Don’t be tempted to lie on your CV

As a result of this economic recession, it is very difficult for many people to find employment. Some desperate job-seekers may be tempted to embellish their skills and achievements by putting false information on their CVs and faking testimonials.

In a recent headline-making case of CV fraud in the US, former Harvard student Adam Wheeler is being charged with multiple counts of identity fraud and larceny because he allegedly succumbed to this temptation. According to the Boston Globe, Wheeler is accused of creating a “fraudulent life history that led to his admission to Harvard, and for using forged academic materials from Harvard when he applied for the prestigious Rhodes and Fulbright scholarships”.

If Wheeler is convicted he could face up to 50 years in prison, ruining his life at the tender age of 23. Even if he isn’t convicted, his reputation has suffered irreparable damage.

But how prominent is this practice in SA?

According to the owner of a recruitment agency, who did not want to be named, during her 10 years of doing recruitment work she has encountered only a few cases of dishonesty by clients.

“I’ve had a lady who worked for me who lied about having a matric. When I discussed this with her, she resigned. The only motivating factor for being dishonest is to secure decent employment.”

In the other case, she says, “I heard a guy’s name popping up at various desks. He then applied to one of my ads stating that he had studied analytical chemistry. I knew the course content, and when I confronted him about the subjects that he stipulated, he told me that he was desperate for work.”

Joanne Barrett, owner of Joanne’s Placements, has also seen only a few cases personally. But she says that “in 2005 the figures were sitting as follows: more than 100 000 SA workers were caught doctoring their CVs to secure promotion or employment, and getting rid of them has cost employers in excess of R200m”.

Barrett is aware of how difficult it is to find a job as she has gone through that experience herself. “After I graduated I battled to find work and was at home for a while. I never gave up and it paid off. Dishonesty is not an option – if it’s found out that everything is fake and a lie, you will seriously affect all aspects of finding a future job.”

Apart from people putting untrue information on their CVs and faking testimonials, another trend is that people use relatives as references. “An old favourite that I know … is that [candidates] use family members who are in executive posts as a reference on their CV to say they have done some holiday work,” says a source in the recruitment industry.

The figures would be much higher if recruitment companies didn’t check information. Kobus Gerber, a senior HR consultant, says that when he gets a client he does “qualification checks via accredited agencies and reference checks”. He says: “In most of the cases you can at least … establish if the ref is indeed in the position indicated, also by checking info on the CV with the candidate during an interview – when experienced, you tend to pick up anomalies easily.”

But what is to stop a person trying their luck anyway, especially if they are desperate for employment?

Two of the primary deterrants are covered by Jean Bruneau, an attorney from Thompson Wilkes Attorneys, Notaries & Conveyancers: “It is fraud and you can be convicted. It’s a criminal offence and if you’ve been employed on the basis of lying on your CV, it’s grounds for immediate dismissal.”

“In a job situation,” adds Gerber, “there are specific reasons why specific qualifications, skills and experience are required. ‘Bull’ may get you there, but in the long run won’t keep you there and the fall will be much worse than getting there through the hard and honest process.”

IMAGE courtesy Sana Syed

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