Woman Cautioned Against Lying on Resume for Her 'Perfect Job'

A woman has been cautioned after sharing that she is thinking of lying on her resume.

In a post on the London-based discussion site Mumsnet, the user MumOfTwee explained that "my perfect job has come up."

But there as one problem—the employer was asking for more experience than the woman had.

"It's asking for experience at a certain type of company. I do have that experience but only was there for 6 months and left because my boss was hell on earth," she explained, and asked: "Am I being unreasonable to stretch out that 6 months to say a year/18 months?"

Explaining her decision to lie about her resume, she said: "[There is] no real way to check unless someone on the hiring panel knows someone who used to work at the other place, but even then it's three jobs ago so can't imagine they would check."

"I work in a creative industry so I'm not saving lives or doing anything specialist that would mean exaggerating experience might have any risks," she explained. "Do people do this all the time?"

But online people were quick to caution her against lying to a potential employer.

"Don't do it," said one reply, while another wrote: "You might think it's watertight now but these things have a habit of getting out. Is it worth possibly losing a job you want, and a good reference, for the sake of this lie?"

Meanwhile, others believed that it would be ok to lie on this occasion.

One Mumsnet user wrote: "If you know you can do the job—go for it. Men would NOT be having this conversation. I can promise you that."

"There's no way they will check. I've told some corking great lies on my CV," said another.

They wouldn't be the first person to lie on a resume, either. Last year the internet praised a man who lied on his resume to get a $65k job, despite admitting "I wouldn't even hire myself."

Other internet users have also been cheered for lying on their resume with life-changing positive results.

Should You Ever Lie on Your Resume?

Hannah Mason is the founder of job market advice site The English Meeting Room, which supports professionals in creating career documents such as resumes. She told Newsweek: "It's never a good idea to lie on your resume. Why? A lie might get you an interview but it could cost you your reputation."

Mason explained: "When I worked as a recruiter, I once represented a candidate who got through to the offer stage; he had a great resume and fantastic credentials. However, the hiring manager felt that something wasn't right so ensured that very thorough background checks were undertaken before the contracts were signed. At this stage, it became clear that the candidate had lied and the offer was rescinded. He was subsequently blacklisted by my recruitment firm."

Now working as a resume writer, Mason explained that she always advises her clients to be accurate and truthful in their resume—but she explained that that doesn't mean you need tell a potential employer everything.

"For instance, if you have a weak GPA then I would advise you omit the grade instead of lying. If you started a role that only lasted a few weeks, leave it off the resume instead of manipulating the dates," she said. "There are ways to be creative with how you present your skills and experience to give you the best chance possible, whilst still being honest."

On the viral Mumsnet post, most users agreed that lying in the job application was a terrible idea.

"If you get the job through lies you will never be secure— you will be living every day waiting to be sacked as soon as the fraud is discovered," said one commenter.

Another wrote: "I presume some people lie, some people also commit crimes. No matter how it is chosen to be justified its wrong."

Newsweek wasn't able to verify the details of this case.

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