People who lie on CV/Linkedin

Good morning/afternoon everyone,

We recently had a desktop engineer who left for another job and I noticed on his LinkedIn profile he changed his job title from desktop engineer to IT consultant.

Not only had that but a previous employee who left last year made a recommendation for him on March 31^st claiming he had worked with him which wasn’t true.

I’m interested to know if anyone here has lied on their CV for a new position or “fake it to make it”.

I personally don’t think I would pull it off, just curious if anyone had or worked with someone who did.

Many thanks.

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no!all!

I've seen someone put Network Engineer on their resume when they did nothing of the sort. They were laid off, unrelated to performance, but I noticed it on their resume when we were cleaning off their PC. I think they landed a job as an IT auditor lol

Mooseboost

You will find these types of people at a lot of companies. Sometimes they get found out and sometimes they don't, it is an unfortunate cycle that they will continue. I have worked with them before and it has made me an advocate of having technical interviews to help filter some of them out.

Remedymp

I had an HR person remake my resume for me and it was completely different than what I previously had. Needlessly to say, it was enough to attract for talent acquisition persons to offer me opportunities.

OctalDump

I know someone fairly senior in IT who lies about their qualifications on LinkedIn (degrees they don't have, or are substantially different). I'm not sure if they know that it is relatively simple to check their qualifications online. But it seems like a stupid thing for an IT person to do. If you are going to lie, make it something hard to detect.

kalimuscle

Yeah

I see it all the time even in this forum as well.

You see people here who are barely starting their IT careers

And they held the role of a network engineer for a year and suddenly they consider themselfs to be senior network engineers so they give them that title

Shows how insecure these people are

You can add senior senior into your title

Your still ****

IronmanX

I see it a lot with Software Developers.
They will put their title is Software Developer or Sr Software Developer when there real title is something like Programmer Analyst or system analyst. I'm ok with it.

Generally what I have seen is people developing software go through these official titles:
Jr Programmer, Sr Programmer, Jr Programmer Analyst, Sr. Programmer Analyst, Jr System Analyst, Sr System Analyst, Jr Technical Architect, Sr Technical Architect

Sometimes there in a Intermittent level sometimes no level.

I know i'm probably in disagreement with a lot of people on here but I don't think the title is not all that important. The job duties are what matters. People on here will take a pay cut to get a title with a super cool name the fact that a company can make up a title and pay their workers less just seems silly.

I do find sometimes rolling my eye at people who have manager in their title yet have no one reporting to them.

The thing is there is no standard for job titles companies just make things up. And when there are standards they just ignore them and do what they want.
I know many people with engineer in their title, which is not really legal in Ontario Canada:
"The explosive growth of information technology has created particular challenges for the association in the area of enforcement relating to the use of the terms "software engineer" and "software engineering". At present, many people who develop computer software refer to themselves as "software engineers" and to their work as "software engineering", even though they have never studied engineering and are not licensed or regulated in any way. PEO believes that this is a problem because it misleads the public. Because in Ontario you cannot call yourself an engineer, or say you practise engineering unless you are licensed by PEO, the public clearly perceives that a civil engineer, mechanical engineer or computer engineer is capable of providing services within the practice of professional engineering and that they are accountable to their regulatory body for the success and safety of their work. There is no reason to believe that the public's expectations of software engineers are any different. Unless the title "software engineer" is applied only to those who are licensed professional engineers, the public will never know whether their faith has been misplaced."

gespenstern

On higher levels calls to previous managers at previous companies are almost a mandatory step. It will not play out well for him if he steps up.

volfkhat

Well,
it seems that too many hiring companies drop-the-ball when it comes to fact-checking their employer.

Thus, people get away with it.
/shrug

scenicroute

Yes, I put down that I was a CCIE. Now I'm the lead network engineer at a large company and I have no idea what I'm doing. I hired someone off Craigslist to configure things for me, but he continues to drink 40's in the office and I'm getting a lot of pressure to fire him. Of course I can't, so I told everyone he went to MIT and his pet giraffe just died, so he's having a little trouble, but he's brilliant and worth keeping.

