The way people perceive work has certainly shifted in the past decades. It’s gone from “you can be successful if you hold down an honest job” to “people have to work 3 jobs just to stay afloat.” This is especially true if you consider the rapid growth of the anti-work community and associated movement, especially during the pandemic.
So, it’s no surprise that some people will do whatever it takes to get ahead. For example, this guy inflated his time working at one place from 1 year to 6, so he wouldn’t look like a job hopper.
More info: Reddit
If people say cheaters never prosper, how is it that lying during interviews has become a near-necessity?
Image credit: fauxels (not the actual image)
The poster took it to antiwork to share what he did to stop looking like a job-hopper to employers
Image credits: u/DasSoupMachine
Image credit: LinkedIn Sales Solutions (not the actual image)
Once one of his previous workplaces had closed, he inflated the years spent there from 1 to 6, making him look super loyal
Image credits: u/DasSoupMachine
Image credit: cottonbro studio (not the actual image)
This made him arrive to the logical conclusion that from now on, he will lie his way through interviews and resumes alike
This story is like one of those “This guy has fooled every employer with one simple trick! Find out how!” ads. Except that this trick isn’t as simple as it seems on the face of it.
I mean… unless the workplace is closed because of you, but I feel like you’re already an overachiever if you can single-handedly close down entire companies.
So, the storyteller just magicks 1 year into 6, just like that. Simple. Problem solved. And it works! He’s gotten hired off of this lie and said that he will just put more years into the place if he needs it.
I’m unsure if this bloated employment sandwich won’t cause any issues in the long run, getting the time worked at places confused, but as long as it works for him.
Many, many other people piped up in the comments to share their own stories of resume embellishments.
Some told of how they spend time covering fictitious recommendations for their friends, proving you can say that you have worked any job, as long as you’ve got a friend with a silver tongue. Others directed people to the BeMyReference community, where people play pretend to be references for every single position you’ve ever heard of and some that you probably haven’t.
They also share their own resume hacks which help them cinch positions often and not look like job hoppers at the same time. Some of these include only writing positions and achievements you’re most proud of and removing dates from certain parts of your CV.
Image credit: Tima Miroshnichenko (not the actual image)
The all-reaching argument in the discussion is that lying in your resume is OK as employers frequently do the same by lying about the pay, the responsibilities, the perks, and many more. Lying in your in-person interview is also highly recommended!
Overall, people seem majorly fed up with a million and one things coming from employers, from not getting back to them after interviews to them expecting you to be loyal and not a “job hopper” while providing nothing of the sort in return.
Although a cursory Google search will tell you “don’t lie on your resume or else you’ll get caught,” a StandOut CV survey found that 55% of Americans lie on them nonetheless.
It’s not tied to any one field, either - everyone lies, in creative fields, in education, and even in healthcare. Nothing is safe from a little embellishment here, a couple of lies there, anything to give you that hair-thin edge over another candidate.
It’s not tied to any one field, either - everyone lies, in creative fields, in education, and even in healthcare. Nothing is safe from a little embellishment here, a couple of lies there, anything to give you that hair-thin edge over another candidate.
While it may cost you if you get outed, a Redditor in the Career Guidance community outlined the areas where you shouldn’t, could, and always should lie in your resume. Use this at your own discretion!
Degrees, places worked at, recommendations, certifications, and criminal convictions are huge no-nos which could land you in a heap of trouble.
Then you can probably smooth talk about a skill if you can fake it, inflate an accomplishment, an expired certification, or inflate the responsibility you had. These will probably be okay to embellish, depending on your own skills.
Now, they also mention that you should lie about the following all the time: “how much you made at your last job, how passionate you are about customer satisfaction, how important it is to respect your boss, how dedicated and excited you are.” These are things that people inflate all the time, perhaps not even consciously, but because they really do feel like they need the money, maybe not necessarily the job.
Share your own cool resume and interview tips in the comments below!
The community shared their own subtle and more obvious tricks to make them look better to recruiters
