# Here's a tip: Don't ever lie on you resume



## The Phantom Pain (Oct 6, 2010)

I made that _wonderful_ mistake and thought I was smart and I got burned badly.

99% of the interview was asking me about my previous job, which I fibbed about to fill a large employment gap, and it was a wrap before it even started. Apparently I forgot I'm not smooth enough to tell a bold faced lie and keep a poker face about it, so I know she knew

I doubt the job would have even showed on a background check anyway.

You live and you learn...


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## jsgt (Jun 26, 2011)

Same thing happened to me, but it was about the last time I used drugs. I walked out of there with my tail between my legs feeling like the biggest idiot on the planet. :bash


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## The Phantom Pain (Oct 6, 2010)

I actually would have been glad if she asked me that one. Just a quick lie and move on one, the hardest part would have been the detox if I got hired and needed a drug test.

But she seriously_ blitzed_ me on the job thing with like 4-5 follow ups. On top of that, she even gave me a that puzzled pause and look thing that annoys the hell out of me after my second answer and even gave me a sarcastic "OK..." after she was done with it and ceased eye contact with me for the rest of the few questions. She made sure I knew I _zero_ chance of walking out with a job.

First thing I did when I got home is removed that section from my resume. I never want to go through that crap again.


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## Seekrit (Nov 7, 2013)

Nothing wrong with fibbing on the resume. You just need to be able to lie better. How do you think the person interviewing you got the job?


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## The Phantom Pain (Oct 6, 2010)

Yeah, lol, but this was a major one, not just a fib. I don't even know why I typed that in the OP. 

I'm hoping I get a job this holiday season so I can quit getting the "why haven't you worked in x years" question, but compared to what happened, that was a lot better comparatively.


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## jsgt (Jun 26, 2011)

That's what the interviewer did to me too...blasted through the application so I wouldn't have time to think. Yeah, it worked. Good tactic to weed out the liars though...


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## dontwaitupforme (Feb 23, 2013)

Seekrit said:


> You just need to be able to lie better. How do you think the person interviewing you got the job?


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## asittingducky (Apr 23, 2013)

I've never made a major lie but my resume might have screwed me over once when I had to make a correction on the spot (thanks to rapid yet unorthodox questions) about what I wrote in my employment history. But personally it could've just been that the guy was jumping to conclusions like a dick or already had it in his mind that he wouldn't hire me anyways.


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## RelinquishedHell (Apr 10, 2012)

Get better at lying. I lied my *** off in my interview and the manager was pretty impressed with all my fake experience and accomplishments. Needless to say, I got the job.


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## The Phantom Pain (Oct 6, 2010)

Well luckily I got another interview without the lie on it, so hopefully this one goes much better.


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## RelinquishedHell (Apr 10, 2012)

The Phantom Pain said:


> Well luckily I got another interview without the lie on it, so hopefully this one goes much better.


For what kind of job?


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## The Phantom Pain (Oct 6, 2010)

RelinquishedHell said:


> For what kind of job?


Same field luckily, retail.

They claim this company will hire anyone, I just hope it's true.


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## RelinquishedHell (Apr 10, 2012)

The Phantom Pain said:


> Same field luckily, retail.
> 
> They claim this company will hire anyone, I just hope it's true.


That is true. Retail chains will hire pretty much anyone. The key is showing that you want the job. Call back a few days after the interview, give them your name, and ask them if they are still interested. I did this with the job I have now and after calling them back and asking if they were going to hire me, they told me to just go ahead and come in the next day.


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## The Phantom Pain (Oct 6, 2010)

Cool. Wish I tried that at my interview at radio shack a while back. I really wanted that one.

Considering my passion for tech, it would have been perfect. And it's much less crowded than your average retail store, so that would have been a plus, but on to this one.


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## forex (Dec 29, 2010)

put that lie in a second or third place and put a real job you had at first but with different dates.
so she will ask you about the job you really had done but only years ago .

so you will answer those questions normally bc it isnt a lie.(only for the timeline)
that is how i do it to fill in the gaps.


