False information on resume - ever do it?

Don't lie -- but as the old advertising adage goes, "always tell the truth -- in an interesting way."

As a manager, the second I found out that you had "stretched the truth" about something as simple as a degree and training certification, I would show you the door, as I would then not trust anything that came out of your mouth. Don't mean to be on the high horse, but hiring managers count integrity pretty high on the list of qualities we are looking for in new hires, so personally, I think that lying is a bad idea...
Why not take some of the certification tests, without taking the courses, if you've already taught yourself what you think you need to know? This would then lend you the credibility you are searching for...

As an interviewer i ask detailed questions about skills and certifications -- even ask questions from the certification tests. And, when i find a candidate that is lying (there's no getting by me) I ensure that that candidate is never offered a position anywhere in my company because lying goes against the company's core values.

... to help with your resume. They know the things that will help you get past screeners. Since this is the real problem you are trying to solve, it will be well worth the money.

This was interesting. The oft used 'word' for the GUI is goo-ey (which is horrid - please say Gee You Eye), but with an accent not quite like yours, could be heard as 'Gwee'. Another mis (yes mis)-pronunciation often used is 'Sequel' for SQL (Ess-Que-Ell). I was once told that it is correct to say Ess-Que-Ell and wrong to say 'Sequel' but that 'it is considered impolite to correct them' Now I know there are a lot of Microsoft Sycophants use this site and a lot of (all?) Microsoft SQLlers say 'Sequel'. I'm dreadfully sorry but (and I've been in this business for 25 years) say 'Sequel' and I cannot help but think you're ignorant - I KNOW this is wrong and I try hard 'cos I've met many competent 'Sequel' programmers - I even work with some but I would not refuse them a job based on that pronunciation - just as long as they realised they sound as daft as someone saying 'Neck' for NEC or 'Dee-ee-Cee' for DEC.

I have never lied on a resume, and never will. And it isn't just about getting caught -- and it certainly isn't about morals. Here are some real reasons:

1. False expectations: you could be getting yourself in over your head if they expect you to have certain training or experience you don't have. If the job isn't a good match for you on your own qualifications, you'll probably be just as miserable as you'll make them.

2. If you've got the abilities, as you claim, then there is a valid way to sell that on your resume without the standard credentials. Some companies will be even more interested in a "self-made" candidate than in one who learned everything at school. Turn it into a positive.

3. If you get in on false pretenses, you'll be looking over your shoulder all the time to see if "they" can tell. You'll feel like you've cheated the system (which you have) and therefore you'll question the validity of all of your own work, even if it is just as good as anything anybody else could produce.

Just be aware that many companies treat this as grounds for dismissal if it ever comes to light.
A friend of mine lied about his salary when he got hired. He got away with it for quite a long time, but he will always be running the risk that if they find out, he could be presented with a box and given ten minutes to clear out his desk.

I have been lucky enough that I have not had to lie.

That said if you can do the work and can get through the interview I think it is fine. [[As long as you are not under public srutiny]]

I have always been frustrated by not being able to get good jobs because my resume does not show that I can do it despite my confidence that I *can* do that.

I interview people now and I, personally, do not rely on the resume much. Do they seem smart? Are they able to explain themselves? Can they answer technical questions?

The resume is needed to get past the initial screen.

I would say give it a try, but be ready to take responsiblity if you fall flat on your face with the job.

If you can do the job great.

Another perspective ... Look at all the sales people in cunsulting. I can't tell you how many times I was committed to finish projects I had no skills to do... we succeeded, but it was painful.

How is this different from what you are trying to do on your resume?

If you flat out put false information on your resume or application and it is discovered, in most places that is grounds for termination.

What you can do, if there is a list of minimum requirements for the job and you can answer yes to part of the question/requirement but not all, is answer yes to it and then explain yourself in the interview.

Besides, there's a good chance they might want transcripts and training certificates to back up your claim.

I retired from the military a little over a year ago and found myself looking for a job in IT, I had just finished my BS in IT and had about 3 years working a what I call a PC tech, I took care of the the PC's, Routers, Hubs, CAT5, etc. while some contractors were the actual "LAN Administrators." It just seemed to me that everyone must be lying on their resumes, because most of the people I have dealt with were very short on ability. I kept my resume honest, and I am now working on an assembly line (Not in IT), pretty happy with the job, still keep my out for that perfect job though.

