Discussion Is it a good idea to lie on your resume?

[MakinItHappen111]

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[fleurdelune]

never a "good idea" per se, but i suppose there are things that you could maybe get away with lying about. i think people embellish their experiences on their resumes pretty often...

 

[astr4]

yes. got my last job because i had a friend who pretended to be my previous manager. also when covid first started so all interviews were over zoom.

also let me frame it this way: why are we respecting a corporation like mcdonald's or whatever that probably will commit wage theft and time theft and won't respect you back?

if it's a mom and pop i would feel differently i think but no harm done with a corpo. if they don't catch you they didn't do their due diligence and that's their fault. and if they do catch you what are they gonna do, yell at you? LOL
plus think of it as harm reduction. if lying to get this job will keep you from killing yourself for a little bit longer, i think any God up there would forgive you.

 

[Gild-Holm-’Ur]

Take what you need from my response: But I'm going to say no especially if its fact checkable. Now you can shade the truth.

A YouTube that works in HR says the job of the resume is to get you to the interview.

He also said to name your resume file as your name - resume. I thought that was good advice that I didn't think about. Since they will have a lot of files that just say resume.

 

[Lamentice]

It depends, but generally the right kind of bullshitting is essential; and note, everyone is lying who is getting jobs.

Obviously, don't lie about things you're gonna get caught in, but if you can get away with it, then absolutely.

• I had a job somewhere for only like 3 months before the business closed, now I have it on my resume that I worked there for over a year before they closed. I know my shit about how the place functioned, I had a good relationship with my manager, the lie about time there just makes my experience appear more legit when it already was legit.

• I've worked at places where every once in a while I'd help out in a department or do tasks outside of my job; on a resume they don't need to know it was 1 or 2 times, nor do they need to know that in an interview, according to them I was versatile for my entire time in that position and have reliable experience in both.

• And then of course, if you give references (which I never do unless prompted, which is standard as far as I am aware), there's the very normal case of having your previous coworker pose as your previous supervisor or having your friend/family pose as your boss or coworker. This has backfired on me occasionally as sometimes people are bizarre and competitive and a coworker I thought I could trust actually slandered me and then lied to my face about it and tried to grab the role for themselves since they knew someone who worked there. Keep that in mind when you rely on other people.

 

[coolcow1289]

I avoid lying in general. Integrity is very important. But you also do need to eat.

Applying to a mom and pop store or small business? Engage with them truthfully.

Applying to some mega corporation where some HR recruiter is using AI to filter the applications? Lie through your teeth. You owe them nothing.

 

[Pluto]

 

[limenlux]

As long as you're not defrauding or endangering anyone by lack of qualification, I think it's generally acceptable to "spin" or embellish your resumé. Given the nature of the modern job market and the filtering strategies of HR departments, it may even be necessary.

As an example, my last profession before becoming disabled "required certification" from one of multiple superfluous, pretentious programs designed to demonstrate my knowledge of the product for which I was responsible. Did I obtain one of those certifications? Yes. Did I exaggerate how and where I obtained it? Of course I did. Knowing a good liar with a French accent pays off sometimes.

 

[dragonofenvy]

Not lying necessarily, but I've overexaggerated on my resumes. The moment I started doing that I was able to be selected for a few jobs, including the one I've had for the last 2 years.