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## The Phantom Pain (Oct 6, 2010)

Thanks. That probably would have been a better option. But a least I'm still getting interviews. If I can strike at one the nightmare of having to lie will be over...well at least for the short term...


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## Jesuszilla (May 26, 2013)

Funny because my brother has lied on all of his resumes. He's currently a banker (a pretty good position too makes over $50,000 a year not bad for a 22 year old) all due to his lies and BSing on his resumes.


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## The Phantom Pain (Oct 6, 2010)

Jesuszilla said:


> Funny because my brother has lied on all of his resumes. He's currently a banker (a pretty good position too makes over $50,000 a year not bad for a 22 year old) all due to his lies and BSing on his resumes.


I guess you just have to have the charisma to pull it off, and currently, that's just something I don't have.

And of course I'm assuming he doesn't have SA, of course that helps too. Much easier to BS without SA.


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## cali2013 (Aug 12, 2012)

Seekrit said:


> Nothing wrong with fibbing on the resume. You just need to be able to lie better. How do you think the person interviewing you got the job?


This is horrible advice! You should definitely play up your strengths and "sell" your experience... but flat out lies? Nope. Don't do it, it'll catch up to you eventually and you'll look stupid. Not to mention the fact that it'll ruin your professional reputation if you're trying to build a career.

Yes, you might know someone who lied on their resume and are doing great... but how d'you know they won't get caught tomorrow and lose everything?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...lawyer-lied-Oxford-Harvard-degrees-quits.html

^ That guy got away with it for a while but it eventually came back to haunt him. And now he's an absolute laughingstock who will probably never be taken seriously as a lawyer again.


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## The Phantom Pain (Oct 6, 2010)

cali2013 said:


> This is horrible advice! You should definitely play up your strengths and "sell" your experience... but flat out lies? Nope. Don't do it, it'll catch up to you eventually and you'll look stupid. Not to mention the fact that it'll ruin your professional reputation if you're trying to build a career.
> 
> Yes, you might know someone who lied on their resume and are doing great... but how d'you know they won't get caught tomorrow and lose everything?
> 
> ...


Well I'd never go that far...this was just a tiny lie to get people to actually call be back for once and it worked. I'm just starting to think what if I didn't lie and got that interview, I'd probably be employed now, so I don't think it's worth it unless it's on a small scale and you can back it up.

I think when you start lying about degrees though, you're just asking for it. Those can easily be checked.

It's amazing he got away with it as long as he did.


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## Zeeshan (Sep 4, 2011)

That's terrible advice 

I got my first job out of college by telling a lie

If it wasnt for that lie I would have never had my accounting career bc so many can't find that first job


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## The Phantom Pain (Oct 6, 2010)

Well do what you want, I'm just saying it was a disaster for me, but I could see using it for you first job as opposed to the way I did it. 

I just hope you at least don't still use it because if you catch a hiring manager that does his or her back work, you could easily get caught. That was my main concern.


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

Sometimes it might be better to just tell the truth. Or just apply for a really crappy job, get hired, work for a couple of years and then at least you have one reference. Better than nothing.


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## Zeeshan (Sep 4, 2011)

The Phantom Pain said:


> Well do what you want, I'm just saying it was a disaster for me, but I could see using it for you first job as opposed to the way I did it.
> 
> I just hope you at least don't still use it because if you catch a hiring manager that does his or her back work, you could easily get caught. That was my main concern.


And what will the consequences of that be?


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## Awkto Awktavious (May 11, 2011)

The Phantom Pain said:


> Well do what you want, I'm just saying it was a disaster for me, but I could see using it for you first job as opposed to the way I did it.
> 
> I just hope you at least don't still use it because if you catch a hiring manager that does his or her back work, you could easily get caught. That was my main concern.





Zeeshan said:


> And what will the consequences of that be?