I didn't all the posted replies but the ones I did read made me feel better about the integrity of the people I've been trying to work with, which is why I said Thank You.

It is very often the case that not the best professional gets the job, but the one who sells himself/herself best. Sad but TRUE! This applies to most entry to intermediate level positions. The interviewers know that all of the selected candidates have the potential to get the job done - proper schooling, cetification, etc. But they choose the one they would like to work with - appearance, manners, sense of humor, all come into play.

So if you are highly individualistic I think it is fair to tell the interviewer that you are a team player. Just because you like privacy in your work doesn't mean you will not help when asked. For me it is OK to lie on that level, because it is unfair to discriminate against a candidate based on his natural predispositions, yet recruiters do it all the time. Some interviewers have asked me about my favorite sport - a veiled question that aims to determine if you prefer team sports vs. idividual ones. I have a few ready replies - soccer, basketball, baseball. I played soccer in highschool and likedit a lot but I love tennis a lot more because it shows what a single person is really capable of under pressure. Much better in terms of forging a professional character.
Furthermore, if your future boss is the interviewer, he will be likely to pick someone who will not threaten his position. Displaying some mediocrity would tip the scale in your favor. Strange how you can lie in the opposite direction. This is particularly true when you want to get a job you are overqualified for. In that case, I consider omitting things on your resume that make you look too good. Is that lying? If it is, I think it is fair game.

Listen, the solution to your issue is to just get
your degree! At this point of the game, you can get a degree in anything, like music. As long as you got the BA. Your experaince will carry you over.

In the mean time, register for classes at strayer university. They have online classes you can take from home. The are located in Washington DC area is highly respected by corporations and Government agencies. Sign up for one class and at that point you can put it on the resume. List it as currently attending.
Most employers will view you as having one at that point. You can take as long as you want on completing it. Just get into a program and do
not lie!!!! It will haunt you. They do check.
911 has caused them to call the schools and past employers.
I have seen companies excort liars off the premise. You do not want to face that.

I have never lied on a resume. I have put down that I knew how to program in a certain language, and then went out and taught myself that language.

I worked for a corporate headhunter. We had an applicant that "stretched" the truth. He had the same name as someone who got a particular degree, and when degrees were checked, we just verified by name and graduation date. (20 years ago) When it was finally discovered, he went to jail, and we voluntarily returned a hefty fee back to the company, and replaced him for free as well. Of course, this is a bit more than "stretching", but if you'll tell a small lie, you'll tell a big one.

As others, in this forum, have advised, ?. . .take some of the certification tests. . .? to prove you have earned your education via the school of hard-knocks. Start a college program in CS or IT; whatever suits your needs. Not only will it give you the educational credentials you need to break down barriers, it will enrich both your technical and life skills.

Once, I had a guy working for me that was a graduate Electronics Engineer who, in his previous job, had to learn system level and electronic control technical programming. He had 15 years of professional design engineering experience to his credit, but very little knowledge of computer programming analysis or design. Over several months, he taught himself what he needed to, to keep his job. Over time, he continued to study a variety of subjects, from various programming languages to business productivity applications. Several years later, he applied for a position with me. The position, I was filling, was for a business Programmer/Analyst. After checking his experience, references, and reputation, I hired him. While with me, among other things, he became fairly proficient in designing and managing Oracle, Ingres, and Informix RDBMSs.

Now, if he had lied to me, about his background, especially on paper, he would have been making material misstatements of fact, i.e. telling lies. Since the position, he was applying for, was with the US Department of Defense, his lie(s) would have definitely bought him some serious jail time and a large fine. Also, he would never have been able to work for any government agency, any, direct or indirect contractor, or consultant. And, I am sure, when applying for any other position in CT, IT, or IM, his criminal record would be a potential block to any future employment.

You never know what you don?t know ? life just happens, sometimes.

As others, in this forum, have advised, ?. . .take some of the certification tests. . .? to prove you have earned your education via the school of hard-knocks. Start a college program in CS or IT; whatever suits your needs. Not only will it give you the educational credentials you need to break down barriers, it will enrich both your technical and life skills.

