Employers can see how tempting it is for employees to tell a few white lies on their CV. Giving yourself a team leader position when you were just a team member, tweaking A-level grades, extending employment periods to cover gaps. Who’s going to notice and why does it matter? Most candidates aren’t aware that in the UK, lying on your CV falls under the remit of “fraud by false misrepresentation” and is classed as a crime. Many employees who are dismissed after their lies are discovered try to claim that they just made a mistake when completing their application but legally, that makes no difference.
Grade Checking
Qualifications are one of the most lied about things on a CV, and so increasingly employers are checking. Most won’t ask for proof of every qualification, just the highest or most recent qualification, or ones which are critical to the position under consideration. If you have forgotten what grades you got in your A-levels, don’t guess. Just put that you have passes in subjects and if the employer requires more detail, you can ask for replacement certificates at a later date. Don’t ever be tempted to claim membership of a professional body which you don’t have, as it just takes one phone call from your employer to the professional organisation concerned to verify your claims.
Consequences Of Lying on CVs
Most people lie on their CVs because they think they will get away with it. But along with not getting the job, there are many other consequences to being less than honest. Some of these are:
- Embarrassment at Interview – If you say you’re fluent in Spanish, and the interviewer greets you in Spanish and asks about your journey, how will you respond? Also, being quizzed on specific aspects of a job you’ve never done will just leave you feeling embarrassed and out of your depth at interview.
- Removed from Process – probably the main consequence of lying on your CV is that you’ll be asked to leave the interview process, or any existing job offer is rescinded.
- Blacklisting – Major employers don’t appreciate having their time wasted by people lying on CVs and then being caught out. Many will operate an unofficial “blacklist” of people who have been caught out and will refuse to ever consider them for another position in the future. This can hugely hamper your job prospects if you live in an area with just one or two large employers. If you’ve landed the interview through an agency, then they are unlikely to want to work with you again in the future.
- Dismissal -if your lies come to light after you’ve started work, then this is classed as gross misconduct and usually means instant sacking. How are you going to explain that on your CV going forward?
The best advice is clear – don’t tell fibs on your CV. If you’re caught out, the consequences can be severe. If you’re unsure of grades or job titles, state that in your application rather than guessing.