Can't you get fired if they find out you lied on your resume?
I guess after they hire you they won't look into it, but if they want you gone they could. 
I'm not sure about this; just wondering.


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## Zeeshan (Sep 4, 2011)

Awkto Awktavious said:


> Can't you get fired if they find out you lied on your resume?
> I guess after they hire you they won't look into it, but if they want you gone they could.
> I'm not sure about this; just wondering.


Not if you are nice to the hiring manager. Nobody wants to keep hiring for the same position it requires effort. In tge current world people are effort a versed.

I deal with a lot of hr people most will simply move on with their life rather putting in 2 more weeks of hiring efforts

If your competent no one will care


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## The Phantom Pain (Oct 6, 2010)

Zeeshan said:


> And what will the consequences of that be?


You'll give people ammo if they want you gone. Good news it you won't need it anymore after your first one.



RelinquishedHell said:


> That is true. Retail chains will hire pretty much anyone. The key is showing that you want the job. Call back a few days after the interview, give them your name, and ask them if they are still interested. I did this with the job I have now and after calling them back and asking if they were going to hire me, they told me to just go ahead and come in the next day.


Yeah turns out they where right. I can't believe they actually did it. I didn't even get the fill of the usual bullst questions, they just asked me what I was there for and I said "something steady" and I got it pending a BG check which is clean anyway.

I just hope I don't screw it up.


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## RelinquishedHell (Apr 10, 2012)

The Phantom Pain said:


> Yeah turns out they where right. I can't believe they actually did it. I didn't even get the fill of the usual bullst questions, they just asked me what I was there for and I said "something steady" and I got it pending a BG check which is clean anyway.
> 
> I just hope I don't screw it up.


Awesome man! Goodluck!

You won't screw it up. You'll be nervous and overwhelmed at first, but once you get the hang of it, it just becomes a normal part of your routine.

Whatever you do, stay out of the workplace drama! Don't even associate with the drama people, because it will make you look bad. Just be polite, keep to yourself and do your job and you'll be fine. Make sure you work extra hard whenever your manager is around too lol.


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## Zeeshan (Sep 4, 2011)

Firing people and hiring people takes days of effort

Today people are effort averse


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## The Phantom Pain (Oct 6, 2010)

Zeeshan said:


> Firing people and hiring people takes days of effort
> 
> Today people are effort averse


That's unless you meet someone in who's good with the boss and really wants to get rid of you. I hope you never get around a co-worker like that, that's all I'll say. Know it all too well.


RelinquishedHell said:


> Awesome man! Goodluck!
> 
> You won't screw it up. You'll be nervous and overwhelmed at first, but once you get the hang of it, it just becomes a normal part of your routine.
> 
> Whatever you do, stay out of the workplace drama! Don't even associate with the drama people, because it will make you look bad. Just be polite, keep to yourself and do your job and you'll be fine. Make sure you work extra hard whenever your manager is around too lol.


Thanks. I just hope I don't come off as a complete dolt during training. My anxiety tends to do that to me. There's some points where I just completely shut down and I just can't let that happen now.

But if I can make it through the first day, I know I'll be fine as I'm working the back and not the sale floor. I seriously can't even imagine if I had to do that at this point. Way too much stress in dealing with the public.


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## allthatsparkles (Mar 1, 2013)

The Phantom Pain said:


> Well I'd never go that far...this was just a tiny lie to get people to actually call be back for once and it worked. I'm just starting to think what if I didn't lie and got that interview, I'd probably be employed now, so I don't think it's worth it unless it's on a small scale and you can back it up.
> 
> I think when you start lying about degrees though, you're just asking for it. Those can easily be checked.
> 
> It's amazing he got away with it as long as he did.



What sort of "tiny lie" are we talking about? I don't see how a lie could be "tiny" yet at the same time be enough to convince someone to hire you.


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## AnotherGuy (Aug 5, 2013)

I agree. Lying isn't a good bet because they're going to investigate anyhow. Employers are like the police though. They want the confession. Either way, same result, you don't get considered.

