Is it bad to lie about small things on your CV?

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Not necessarily, when you apply for jobs/university whoever is hiring you won't go running around trying to find out where you were on March 7th 2003 at 4.15, they don't care. I highly doubt that they're gonna ask you about things on your CV, because like I said, they don't care. They want to know your qualifications, what other people think of you through your reference and any other additional requirements for that job or course.

I know plenty of medics/dentists who added on a couple of days work experience to their personal statement. Why? Because even getting a weeks work experience in healthcare practice is hard enough, and some universities have a certain requirement for applicants.

It's a competitive climate out there, jobs and uni places are hard to get, so people bend the truth to make themselves look grander.

You're missing my main point to be honest. If you lie to get a job you'll never feel like you've earned it.

Original post by non

I used to play for a football team but I wasn't captain. So I know the name of the football club. So should I say I was captain of ... Football team or I was captain of a football team? So not giving out a name. I don't even know if the football team still exists because I have moved around 100 miles away from it.

So please can you give your advice, I'll will only be applying for part time jobs with my cv.

I hate to say this, but what employer is going to care if you were captain of a football team or not? It's hardly a leadership role, let's be honest. Seems like a lie which isn't going to do you any great benefit.

Reply 21

Foghorn Leghorn

Providing you have a suffice way to either back it up or are sure there are no follow up questions then go for it. Just be careful.

Reply 22

non

Original post by M1011

how won't it benefit me? it's something to show that i do things out of school.

Reply 23

M1011

Original post by non

how won't it benefit me? it's something to show that i do things out of school.

Saying you're a member of the football club achieves that as well (and is true). What does the captain bit add? It's not like you will be responsible for organising matches or pitches etc, captain of a football team quite literally involves doing nothing extra. That's my experience anyway.

Reply 24

CharlieTH

In my opinion, it's alright to embelish something on your CV, for example, talking about how as the vice-captain of your local footie team, you got to coach the younger players, when in reality you were just there to fulfill the health and safety requirements (for example, you might need 2 adults present for ever 30 kids or whatever) but anything other than that I wouldn't do - not just because you might get caught, but it's wrong - anyone hear about the woman in charge of a department in a hospital got fired recently because she claimed she had extra A levels? It puts other people's lives at risk, don't do it :/

Reply 25

Daniel1987

Okay...I lied about my address, I wanted a job back in my old city, having left 2 years ago

Had been trying for almost a year with no luck, not even a single interview. Spoke to someone I know who recruits and he said "Just try a friend's address and see what happens."

So I put my old address on applications, to see what would happen. Lo and Behold, I got offered an interview today. But they want me to bring 'proof of address'. What should I do, fess up before the interview? It seems theres no way I can get out of this, though I'm certain i'd not have got the interview if I'd admitted I wasn't currently in that location.

Reply 26

ThePants999

Original post by M1011

So your manager never saw your CV? Your director? Your supervisor?

I'm not implying others on your level will have been given a look, but if your manager knows you were "captain" of a football team, what's to stop him bringing that up in front of your co-workers?

Obviously, you're technically correct. I have seen the CVs of the people working for me, and I could bring up interesting things from them in earshot of the rest of the team.

But what actually happened was that I forgot everything I read on each of their CVs ten minutes after I read them :smile:

as it wasn't directly applicable to them doing their job. Now, I'm not claiming to be the model for all managers everywhere! But I think this is a pretty low risk, unless you claim something jawdropping or outrageous.

Reply 27

ddrrzzeerr

I don't understand people who say 'bend the truth but don't outright lie'. You are still trying to decieve people so it is no better than lying 'outright'.

Reply 28

Piprod01

Original post by Sternumator

I don't understand people who say 'bend the truth but don't outright lie'. You are still trying to decieve people so it is no better than lying 'outright'.

At the interview
:indiff:

"So piprod01, what do you think is your greatest weakness?"
I'm lazy, very lazy.
:indiff:

"Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?"
Not in this job.

Reply 29

ddrrzzeerr

Original post by Piprod01

At the interview
:indiff:

"So piprod01, what do you think is your greatest weakness?"
I'm lazy, very lazy.
:indiff:

"Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?"
Not in this job.

We do have to lie to people or we wouldnt get anywhere. My point is that saying 'I pay so much attension to detail that sometimes it takes longer than it should' when you actual think your biggest weakness is being lazy is just as much of an untruthful statement as saying you did a years work experiance when you didn't. Neither is more morally justifiable, they are both lies.

Reply 30

Llamageddon

There are different scales of lying. Tbh, if you were on the sports team you'll get away with saying you were captain, so long as you have a good idea of what the captain did.

If your experience of "team leadership" in sports extends only as far as playing fifa 20xx on a console then you'd have great difficulty being convincing at interview.

Tbh whilst usually I think honesty is a good policy, with regards to getting a job you would pretty much be on your own if you followed it. HR are usually thick and like to lap up bs, so give them what they want.

Reply 31

cambio wechsel

I lied about a small thing on an application form.

My career in male-stripping was shortlived, yes.

Reply 32

Jake22

It is pointless... If it is a small enough matter to lie about without the risk of being caught then it won't be impressive enough to gain you any favour either.

Reply 33

Solitaire617

Original post by non

so for example, being captain of a sports team? would you name the club or just say 'i was captain of a sports team and then explain what skills i learned'?

also, what's the difference between a skills based CV and a functional CV?

thanks.

Don't say anything on your CV that you can't genuinely back-up. Yeah, you could get away with lying about being a Captain and whanot, but what happens if they decide to home in on it and ask you a dozen questions which you have to find lies for on the spot? A good interviewer will tell the difference between anxiety and you conjuring something up. As has been said, bend the truth a bit, but don't go so far that there's no truth left to fall-back on.

Functional CV: http://www.cvtips.com/resumes-and-cvs/functional-cv.html

Skills-based CV: http://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/1375/Skills-based%20CVs.html