Once, I had a guy working for me that was a graduate Electronics Engineer who, in his previous job, had to learn system level and electronic control technical programming. He had 15 years of professional design engineering experience to his credit, but very little knowledge of computer programming analysis or design. Over several months, he taught himself what he needed to, to keep his job. Over time, he continued to study a variety of subjects, from various programming languages to business productivity applications. Several years later, he applied for a position with me. The position, I was filling, was for a business Programmer/Analyst. After checking his experience, references, and reputation, I hired him. While with me, among other things, he became fairly proficient in designing and managing Oracle, Ingres, and Informix RDBMSs.

Now, if he had lied to me, about his background, especially on paper, he would have been making material misstatements of fact, i.e. telling lies. Since the position, he was applying for, was with the US Department of Defense, his lie(s) would have definitely bought him some serious jail time and a large fine. Also, he would never have been able to work for any government agency, any, direct or indirect contractor, or consultant. And, I am sure, when applying for any other position in CT, IT, or IM, his criminal record would be a potential block to any future employment.

You never know what you don?t know ? life just happens, sometimes.

Lying about having a degree is a crazy risk. In some cases, talent and skill may be enough to convince that a person is qualified, but if a job specifically asks for a degree then there's a good chance they will be checking up on it.

I don't think Karma is the ultimate judge. For whatever reason or no reason at all, people will do what they can to inflict on others. Bad things will happen regardless - even to those who don't deserve it unfortunately. On the other hand, how many of us have worked with people who don't deserve the credit and still get away with it?

Yes, I'd like a better job and wished I had their qualifications. But stooping to stretching the truth I have never done in my life.

I wanted into the IT field. I never lied about what I knew and what I was qualified for. Even to this day, now that I became A+ and Network+ certified and working towards my Server+ certification, I still am honest with people when I tell them what I can and can't do.

Then again, that's just me.

The big debate was how to pronounce SCSI.

The first computer show on TV, was a PBS show called the computer chronicles, and once a year(in the 80s) they did a big Trivia contest, pitting the east coasters (IBM/Lotus) versus the west coasters (MS/Apple). One memorable one had Bill Gates and Steve Jobs on one side with Mitch Kapor (Lotus 1-2-3 author) on the other. One of the questions involved the pronouciation of SCSI - the answer was east coasters pronounced it (SeCSI/Sexy) while west coasters pronounced it (SCuSI/or Scuzzy).

And sequel that was an Indiana Jones or Star wars movie that came out after the first ones.

James

Don't do it. I'm beating the dead horse by telling you this, but even if you win and get the job, you will need to uphold your lies at some point. This will eat at you.

We did some interviewing about a year ago and several candidates lied about experience with IIS. One candidate who has experience with IIS on his resume didn't know what the acronym "IIS" stood for, much less worked with it. I immediately excluded these candidates from consideration.

Another, more egregious example, was a guy who applied through a consulting company to work for my company. He had previous experience with our company and he lied about a role he had on a particular project for my company. It wasn't an embellishment...it was a flat out lie. He never had a chance; the consulting company was baffled...they figured he was perfect, but you simply shouldn't lie on your resume.

From Austin-American Statesman newspaper, Feb 16, 22006
http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business/stories/technology/02/16radioshack.html

[i]The board of RadioShack Corp. said Wednesday that it would hire outside lawyers to investigate errors in chief executive David Edmondson's r?sum?, including claims that he earned two college degrees for which the school he attended has no records.

Edmondson said he took responsibility for the errors. He added that he still believes he earned one of the degrees but cannot document it.

"The contents of my r?sum? and the company's Web site were clearly incorrect," Edmondson said in a statement. "I clearly misstated my academic record, and the responsibility for these misstatements is mine alone."

Edmondson had claimed that he received degrees in theology and psychology from Pacific Coast Baptist College in California, which moved in 1998 to Oklahoma and renamed itself Heartland Baptist Bible College.

The school's registrar told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that records showed Edmondson completed only two semesters and that the school never offered degrees in psychology.

Edmondson, 46, joined RadioShack in 1994 and has been CEO since May. He said Wednesday that he believes that he received a theology diploma called a ThG but not the four-year bachelor of science degree listed on his r?sum?.

He added that he cannot document the ThG diploma. [/i]

Moral of the story. Don't lie.

