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Howmuch do you embellish your CV and exaggerate in interviews?

Working in the corporate world, I've been with my company for 4 years and am struggling to get out.

I work on consulting projects, but often I don't see a project from end to end, I'm often pulled in specific research/technical segments of projects which makes my experience very niche and difficult to transfer onto other more common roles.

I've been talking to friends who say that they flower their CVs and exerggerate in interviews in order to get jobs. I just wonder how common this practice is?
Reply 1
Original post by Slim and proud
Working in the corporate world, I've been with my company for 4 years and am struggling to get out.

I work on consulting projects, but often I don't see a project from end to end, I'm often pulled in specific research/technical segments of projects which makes my experience very niche and difficult to transfer onto other more common roles.

I've been talking to friends who say that they flower their CVs and exerggerate in interviews in order to get jobs. I just wonder how common this practice is?


My CV is 95% BS. Only thing true on it is my name.

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ya gotta whore yourself out on ya CV or so I hear
Reply 3
I heard its as much as you can, as long as you can keep a straight story
Original post by Slim and proud
Working in the corporate world, I've been with my company for 4 years and am struggling to get out.

I work on consulting projects, but often I don't see a project from end to end, I'm often pulled in specific research/technical segments of projects which makes my experience very niche and difficult to transfer onto other more common roles.

I've been talking to friends who say that they flower their CVs and exerggerate in interviews in order to get jobs. I just wonder how common this practice is?


Say whatever you need to say to sell yourself, as long as what you say is strictly speaking true.
I have done it and it's gotten me interviews. Everyone exaggarates on their CVs, otherwise 99% of people would be unemployed due to being boring/underachiever. Everyone lies in interviews as well. When they ask you why you want to work for the company, you make up with bull**** such as 'becaue of the excellent reputation' blah blah blah when the answer is actually 'I dont want to work here I just need $ to eat'.

Getting a job and keeping it is all about bull****ting.
i done amazing things so i dont have to lie
Original post by driftawaay
I have done it and it's gotten me interviews. Everyone exaggarates on their CVs, otherwise 99% of people would be unemployed due to being boring/underachiever. Everyone lies in interviews as well. When they ask you why you want to work for the company, you make up with bull**** such as 'becaue of the excellent reputation' blah blah blah when the answer is actually 'I dont want to work here I just need $ to eat'.

Getting a job and keeping it is all about bull****ting.


True, I've come to learn it the hard way. Being Ms honest goody too shoes has made my progress slow.

I had my first telephone interview with an agency yesterday. It went well, I felt to exaggerate the truth and it actually came naturally because I've been involved in the work that I want to do, despite not having ownership in any of the projects.
Original post by TurboCretin
Say whatever you need to say to sell yourself, as long as what you say is strictly speaking true.


How do you define 'strictly speaking true'.

I mean yesterday I contacted one of my consultant buddies at work to ask him if he's ever been involved in providing a certain solution to clients, I wanted to find out about the process and what's involved because it's the type of thing I want to talk about in prospective interviews.

He was so helpful he sent me all the documents from one of the projects he worked on, right from scoping phase to delivery. It covered the whole cycle.

Would it then be wrong to talk about that project in an interview?
Original post by Slim and proud
How do you define 'strictly speaking true'.

I mean yesterday I contacted one of my consultant buddies at work to ask him if he's ever been involved in providing a certain solution to clients, I wanted to find out about the process and what's involved because it's the type of thing I want to talk about in prospective interviews.

He was so helpful he sent me all the documents from one of the projects he worked on, right from scoping phase to delivery. It covered the whole cycle.

Would it then be wrong to talk about that project in an interview?


Talk about it in what respect?
Original post by TurboCretin
Talk about it in what respect?


Having been involved in that sort of project of course.
Er, never? I can understand a little bit, but it's not hard for companies to get things checked...
Original post by Slim and proud
Having been involved in that sort of project of course.


Well, no, because that would be a lie.

If you were involved in the project, you could embellish perhaps on your role within the team, emphasise your importance to the project etc. But making out that you were involved in a project you weren't is way over the line.
Last night I was chatting to a senior leader from one of the divisions at work, I was telling him about my ambitions to move on. He told me to fake it till I make it

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