lying!
However ... if he never actually did any work for them then how did he describe it in the CV?
If he claims he did work for them and talked about it at interview etc that’s a very big lie...as all his experiences are fake!
Sorry but you’re in a hole here. You’d better hope that the referee didn’t give it away. There’s nothing you can do... if yo ur Dh wanted to lie he should’ve been smarter about it by at least talking to the potential referee beforehand and alerting them!
I’ve never put someone as a referee without knowing what they were going to say

Yellownotblue · 26/03/2021 08:49

@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.

If you’re a solicitor, you’d get struck off for embellishing your cv or providing fake references.
Pinkraven · 26/03/2021 08:56

We would not employ someone who lied on their CV - how could we trust them with a client. We have to produce employee CVs to tender for jobs - this for us, would be lying to our clients too!

crowsfeet57 · 26/03/2021 09:00

With my previous employer I applied for the role I had been covering for a year. I didn't get it. My boss e mailed me a rundown of how her CV was better than mine. It was full of lies.

CV Managed another branch for 14 years.
FACT Branch had only been open for 8 years.

FACT She wasn't the manager she was the supervisor. (Same as me)
CV was currently managing a call centre with 250 staff and responsibility for a budget of £750K
FACT was one of 20 team leaders with 11 staff and no budget responsibility
FACT She was also about to be fired as she couldn't do the job

I know this because I now work for them!

I don't know if the references were so vague that they didn't highlight the lies or if they just didn't care. Anyway she got the job and made me redundant!

And I'm not bitter at all.

MoreWater · 26/03/2021 09:02

He should contact them and grovel / error of judgement / etc.

Even if he's appointed and works for them, they can use this to dismiss him at any stage if they subsequently find out.

I withdrew an offer from a potentially great candidate for a senior role in my own business when they could not provide the certification they said that they had. I had no doubt that they had the capability and the experience. But the trust was gone.

Better to be straight now and deal with it than have it hanging over you both.

Disfordarkchocolate · 26/03/2021 09:06

I've never lied on my CV, it would never occur to me.

If I had a variety of agency work then I would list the agencies, the time periods and the examples of the tasks/roles/achievements for each agency. The interview or personal statement gives the opportunity to clarify. My CV has 6 or 7 current roles because they are adhoc but ongoing. Then a section on adhoc but completed roles.

crowsfeet57 · 26/03/2021 09:06

My boss sent me a rundown of how the successful candidate's CV was better than mine. And Yes I do know he shouldn't have done, but he was in a hole because he and the director had verbally promised me the job on a number of occasions.

BigPaperBag · 26/03/2021 09:07

That’s why you shouldn’t lie about previous employment, whatever possessed him? The best thing to do is come clean but tbh, it doesn’t bode well as it makes him look untrustworthy. Sorry.

StellaDendrite · 26/03/2021 09:13

If you are going to lie then you should at least say something you can get away with. Your husbands lie was a really really dumb one.