What bugs me is that sometimes, while you're NOT lying, they ask loaded questions that require a Yes or No answer, but these questions require explanations. For example, an application I ALWAYS see is one where the job requires a college degree. However, they only ask what was the highest grade you completed and the answers only go up to 12. Then they never provide anywhere for you to explain or mark your college experience.


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## The Phantom Pain (Oct 6, 2010)

allthatsparkles said:


> What sort of "tiny lie" are we talking about? I don't see how a lie could be "tiny" yet at the same time be enough to convince someone to hire you.


I considered it tiny as it was the same field I worked in, just something to fill the last few years. But as I said, it didn't work face to face, and I'm glad I pulled it back as I got another job without it. So in the end, it all worked out. At least I learned a lesson on why it's not smart.



AnotherGuy said:


> I agree. Lying isn't a good bet because they're going to investigate anyhow. Employers are like the police though. They want the confession. Either way, same result, you don't get considered.
> 
> What bugs me is that sometimes, while you're NOT lying, they ask loaded questions that require a Yes or No answer, but these questions require explanations. For example, an application I ALWAYS see is one where the job requires a college degree. However, they only ask what was the highest grade you completed and the answers only go up to 12. Then they never provide anywhere for you to explain or mark your college experience.


So true. They want you to explain so you can slip up and say something they can use against you. That's how all my bad interviews went south anyway. That's why I started writing out my answers beforehand to at least avoid them making me look or feel dumb.

What I also don't like is how were not supposed to lie, but if they see a red flag mid-interview, they'll lie _bald faced_ to get rid of you to move on to the next candidate. It's really an amazing thing.


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## AnotherGuy (Aug 5, 2013)

The Phantom Pain said:


> I considered it tiny as it was the same field I worked in, just something to fill the last few years. But as I said, it didn't work face to face, and I'm glad I pulled it back as I got another job without it. So in the end, it all worked out. At least I learned a lesson on why it's not smart.
> 
> So true. They want you to explain so you can slip up and say something they can use against you. That's how all my bad interviews went south anyway. That's why I started writing out my answers beforehand to at least avoid them making me look or feel dumb.
> 
> What I also don't like is how were not supposed to lie, but if they see a red flag mid-interview, they'll lie _bald faced_ to get rid of you to move on to the next candidate. It's really an amazing thing.


I wish you luck. Regarding the employers lying to get rid of you, it's really unfortunate. The employers lie all the time in their own favor. They lie when it means paying you less. They lie when things go wrong and need to blame the people lower down the ladder. They lie in all kinds of creative ways to make you work more for less.


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## Brisby (Nov 17, 2013)

I'm way to paranoid to out right lie on my resume plus, I'm a bad liar anyway and it's really obvious when I'm not telling the truth in the person. I mean I get shaky, my ears burn red, I stumble over my speech. Not a good liar. lol I wouldn't recommend ever lying on a resume. If you have a big gap and you need to explain it, try to fill it in with talking about how you improved yourself somehow during that time. Most employers just wanna know you were doing SOMETHING during that time rather than sitting at home playing COD in your pajamas all day. If you volunteered during that time, mention it. If you taught yourself a new skill or found a new hobby, that's good to mention too. Makes you look like a more well rounded person.


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## AnotherGuy (Aug 5, 2013)

Brisby said:


> I'm way to paranoid to out right lie on my resume plus, I'm a bad liar anyway and it's really obvious when I'm not telling the truth in the person. I mean I get shaky, my ears burn red, I stumble over my speech. Not a good liar. lol I wouldn't recommend ever lying on a resume. If you have a big gap and you need to explain it, try to fill it in with talking about how you improved yourself somehow during that time. Most employers just wanna know you were doing SOMETHING during that time rather than sitting at home playing COD in your pajamas all day. If you volunteered during that time, mention it. If you taught yourself a new skill or found a new hobby, that's good to mention too. Makes you look like a more well rounded person.


