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. A 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 short sighted 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…..
