Lying on CV

Little Less Conversation

Just to clear up a few things, the gap was a few years ago. I have been working since then. But went back to college and currently doing a course where they also help you with CV and interview preparation and very likely that I will get work out of this course so I want to do things right. Not sure how I can have such a huge gap, I'm embarrassed by it really but that was the times.

puppieperson1

went for a managers job in a charity recently they wanted to know in advance everything i did since my leaving cert every single detail and details of all i did uring gaps on my CV it was ridiculous....

Paddy Cow

Vincent Vega wrote: »

Not sure that I understand here, so any chance you could explain what makes this an effective question to trip the interviewee up on?

Surely the correct answer here would be something along the lines of patience, empathy, the need to be organised, a commitment to the task at hand, which was at times difficult, but knowing it needed to be seen through and approached with the right positive attitude.

Doesn't seem too tricky to wriggle out of, more a reiteration of the what are your strengths sort of question. Or am I missing something?

Yes. No one ever, who has been a carer would describe it as "the task at hand". You are describing it in business terms and would be seen through in an instant. "Approached with the right attitude"??????? I take it you have never cared for a sick person because that is not how you do it.

When you take care of someone who is sick, it becomes about them. It's not about how you would approach it. It's all about their needs and how you adjust to provide that. It's not about you having the right positive attitude. It's about you being a support to the sick person, no matter their attitude. They are the one who is sick. They are the one who may or may not recover from their long term illness. That in turn has an effect on you but mostly caring for someone is about them and their needs.

If a candidate was asked about their time as a carer and they started talking about it in business terms like you did above, then you can bet that the interviewer will think they are lying, which reflects doubly badly on them - one - they lied, two - they made up a sick relative which is a double black mark.

If a candidate was asked about their time as a carer and they were able to give a general account about how difficult it was, how they coped, what they learned etc, even without giving specific personal information, anyone would be able to spot the difference between a genuine carer vs a spoofer.

B.A._Baracus

I found a decent way to explain a gap (especially if that gap was during the recession) is saying you lost your job due to recession but went into education. Say that during it it wasn't what you wanted but you insisted on sticking it out then you just got some other job.

You can also say how you lost your job then worked in something that doesn't exist anymore. Something known.

Little Less Conversation

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

I found a decent way to explain a gap (especially if that gap was during the recession) is saying you lost your job due to recession but went into education. Say that during it it wasn't what you wanted but you insisted on sticking it out then you just got some other job.

You can also say how you lost your job then worked in something that doesn't exist anymore. Something known.

That sounds good. What if I didn't lose my job during the recession, I just left to go back to college. Finished the course. Gap of three years. Work for three years. Then another course now. My CV is a mess but it's something I have to face.

Vincent Vega

Paddy Cow wrote: »

Yes. No one ever, who has been a carer would describe it as "the task at hand". You are describing it in business terms and would be seen through in an instant. "Approached with the right attitude"??????? I take it you have never cared for a sick person because that is not how you do it.

When you take care of someone who is sick, it becomes about them. It's not about how you would approach it. It's all about their needs and how you adjust to provide that. It's not about you having the right positive attitude. It's about you being a support to the sick person, no matter their attitude. They are the one who is sick. They are the one who may or may not recover from their long term illness. That in turn has an effect on you but mostly caring for someone is about them and their needs.

If a candidate was asked about their time as a carer and they started talking about it in business terms like you did above, then you can bet that the interviewer will think they are lying, which reflects doubly badly on them - one - they lied, two - they made up a sick relative which is a double black mark.

If a candidate was asked about their time as a carer and they were able to give a general account about how difficult it was, how they coped, what they learned etc, even without giving specific personal information, anyone would be able to spot the difference between a genuine carer vs a spoofer.

See, I wouldn't have thought I'd have been expected to demonstrate the sensibilities of a professional carer seeing as the question put was 'What did you learn about yourself?', and nothing more specific.