My manager lamented that I didn't talk enough in the meetings, so I started telling networking jokes I read off the internet. I mostly get awkward stares, but the plump girl who wears sun dresses always laughs. I may ask her on a date if I find out she's not technical and won't expose me.

So all-in-all, lying is worthwhile and I highly recommend it to get ahead in life. Moreover, you may help someone on Craigslist, and that's always a good feeling.

NetworkNewb

Sounds your getting in some managerial experience looking over your boy off Craigslist too. Bonus! Chalk that up on the resume as well.

- Managed team of Senior Engineers

DatabaseHead

Fake it till you make it.......

Personally I could careless, I think it's funny.

Replicon

no!all! wrote: »

I've seen someone put Network Engineer on their resume when they did nothing of the sort. They were laid off, unrelated to performance, but I noticed it on their resume when we were cleaning off their PC. I think they landed a job as an IT auditor lol

You read their personal files while wiping their pc's?

DatabaseHead

Replicon wrote: »

You read their personal files while wiping their pc's?

Sounds highly unethical doesn't it?

TheFORCE

Replicon wrote: »

You read their personal files while wiping their pc's?

Company computer usage policy. Anything you do on a company computer is not private. Maybe they were looking to find documents for a project and had to open all the files.

Danielm7

scenicroute wrote: »

Yes, I put down that I was a CCIE. Now I'm the lead network engineer at a large company and I have no idea what I'm doing. I hired someone off Craigslist to configure things for me, but he continues to drink 40's in the office and I'm getting a lot of pressure to fire him. Of course I can't, so I told everyone he went to MIT and his pet giraffe just died, so he's having a little trouble, but he's brilliant and worth keeping.

My manager lamented that I didn't talk enough in the meetings, so I started telling networking jokes I read off the internet. I mostly get awkward stares, but the plump girl who wears sun dresses always laughs. I may ask her on a date if I find out she's not technical and won't expose me.

So all-in-all, lying is worthwhile and I highly recommend it to get ahead in life. Moreover, you may help someone on Craigslist, and that's always a good feeling.

HAH!

Really though, I worked with a guy that had the title of systems architect, and kind of BS'd his way into that in the first place. When I checked his linkedin later all his past jobs for the last 10 years had the title of architect inserted all over his resume, where it never was before. Suddenly he went from Jr admin to Jr architect, database architect, etc, all fake.

TacoRocket

I have a question for you guys. How do you feel about if someone is actually doing more than their title?

Do you think that they should be able to edit it? I've seen companies that won't budge because that's how its dictated but people might be all over the place.

TheFORCE

TacoRocket wrote: »

I have a question for you guys. How do you feel about if someone is actually doing more than their title?

Do you think that they should be able to edit it? I've seen companies that won't budge because that's how its dictated but people might be all over the place.

I've always put the technology i worked with on my resume no matter if HR job description didn't have it. I would ask HR to change it.

TacoRocket

That's fair. I understand the complete deceit as far as claiming what you haven't done but I'm sure there's people who actually have done more than the title.

What kills me the most is the level system. Like you're a security analyst level 2.

TheFORCE wrote: »

I've always put the technology i worked with on my resume no matter if HR job description didn't have it. I would ask HR to change it.

Danielm7

I don't really care about the level system stuff, totally depends on the company. I was brought on as a level II at my last job, and was the only person in that role, makes no sense at all.

Nisseki

Thanks for your replies everyone.

I've been on helpdesk for roughly two years and really want to get into something more technical! Now, I'm always on the look out for desktop support or second line positions.

Sometimes it's frustrating that these jobs are given to people who lie about what certifications and skills they have.

In the meantime, I'm going to continue studying, labs and exams to get more certifications to show that I have the willingness to learn and dedication.

Many thanks guys.

OctalDump

Send an anonymous email to their current company's HR department to show they are lying. Grab the popcorn and wait. It could be interesting.

xxxkaliboyxxx

I am lucky enough to be able to interview our candidates along with the rest of our security team for the vacant Security Engineer role. I feel IT is one of the few careers where we could smell bullshit just by asking a few questions. You put on your resume that your an IP/TCP Packet analyst expert? I'll ask a few simple questions, easy peasy. Well needless to say, the candidate opened up about NGAV and I just asked a simple question. My radar went off the charts.

