Web of lies
20 February 2009 | Jake Kanter
New research by the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors suggests that more than a third of people embellish or lie on their CV.
The poll of 1,200 workers found that more than 30 per cent had jazzed up their CV to make it more appealing to employers.
I’m sure we are all prone to the odd exaggeration, but are there any buyers ready to admit to a full-blown lie?
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Obviously overstating your experience or level of committment to the role needs to be addressed with the employer in the first instance, especially if it means the buyer are over their heads or don’t understand what is expected.
As well if employers have questions or doubts on the CV that wasn’t checked up front then they should direct it to the buyer up front.
At best acknowledgement of the lie is needed to bring it into the open, and understand that it is not to be prepetuated, whether open discussion or resolution is required depends on the lie, if it is a lie, or an “embellishment” and how it affects the overall working relationship.
If recruitment companies and employers were more open minded and less focussed on reasons to eliminate you for the next stage then I think embellishment won’t be an issue.
I think it’d be uncommon to lie about experience or qualifications but what about why you left a company?
You’re probably right Kate, but when recruitment companies and employers call one referee and get a reference that doesn’t match the other references they will probably build up an impression of the turn of events in a particular situation; especially if there is a quick turn around, or had role or structure change before hand.
As an interviewee is it best just to say, “I had to leave as it was no longer the position I signed up for.”?
If you lie on a CV, and your new employer finds out, can’t they do you for it?
Recruiters are prone to believe a lie than the truth. In agreement with Kate, the process always seems to begin with elimination and not why they should be impressed that you dared to apply.
I am at pains to understand why a well crafted answer about why am leaving is required, if anything it is one question to drop or better still ask “why would like to join us?”.
I always reflect back to one online job hunt experience, as usual I was required to state expected income and a recruiter rang me up to say that if I had asked for so little, then I was not worth the job. This whole time I belaboured to explain my point that the proposed remuneration was something many managers only dream to earn if paid while leaving in a developing economy but okay to start with in a developed economy.
I concluded that clearly he was advising me to in future lie, to up my chances, a thing I have done since without success. Once in a while I can’t help thinking he tricked me to price myself outside the market.
I can’t help wondering why are recruiters not just stating the range and invite a reaction from the interviewee.
Personally I’m an advocate for written assessments and trial periods. This way any lie on a CV is irrelevant, the bad ones will be found out qualification or not. I don’t think people should lie on CV’s, but I have more time for a candidate that has spent time tailoring their CV for a certain role than sending a CV willy nilly, telling me about their sailing qualification and their interest in the tuba!?!