Lying To Get a Job

[Commodore]

Simple question: Have any of you ever lied to get a job? I'm not talking about the small embellishments we all tell during our interviews, but just a straight-up bold-faced lie about your skills and qualifications to get a job you wanted.

If so, how did you feel about it afterwards? Did you feel like to cheated someone more qualified out of a job or were you just happy you didn't get caught in your lie?

 

[Zelig]

No.

I don't make small embellishments in interviews.

I would immediately fire anyone who I found out had lied in order to obtain a job.

Edit: But what do I know, I'm a puritan.

 

[Light Cleric]

No, because:

-It might get me doing stuff that I don't know how to do because I told the boss I could
-I'd be paranoid there would be a hole in my story and I'd get found out
-It's just flat out dishonest

 

[Commodore]

No.

I don't make small embellishments in interviews.

I would immediately fire anyone who I found out had lied in order to obtain a job.

As would I. Of course I'm a little more lenient when it comes to small embellishments because I don't see anything wrong with a little bit of harmless self-promotion. It is the complete lies that I have a problem with.

 

[cybrxkhan]

No, because:

-It might get me doing stuff that I don't know how to do because I told the boss I could
-I'd be paranoid there would be a hole in my story and I'd get found out
-It's just flat out dishonest

I wouldn't lie either for these reasons. From a practical standpoint it doesn't help me much.

 

[downtown]

Nope, but I've caught multiple people lying to get jobs.

 

[ywhtptgtfo]

I once lied about having advanced C++ skills when interviewed on a game development internship - I am/was good at Java and unwisely thought I could improvise. Got bombed out of the water and the interviewer quietly laughed his ass off as he watched me messing up on the white board.

From then on, I just restricted myself with reasonable exaggerations of my skill.

 

[cybrxkhan]

Nope, but I've caught multiple people lying to get jobs.

Would you mind telling us the most ridiculous of those lies, if any of them were ridiculous?

 

[Commodore]

Nope, but I've caught multiple people lying to get jobs.

Were they at least semi-believable lies or were they just absolutely crazy ones?

 

[downtown]

Would you mind telling us the most ridiculous of those lies, if any of them were ridiculous?

Nothing super outlandish. People either lied about qualifications (which quickly became apparent), about their ability to pass a background check (which again, easy to check), or where they had worked before/their job title. The funniest example was from somebody trying to sell their previous job as promotions and marketing, but a reference check showed that the candidate was actually a stripper. My client was...not happy.

With most of the big stuff, you're going to eventually get caught. Lying about where you went to school, where you worked, your salary level, and major, mission-critical job skills...that's all typically relatively easy to verify.

 

[Light Cleric]

The funniest example was from somebody trying to sell their previous job as promotions and marketing, but a reference check showed that the candidate was actually a stripper. My client was...not happy.

Well I mean, she could have been working two jobs at once, revealing ads on her body as she stripped.

 

[ywhtptgtfo]

She's marketing her body and offering promotion on her physical services.

 

[cybrxkhan]

With most of the big stuff, you're going to eventually get caught. Lying about where you went to school, where you worked, your salary level, and major, mission-critical job skills...that's all typically relatively easy to verify.

That makes sense; they are pretty easy to verify, especially nowadays with a quick internet search. I would guess the only lies that one could get away with are those concerning personality/attitude/etc., but one would have to be a very skilled actor and be able to keep up the facade.

 

[Kennigit]

I make sure to lie to myself first before I lie to other people.

"Yeah Kennigit, you kinda know what you are doing!"

 

[dusters]

I have been struggling with this for a while now. I have some unfinished degrees, and it pains me to say- well i studied there and there, but things got boring, so i left.

Also - kung-fu. Kung-fu doesn't have black belts. We have grades from grade 1 to 12, with 12 as best. And then grades for Masters. But grades mean something only to some organisations. Others just ask who is my sifu's sifu.

How the heck i prove somebody, that i have trained in kung-fu for 10 years and i'm competent to teach others? There are no tournaments in kung-fu either.

 

[Grisu]

I wouldn't even think of it. Especially if you lie about your skills it's going to come out sooner or later and then you'll be out of a job very soon....And if the lie's provable you might even get a immediate discharge...

 

[AdamCrock]

Link to video.


Of course You do not need "skills" to get into the IT department ^^

 

[Leonel]

Absolutely not. People will figure it out eventually and you'll get let go without a backup plan. Much better to just be honest and be turned down while having your old job.

 

[AdamCrock]

Yeah well people lying in their CV is an absolutely known fact ! I mean the CV is just a ...... well let's not get into that crap .... :/ In other words the whole glorified concept of a "bottle nuggin'" CV is crap -> You know man when You see him ! ....and that's that ! For God's sake !

 

[MobBoss]

Simple question: Have any of you ever lied to get a job? I'm not talking about the small embellishments we all tell during our interviews, but just a straight-up bold-faced lie about your skills and qualifications to get a job you wanted.

If so, how did you feel about it afterwards? Did you feel like to cheated someone more qualified out of a job or were you just happy you didn't get caught in your lie?

Never needed to.