Assuming I wasn't going for a job in that field, I would have taken the question as an attempt to gauge whether there had been any meaningful or worthwhile learning on my part that could translate to something in the workplace. Some positives they could look at and take away from the time unemployed, not necessarily placing focus on the emotional level with which it had been attended to.

That's not to say I couldn't or wouldn't have approached it and phrased it in the manner you highlighted if I felt the sharing of the information was relevant to the position.

I get your point though, in relation to claiming to having taken care of a sick relative such a response might come across a bit cynical and aloof.

It's just that in an interview situation, the general nerves that can come with that, my mind would tend to be focused on the purpose of the interview itself. I'd feel more inclined to present the information in such a way that I felt placed emphasis on qualities relevant to the job, which could possibly come at the expense of any extraneous details.

That said, I would obviously fine tune my response a bit more, and elaborate more on the barebones response I gave in the other post. Was only trying to get the gist across.

Also, I think you're taking my 'approached with the right attitude' the wrong way. It was referring to something similar to positive bedside manner. Not attending to the person in a cold and mechanical or negatively charged way. ie: basically not going about it in a way that would add to the persons woes.

PapaOscar

frosty123 wrote: »

can a employer do that? without your prior knowledge??

Sorry i should of been clearer, they will ask you to get a letter from the SW. They wouldnt be able to get that info themselves.

mackeire

To fill a gap on your cv you could say that you won a hundred grand in the bookies or on the lottery and say that you took 3 years off to enjoy yourself.

PLL

Read a great quote about this:

“If you’re going to lie on your CV you better make sure you have gone to psychopath level of detail with your cover story”

PLL

mackeire wrote: »

To fill a gap on your cv you could say that you won a hundred grand in the bookies or on the lottery and say that you took 3 years off to enjoy yourself.

Blew it all on coke and hookers, back now trying to slum it with the rest of ye.

riffmongous

riffmongous wrote: »

It's long enough ago though that you can just make one up

I got an upgrade on my bill contract since then and no longer have their number as it was not necessary for me to. Simple as really.

fryup

mackeire wrote: »

To fill a gap on your cv you could say that you won a hundred grand in the bookies or on the lottery and say that you took 3 years off to enjoy yourself.

yeah, thats really believable alright

Shergar6

Paddy Cow wrote: »

This is too ambiguous for us to properly advise you. If it was a gap from 2008 - 2011 and you've been working since, it's no big deal. If it's from 2015 - 2018 then that's a problem as the recession was over then. As long as you have some decent references you should be grand.

Don't lie and say you were looking after a sick relative or travelling. They are the two biggest excuses. All the interviewer has to ask is an opened question such as "what did you learn about yourself during this time?" and you'll be sitting there with an open mouth.

This actually sucks because I was looking after a relative for 6 years. People using it as an excuse to explain doing nothing on their CV makes us all look sketchy. I obviously can answer any probing questions if asked but I still feel they think I'm bull****ting

Just be honest and say it took you a while to find your feet and now that you are out doing a course or working you are motivated and ready to get your career going.

Paddy Cow

Shergar6 wrote: »

This actually sucks because I was looking after a relative for 6 years. People using it as an excuse to explain doing nothing on their CV makes us all look sketchy. I obviously can answer any probing questions if asked but I still feel they think I'm bull****ting

Just be honest and say it took you a while to find your feet and now that you are out doing a course or working you are motivated and ready to get your career going.

No they won't. You can tell the difference a mile away between someone who has genuinely been a carer and someone who has a rehearsed answer.

Little Less Conversation

Little Less Conversation wrote: »

Just to clear up a few things, the gap was a few years ago. I have been working since then. But went back to college and currently doing a course where they also help you with CV and interview preparation and very likely that I will get work out of this course so I want to do things right. Not sure how I can have such a huge gap, I'm embarrassed by it really but that was the times.

If they are going to help you with it then leave it blank and let them advise what to do