Frankly, I've not lied on my resume. Ever. And yes, I've lost out on promotions and positions and later found the person hired either lied, or exaggerated so badly they couldn't do the job (for instance, someone taking a C+ class and, midway through the class, listing themselves as a certified programmer. I was in the same class, but missed out because "I wasn't qualified".

It does come back, though. Lately, more and more, I hear of people being burned for lying on their resume. I'm torn, because people I like have been lost to the company. But I am so HAPPY to know that my honesty has kept me safe. (OTOH, the liars got experience from the jobs they couldn't do, to list on their next positions. Most of them seem to have done relatively well for themselves. sigh)

Look. There are two types of resume hunters: Word search and exact match. IF you are looking for a beginning programming position (or maybe an entry level IT position because we're in another wave of resession and downsizing) and you list skills vastly beyond what's being hired, the HR person will decide either (a)He's so over qualified, he'll never work for this pay . or (b)Yes he has 30 years of experience, but he doesn't say he's ever done THIS and THAT at the same time, so he's not qualified or (c)His resume is too large. Either I don't believe it, or I just want a junior person.

Seriously. I've had people interview me and tell me: "Yes, you can obviously do the job. But, you've never stay with the company. You have too many skills that will pay too much more when the market turns around."

Like most, I could do a five page resume, but it's a light 1 page. I list 2 degrees, and one cert, but not the ?? hundreds of credits (I think 500ish) I have from 6 community colleges, 3 universities and some just fun stuff I liked.

If I see an opening, I look for the requirements, then customize my resume to highlight the jobs where I've done those requirements. In the interview, if they ask about something else needed, it's easy enough to pull from memory what it was, where it was, and how it did it then and how I could do it better now. (and of course, that's key. If you can't do it better now, you either didn't learn anything, or you're lying about what you did. I suppose you could be perfect as well, but um... not too many of us are.)

Again, resume forgery does catch up to you. But I doubt Michael Brown from FEMA will every be working at my level. Why? because he lied successfully until he got to the top.

Ever hear the phrase "Fake it till you make it"? Well, it seems to apply here. WHATEVER he does, WHEREVER he goes, "Head of FEMA" will always get better pay than my "Managed a shop of up to 30" individuals.

All on a resume falsified for ? how long?

I've heard stories from a co-worker about people like a kid that put down he "worked with .dll's" on his resume, then was asked in the interview to give what the anacronym actually meant, or even what a *.dll was...

He couldn't.

It seems to me that these scenarios that are being presented in this topic apply mostly to people who are looking for a job via resumes, arguably the most ineffective way to find a job there is.

If you have been referred to a company by someone they trust, I suspect that they are not going to ask you goofy, non-relevant questions like, "what is your favourite sport?"

If they do ask, you might as well tell them the truth, and show them who you really are, because you both have to live with the decision to hire you or not, and if you get hired, and you are not the person they though you were, you will both be miserable.

As to questions from an interviewer that are inappropriate, answer them any way you like. Myself, I would probably tell them that the question is inappropriate. Some interviewers respect that. Some will ask the question just to see if you will defend yourself. You will never really know their true motivation, so why try and second-guess it?

It is true that companies hire on the basis of who they like. That is because new hires have to "play well with others." No secret there. The ones with people skills are always going to have an edge over the anti-social types.

When I hire someone I am very forthcoming with our expectations. We know what those are because we have been frustrated by employees who have told us they were something they were not. That is bad for both the company and the employee.

We give our new prospective employees something to do that relates directly to their job requirements. This tells us a lot about whether they are capable of doing the job, following instructions, etc. A probationary period tells us the rest. We generally know in the first two weeks whether someone is going to work out or not, regardless of what they have said in their interview.

I have NEVER placed false information on a resume.

I've done a myriad of different things over the years, so having SOME knowledge and experience is easy to put down. The thing is that while I've done a lot of things, I haven't necessarily done a lot of any one thing. So how do you put that in a resume? You list it with tasks accomplished during the date ranges of that employment. That way there's not a lie about what you have experience in, nor in how much experience you have in it. If it comes up in an interview, you can explain it then - truthfully.

Other things like, "CME-level of experience". I know self-trained people who never went after their certs who know their stuff better than the so-called experts who have all the certs. They saved several thousand dollars that way, but don't have the cert on their resume. You need the words to get through the automated screens; but don't say you're degreed or certified if you're not; say you have the equivalent of that in knowledge and experience.

