Why You Should Lie On Your Resume

Why You Should Lie On Your Resume

Not long ago I told you to steal to become successful. Today I will tell you why you should lie on your résumé. Yes I am crazy especially right after the Scott Thompson’s scandal.

Tell me something is impossible, I will make it possible.

Our world is changing everyday and we don’t always know everything. A lot of the time you just don’t have the right qualifications for a job. I don’t like to take no for an answer. I think lying about skills on resume is acceptable ( of course in a cammilicious world there are always a few conditions). It is so easy to learn something nowadays. If a job requires basic HTML, put it on your résumé and head to Code Academy and learn it. If they ask for basic Photoshop skills, just read some tutorials, or  watch a few YouTube videos and play with the program. It will take you a few days to master the basics but just playing you’ll learn the ins and outs of it. If you need any skill, Google is your best friend/teacher.Why would you waste an opportunity if you can learn something within a few days. My father signed many PR contracts before he even started a PR firm. Of course, you can’t  tell people that you know 7 languages and don’t bother to study them. There is a big difference between a little lie and a big one. If you put it in your résumé, you should be able to do it.

Life is changing everyday. No matter what you do,you are not going to know everything. You need to be able to learn along the way. It is not acceptable to say you know something and don’t bother learning it, because it will hurt you at some point in the future. But it is okay to have a small lie as long as you can deliver it. Believe me, adaptability is a is one of the top skills that employers are looking for.

photo credit: scottkellum

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AlexConde
AlexConde
12 years ago

The link 404’d on me. You’ve got me with the title though so I’ll poke around.

cammipham
cammipham
12 years ago
Reply to  AlexConde

@AlexConde http://t.co/BpEfuvb7 should work now thanks

AlexConde
AlexConde
12 years ago
Reply to  cammipham

Works perfectly now. I like the post. It might sound controversial, but it’s quite true in this day and age.

cammipham
cammipham
12 years ago
Reply to  AlexConde

@AlexConde especially in social media, you have to learn how to manage a new social network over night

AlexConde
AlexConde
12 years ago
Reply to  AlexConde

Exactly – and if you have a good framework of transferable skills, you’ll be set.

lomaymi
lomaymi
12 years ago

I’m getting a 404 page from this link.

cammipham
cammipham
12 years ago
Reply to  lomaymi

@lomaymi i will check it now

cammipham
cammipham
12 years ago
Reply to  lomaymi

@lomaymi should work now http://t.co/BpEfuvb7 i changed the time and messed it up

solsonIII
solsonIII
12 years ago

You should not need to lie on your resume you either have what it takes or you do not.

cammipham
cammipham
12 years ago
Reply to  solsonIII

@solsonIII did you read my post at all…the point is you dont know everything.

solsonIII
solsonIII
12 years ago
Reply to  cammipham

@solsonIII Yes no one know everything but to say you know something you do not will only lead to problems if you are hired.

cammipham
cammipham
12 years ago
Reply to  solsonIII

@solsonIII did you read my post at all?

cammipham
cammipham
12 years ago
Reply to  solsonIII

@solsonIII there shouldnt be problem if you actually learn it. If there is a new social network tmr. should i tell my client i cant do it

cammipham
cammipham
12 years ago
Reply to  solsonIII

@solsonIII i go out and learn how to manage it. the world is changing so much nobody can know everything. if you dont know it, learn it

solsonIII
solsonIII
12 years ago

Yes, I read the post. I prefer not to lie about a skill that is needed for the job because the employee may need me to accomplish something that I can not do without the skill. If the skill required is similar to something I know then I would explain that I understand what is needed and it would be fairly easy for me to incorporate it in to my skill set. I just do not think it is fair to the employee for me to spend my time bumbling an assignment because I do not know how to do… Read more »

cammipham
12 years ago
Reply to  solsonIII

 @solsonIII then you should read again. you totally miss my point. Of course you better delivery it. My point is if you are able to gain a skill in a short period of time, there is no reason to waste an opportunity. I told people don’t tell people that you know chinese if you don’t even know a word…..I am talking about simple skill that you can learn in 2 hours…like coding, it is so easy to learn basic coding nowadays. There is a big different between someone who “lies” and you. The guy who “lies” actually goes out and gains a… Read more »

cammipham
12 years ago
Reply to  solsonIII

 @solsonIII then you should read again. you totally miss my point. Of course you better delivery it. My point is if you are able to gain a skill in a short period of time, there is no reason to waste an opportunity. I told people don’t tell people that you know chinese if you don’t even know a word…..I am talking about simple skill that you can learn in 2 hours…like coding, it is so easy to learn basic coding nowadays. There is a big difference between someone who “lies” and you. The guy who “lies” actually goes out and gains a… Read more »

solsonIII
solsonIII
12 years ago

As an example. I code in PHP, MYSQL, HTML, CSS but I do not know JavaScript.  I could learn JavaScript but I would not want to go into a job where I would have to turn out something on my first day and have to spend most of the day researching how to do a loop in JavaScript and be the one who is holding up the project. That would not be fair to the employee your just wasting their money. I would not take a job that needed C# because I know it would take me some time to… Read more »

cammipham
12 years ago
Reply to  solsonIII

 @solsonIII that is the case when you don’t want something bad enough. if you really want it you will learn and master it for the job. For example at the end of 2011, pinterest became popular. Most community manager doesn’t have pinterest experience and had not managed it. And brands all want ppl w pinterest experience. Should a CM learn pinterest or be honest like you suggest and don’t get any client? most community manager expect to wake up tomorrow and there is a new social network. It does not matter if you can get the work done 

solsonIII
solsonIII
12 years ago

Then it is a matter of the required skill set learning how to use pinterest is not as hard as learning a new programing language. Now ask yourself if you had to hire someone would want someone you could trust, someone who can accept responsibility or do you want someone who will not be straight with you or your clients.

