Be honest on your CV, or risk unwanted comeback
You’ve seen the job of your dreams but is it ever ok to lie on your CV? A CV is the first chance a potential employee has to form an image of you and your suitability for the vacancy. Everyone wants to paint themselves in a good light and come across the very best, but you should never be tempted to fib or exaggerate your abilities or qualifications. Your CV is never the place to embellish the truth, no matter how trivial it may seem at the time.
- You’ll get found out
At some point, your lie will come back to haunt you. It might not be in the first year or even the first five but as you progress up the ladder and aim for promotion, it becomes easier for any gaps in your qualifications or knowledge to be exposed. It costs a lot for companies to hire people, so they want to be sure they get the right person. That means most firms carry out extensive checks, not only relying on background checks but also digging around in social media profiles etc. Also, if you work in a select field, your employer could know someone in your circle, making it even easier for misinformation to come back and bite you!
- Gross Misconduct
Imagine what a blight on your CV, a firing for gross misconduct would be? Well, this is exactly what could happen if your employer finds out you lied to them to get the job. Chances are you will be sacked immediately and news travels fast in many industries. It’s just not worth it! This would be even worse if you were in a professional job where your dishonesty put peoples lives at risk. For example if you claimed to be a qualified heart surgeon and someone died of something heart related because you were incompetent in your position there would be legal repercussions. It is likely solicitors would get involved. Solicitors would give legal advice on the right course of action. Consider getting in touch with a professional Gloucester solicitor company such as Dee and Griffin if you are looking to have answers for your legal questions.
- Lies Grow Bigger
We’ve all heard tales of people who tell lies which then spiral out of control and that’s exactly what lying on your CV has the potential to become – a downward spiral of subterfuge and stress. If you get fired for lying, you may then need to lie in order to get hired again. What happens if your next employer finds out? You can see where this is going.
- Inability to do the job
Even if you get away with the lie, you could find yourself miserably in over your head and struggle to complete the role you’ve been hired for. Will you be happy? Probably not if you’re out of your depth. This will also become obvious to your boss when your promises don’t live up to your reality. You could also be doing yourself a huge disservice. You may well be overlooked for training opportunities or progression, your employer believing you already the skills or qualifications so have no need for them.
Areas that are prone to exaggerations and lies include the section where people need to explain any gaps in their career. Don’t fib if you started a job and left after 3 weeks. Recruiters will have seen this before but won’t look kindly on finding out your fibbed about it. Qualifications are another area where people have fallen foul. It’s not true that nobody ever checks exam results so don’t even go there.