Resumes should be edited towards the position being applied for. If a person has experience in 10 different areas; then he should have 10 different resumes to distribute.
Frequently corporations are----
1. Only fishing to see if Einstein will walk in the door....If you are ordinary joe or even highly intelligent maxine; then you won't get hired. ( if you are Einstein and you do get hired then your salary should be 500,000 a year!!
2. You WILL be interviewed if you have a Honorable discharge from the armed services; however this is NOT because the COrp has a position; it is because the Co wants you to fill out that form that gets them a gold star from uncle sam for interviewing the vet. But you won't get a job. Sianara!!
3. Personnel hasn't written the requirements for the job you are interviewing for, correctly--You can't copy a request for a 20-year cobol expert and just change the 'cobol' to 'delphi' ( hint--Delphi hasn't been around for 20 years and Delphi is a GUI ).
4. If you are lying to Fannie Mae or Enron--So what!!?? the entire corporate philosophy is a lie, before you walk in the Door!! HA!!
5. You can lose the job you gain in the interview for the most ridiculous of reasons---my interviewer had flunked out of West Point; so when he saw my hon discharge on the resume as an NCO--I was out the door from XXX ( famous )corp!! Keep your military service off of the resume---let them find out later that they can't lay you off because you are a vet!!! ( or shouldn't! )
6. In the same token when an interviewer handed me a paper to read; and I put on my bifocals to read it---I was out the door as the last network administrator had destroyed the network's applications by switching everything to large type!!--Start the interview with your bifocals already on!!
7. I told one company I had 15 years experience; but they made me take the tests anyway-Stupid!!
When I messed up a stupid interviewer question--they said I wasn't qualified!! HA!! If I had been lying, I would have said I had 2 years experience.
So rote quizzes by people who don't know the subject; are entirely useless in qualifying people!!!--Their loss, not mine!
8. The manager actually wants an installer for his applications; but somebody says he can only hire a programmer.--Personnel will hire the programmer; however you will end up doing installations!? So who lied?? And if you embellished your programming abilities a tad--does it matter!!??
9. A Salesman interviewed me for one IT job and he interviewed me for his sales job!!!??? Since I needed a job bad at the time; I said Yes!, I would like to travel to all 50 states and sell the application to each state government!! A complete and utterly useless interview to which I assented, enthusiastically. I got the job doing the GUI!!! This was at a company that does space applications for the government!!!???
10. After I was hired to sustain an old mainframe system and convert it to a PC-Network based one, I was pressed into interviewing also.
A cracker-jack Linux network administrator was interviewed and the management was all for hiring him!! They asked me-I said yes! Hire him---but not for this Project!! When they said Why!!?? I said there was no way he can pick up cobol and OS jcl in 3 months; and if you wanted to utterly destroy him--you should tell him you are supporting a cobol system for a while, soon to be converted to a novell network-oracle system!!!--You can get hired for the wrong job and the wrong reasons no matter what is on your resume--so you will have to tell them later---What The...!!!???
11. The most important feature of an individual should be whether he gets the job done ( no matter what the job is ); certifications just make the cert company rich ( and have to be constantly renewed ) Does your Doctor or Lawyer get re-certified every 3 years??? Where is his new certification diploma??? An individual should include a success rate on his resume for his projects and explain away any disasters--such as "I came on the project 2 years after it started and the 50 people already on it had failed to accomplish it, spending 6 million dollars--at which point the government fired us"--
( local impressive IT company ).

What you say are "goofy details" are things that others have worked hard for. If you more my employee and I found out that you lied on your resume 5 years ago, I'd fire you in a second. Not only do you lack the motivation to get a degree or a certification, but you also lack truth and honesty.

I agree FATAL. Do not do it. You lower yourself to a level you could never recover from if you got the job under false - elaborated stretched truths.

I too am looking for work - give yourself time, do not sacrafice your integrity or principles. These are desirable traits for any future employer.

u know what..lots of my friend did it and at the end they are screwed..it's better adding basic in front of everything..

once my friend got the jobs knowing he did not knew anything about it..becouse in the resume stated "well knowledge in program development in VB,C,C++ and pascal"

no excuse but if the person lied, but they were really good at the job better than qualified ones?