You bring up a really good point and I really have to thank you for this. I'm in hopes of being considered really soon for a decent job coming up and I have a had a gap of time that I may be asked about between jobs. I really DO do something in my work gaps though. I translate for members of the community who have English as a second language. I just never thought to use THAT to my advantage somehow. Thank you for this great idea! You must be awesome at this kind of stuff.


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## twitchy666 (Apr 21, 2013)

*Remember how thick*

a recruiter is

it startled me
and rings 100% true. Same for every potential boss. They have no idea what your job involved AT ALL!!! They just want you to be pretty and smile proliferately. That's it.

Earn your own respect. The people tarbrush you immediately as a liar only because everyone else has lied

You really wanna put "The last job I did was 5 years ago" on your CV???!


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## Brisby (Nov 17, 2013)

AnotherGuy said:


> You bring up a really good point and I really have to thank you for this. I'm in hopes of being considered really soon for a decent job coming up and I have a had a gap of time that I may be asked about between jobs. I really DO do something in my work gaps though. I translate for members of the community who have English as a second language. I just never thought to use THAT to my advantage somehow. Thank you for this great idea! You must be awesome at this kind of stuff.


I'm not awesome, I just do a lot of research...and I have an awesome friend who is a business management major and who really helped me out a lot too. lol Anyway, I had a four month gap in my resume that I had to explain once. I was so worried about it but I found out that gaps in people's resumes are common things. The most important thing is: show the company that you were committed to something during that time no matter how insignificant you think that commitment was. The company has no idea what you were doing and for all they know, you could have been just sitting around at home all day not caring. Doing something like volunteering/community service/improvement project/learning skills/etc. can really stand out. They show you're not the type of person who just sits around all day expecting to have a job fall in your lap. They'll probably ask you how your experience applies to the current job interest as well so just be prepared to answer that question. That should be simple though. Basically anything you do can be applied to any job...in a generic BUT effective way. Translating for people shows you're dedicated to helping members of your community. If I was an employer and that was one of the only things I knew about you, I would immediately think you were friendly, supportive, and possessed good communication skills with different groups of people. All these things are fantastic qualifications for any job and you should be proud to mention them. :yes


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## twitchy666 (Apr 21, 2013)

*I never lie*

but job advertisers do:

FANtastic job for up to... with excellent benefits package near you


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## Grog (Sep 13, 2013)

Gaps in employment are filled out with " travelling "


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## The Phantom Pain (Oct 6, 2010)

WillYouStopDave said:


> Sometimes it might be better to just tell the truth. Or just apply for a really crappy job, get hired, work for a couple of years and then at least you have one reference. Better than nothing.


Only thing is even crap jobs are hard to get now. And in my line of work (retail) I'm not too far off from that anyway.



Grog said:


> Gaps in employment are filled out with " travelling "


I'll try to work that into one of my future interviews if asked.

I've been saying "I've been focused on school" which hasn't worked yet in a none temp or seasonal setting.

It's laughable that they even want to know as if I didn't have a gap in employment, I wouldn't be job searching.

All they should care about is if I can do the job and do I want to work.


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## Grog (Sep 13, 2013)

It's about stability .


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## masterridley (Jan 20, 2007)

It depends on the job, if it is technical and they can grill you with questions, then no I'm afraid you can't lie.

But if we're talking about retail or even banking like Jesuszilla says, then you can lie as much as you want as long as you're a good bsitter.

An acquaintance of mine got a 40k job at a bank (his first job!) and I know for a fact that he doesn't know s*** (he is in my group project)


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## PaintItBlack (May 9, 2013)

Dont even lie TOO MUCH, if you keep it "realistic" and possible, maybe they wont check, and not put like 10 jobs, or some super good job...


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## modus (Apr 27, 2011)

Grog said:


> Gaps in employment are filled out with " travelling "


The golden word for me is "freelance"

"I was freelancing that whole time. Want to see examples?"


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