| CV
cheating…is it wise to bend the truth?
Everybody massages their attributes to suit the job
to which they are applying, but there is a fine line
between manipulating facts and creating fiction. In
long run , you will be Caught!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you fabricate qualifications and employment history
on your CV then you not only run the risk of being
discovered, but also risk leaving your career in tatters
and your reputation in ruins.
However, if an employer doesn't check your references
and qualifications, and many employers do not have
time, then you may get away with your deception. You
will have secured yourself a job, which would usually
have been outside of your grasp.
The decision is yours, bear in mind that lying on
your CV is a not something to be undertaken lightly,
and is certainly not something that Jobsite condones.
It is a dangerous game that can, and most likely will,
have serious consequences on your career.
Massaging the truth
Your CV should be individually tailored to each job
you apply for. You should push to the fore the skills
and desirable features of your background that are
most relevant to the job to which you are applying.
The need to show the employer what they want to see,
in doing so securing an interview, can lead to applicants
falsifying the facts. For example a common deception
is to exaggerate the time that you have worked in
a previous position - writing 6 months instead of
4, or writing that you earned a 2:1 at degree level
instead of a 2:2.
Applicants make all sorts of extravagant claims on
their CVs. Some have been know to write a different
degree qualification on each application they send
out.
Top 5 LIES:CV
cheating
1. Saying you worked for
a company longer than you did
2. Making up qualifications
3. Manufacturing work experience
4. Making up hobbies and interests
5. Making up attributes - for example that you are
organised
Can you get away with it?
The interview
No matter what you write on your CV you should be
prepared to justify its contents in an interview.
If you cannot talk lucidly about your education, previous
work experience and every other detail you have transcribed
then the interviewer will see through your deception
far quicker than you expect.
Hesitation and a lack of confidence expressed in your
body language and tone can indicate to an interviewer
that you are being less than honest. It will be here
where you are undone.
To reach the interview stage you will have shown that
you have the qualifications for the job. At interview
you have to reinforce your work and academic experience
with your personality. A question that often arises
is "tell me about yourself", if you have
written a pack of lies on your CV you have to hope
that your acting skills are good enough, more often
than not they will be well below par.
References
To substantiate work experience details employers
ask for references from your previous employers. Often
they will request that you bring your references with
you to an interview or that you send them in afterwards,
possibly after you have been offered the job.
It has been known for HR managers to offer a job to
a candidate, asked for references, then never hear
from that candidate again. Not only will this 'burn
your bridges' with that particular company you are
also running the risk of burning your bridges with
a number of other companies should you build up a
reputation of acting in this way.
Unless you can convince a friend to pose as your ex
employer or are an excellent counterfeiter then producing
fake references is difficult and highly inadvisable.
Psychometric testing
Psychometric testing is increasingly used in the recruitment
process. Employers use testing to assess a candidates
attributes and their suitability for the job. Skills
based psychometric test and a personality test should
be able to see through a candidates CV deceptions.
Those that think that they can cheat on a psychometric
test may be surprised at how difficult it is. Good
psychometric tests take into account that applicants
may refine their responses to what they think the
employer wants to see.
For example tests subtly repeat questions phrased
differently to see if the response is the same. In
many cases this can be a clear indication of the candidate's
inconsistency.
In the case of personality tests, there is no right
or wrong answer so it may be tricky to gauge what
attributes an employer is looking for.
Working on the job
If you do get a job based upon manufactured qualifications
you must hope that you have the skills to do the job
competently. If you are unable to do the work you
will not retain the post for very long.
Convincing an interviewer is one thing, but if you
get the job you will then be required to convince
your colleagues and clients that you are good enough
to have been selected. They will be able to see through
your inconsistencies very quickly and a damaged reputation
can be very difficult to repair.
Cheating on your CV is easier (or harder) to get away
with depending on what industry you work in. It would
be very difficult to bluff your way into IT, engineering
or chemistry without a solid education and background
in those disciplines.
Rely upon conscience and better judgement
Blatantly lying on your CV is a risky
business and not at all recommended. It is
a shortsighted solution to a larger problem - that
of not having the skills you require to progress along
the career path you want.
If you are serious about entering a profession you
are not currently qualified for, instead of manufacturing
qualifications on your CV, go back to college and
earn them. Instead of making up experience, go out
and find a company that will provide you with the
experience that you strive for.
If you are thinking about radically embellishing your
qualifications and experience on your CV perhaps you
should think twice because if you do not possess the
qualities required for the job you WILL be found out….
sooner or later…
P is Better than C : Rama Ayappah
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