cammipham
12 years ago
Reply to  solsonIII

 @solsonIII you should read again. I made it very clear that it doesn’t work if you cannot delivery it at all. Did i tell people to list a skill that would take them 10 years to master….if you actually read my post, you would know i said it is a bad idea. it has to be manageable. I hire people who can do the job. Who say I cannot trust the person?….I need people who can think strategically  and get the best result. Deception is everywhere in the business world. If you can’t deceive how are you going to sell a product?

solsonIII
solsonIII
12 years ago

It is possible to sell without deception, embellishment yes but deceptive advertisement kills repeat customers. And I did read your post. I would think if you did discover that someone you hired lied on their resume then they have lied to you and how can you trust someone who has lied to you. The hard thing for most employer is being able to recognize the potential in a candidate and being able to ascertain that based on what they show on the resume and how they interview that they would be able to handle the assignments.

cammipham
12 years ago
Reply to  solsonIII

 @solsonIII if you notice i didn’t bother to ask for resume. i believe resume are overated. I give people small assignment, if they can finish it in a creative way they will get the job. It does not matter how many years of experiences or what degree you have. i only care if you can get the job done.   If someone can learn something in a short time, I would admire that person. Unless you really want the job you wouldnt do it. Skills are cheap. They can learn it, the right person with passion are priceless. It is hard… Read more »

solsonIII
solsonIII
12 years ago
Reply to  cammipham

  I wish you had interviewed me when I was out looking for work for two years. Seeing potential is a gift.

qanquinette
qanquinette
12 years ago

I agree about fibbing a bit on your resume. IF you can do the job, then show you can do the job not talk about if you can do the job. In the business world, there is no truth and lies. It’s blurred. You can still have values and morals but you still have to do what you have to do to eat and support your family and business. For example, I’m starting my own business in advertising. Do I know anything about Advertising? Only basics that I picked up a long the way. But I’m hungry enough to learn… Read more »

cammipham
cammipham
12 years ago

@elliotmyhre lol for marketing i only need to be able understand the super basic :D i can within 2 hr

Guyhwbwe4j
Guyhwbwe4j
12 years ago
cammipham
cammipham
12 years ago

@BeingSridhar thanks for sharing

BeingSridhar
BeingSridhar
12 years ago
Reply to  cammipham

u r welcome, always a pleasure :)

cammipham
cammipham
12 years ago

@sulemaan lol thanks for sharing

SheiWahTan
SheiWahTan
12 years ago

iI dont think it’s really “lying” but just thinking and acting out of the box. ;) It’s called working and thinking smart. 

rn resume sample
12 years ago

In my opinion your resume should not be fake and if you want to lie then the points should be such that it comes into your strength not weaknesses. You should act smartly.

RekishinoTabi
RekishinoTabi
12 years ago

@remino Unbelievable. The chorus from an old Billy Joel song just came to mind after reading that blog post. Honesty is such a lonely word.

remino
remino
12 years ago
Reply to  RekishinoTabi

@RekishinoTabi Never heard that line, but I can’t agree more. People want the truth but never want to hear it.

JuliaRosien
JuliaRosien
12 years ago

Did I see you at the #cashmere event yesterday, my dear? Caught a glimpse in passing but the crowd was too big to cut thru!

cammipham
cammipham
12 years ago
Reply to  JuliaRosien

@JuliaRosien there were a lot of people how are you

iWishforapp
iWishforapp
12 years ago

This is a difficult one because so many people still ask for it but it is not a very good indication of the abilities of a person for exactly this reason; people embellish because they want the job. That’s why a resume should only be a small part of the process. I agree with one of the posters that if it was found out that you don’t have the skills or abilities on the resume that you were hired for, then you get into a very difficult trust issue. I also agree with @Cammi Pham, in that maybe resumes need… Read more »

mktribhuvan
mktribhuvan
12 years ago

@arkarthick Silence is better than lies.

wesley koelewijn
12 years ago

Well for sure that there are a lot of people that lie in they’re resume,I had to lie cause if i didn’t i wouldn’t have a job right now. In hard times you have to make some hard dissensions and one of them is lying in your resume.

ForHerByHer
12 years ago

As someone who reviews resumes and interviews people for a living, I have to say that lying on your resume is a sure way to start off on the wrong foot. I’ve interviewed people who have flat out lied on their resumes and it’s a waste for the interviewer and the candidate.   However, I don’t believe that if they’ve requested basic skills and you’re learning those skills, that it would be considered lying. If you’re able to learn basics in a very short period of time, that’s great. If you’re calling yourself an expert when you only have basic… Read more »

nhonpt
nhonpt
12 years ago

It depends on what kind of job you want to apply. If you apply for jobs required high skills/ experiences, interviewers will ask you hands-on cases/ questions. To answer these questions, you need to work on them already. And interviewers will have their own way to discover your real abilities for listed skills. Be careful with your lies :-)

canvirries03
canvirries03
11 years ago

nice post..following now!

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