Point is, I believe good hiring practice could help alleviate the issues which I think the stats (don't quote me please) close to 50 percent lie on their CV

Replicon

TheFORCE wrote: »

Company computer usage policy. Anything you do on a company computer is not private. Maybe they were looking to find documents for a project and had to open all the files.

I get that you don't have privacy at work. But still its unethical to read someone else private files unless you are tasked to search for something specific or there is suspicion that the employer is doing something iligal. Again, I don;t know the context in which that happen, so don;t want to judge. I am domain admin at work but will never browse in personal files of employees.

Replicon

TacoRocket wrote: »

I have a question for you guys. How do you feel about if someone is actually doing more than their title?

Do you think that they should be able to edit it? I've seen companies that won't budge because that's how its dictated but people might be all over the place.

I have this problem, where I am ding the work of system architect\designer but on paper I am system admin, my manager doesn't care abut titles but it is demotivating sometimes. I know its just a title, but then you see some other system admin who just install windows and reboot servers, and kinda it seems like you are in the same bracket.

Replicon

Nisseki wrote: »

Thanks for your replies everyone.

I've been on helpdesk for roughly two years and really want to get into something more technical! Now, I'm always on the look out for desktop support or second line positions.

Sometimes it's frustrating that these jobs are given to people who lie about what certifications and skills they have.

In the meantime, I'm going to continue studying, labs and exams to get more certifications to show that I have the willingness to learn and dedication.

Many thanks guys.

Any serious company will do technical interview. The only thing one can do with lying and impersonation is to pass the HR filter, but then in a technical interview they are usually busted. I had a co-worker, I was passed his resume from his manager before he started and the guy was 10y senior system/network admin, I was impressed with his resume and was curious why he is layer 1 support. A week after he started he was watching youtube video how to install network printer. There goes the resume.

scenicroute

Replicon wrote: »

A week after he started he was watching youtube video how to install network printer. There goes the resume.

Those are rough. Have to figure out the IP address and everything.

volfkhat

Replicon wrote: »

I have this problem, where I am doing the work of system architect\designer but on paper I am system admin, my manager doesn't care abut titles but it is demotivating sometimes. I know its just a title, but then you see some other system admin who just install windows and reboot servers, and kinda it seems like you are in the same bracket.

Yep, so if management refuses to work with you; that's when I'd go ahead and Lie on my resume.
Change your title to something like System Engineer IV. (or use "Senior" , etc)
and immediately follow it with all the design stuff you did in the details.

Then, start applying for legitimate Architect/Design (or whatever) positions.
Hope that you can land an interview where they grill you on the Technical Details; that's where you SHINE.
If you can land the job.... You Da Man.

scenicroute wrote: »

Those are rough. Have to figure out the IP address and everything.

bwahahaha!

Remedymp

Replicon wrote: »

I get that you don't have privacy at work. But still its unethical to read someone else private files unless you are tasked to search for something specific or there is suspicion that the employer is doing something iligal. Again, I don;t know the context in which that happen, so don;t want to judge. I am domain admin at work but will never browse in personal files of employees.

This is actually pretty accurate for most corporations. Open documents that don't belong to you is a violation in itself.

no!all!

TheFORCE wrote: »

Company computer usage policy. Anything you do on a company computer is not private. Maybe they were looking to find documents for a project and had to open all the files.

To clarify, there were some documents their co worker needed off their desktop. Also, I wouldn't consider a resume private, especially if you're going to store it right on your desktop on your work PC. Like TheFORCE said, we have a strict computer usage policy, nothing is private.

paul78

no!all! wrote: »

we have a strict computer usage policy, nothing is private.

That only works if the policy is very specific and it does vary by jurisdiction. While it's common for companies to have an AUP that states what is monitored and can be searched, unless that policy is well known, a court could conclude that an employee is entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy. There have been some interesting court precedence on this topic including liability placed on an employer who had searched a computer and uncovered communications between an employee and their attorney. Also - ECPA does protect certain communications although it wouldn't have applied in your scenario.

Sorry to hijack the topic...