Should You Lie On Your Resume?

[@SpiritWarrior9000]

Because I was honest, I was without a job for several years. Once I finally got hired and got access to resumes of other employees, I realized all of them had bald face lies and they kept their job longer than me for a higher pay. Morale of the story? Good guys finish last.

[@whatevergoesforme5129]

Well, even employers have no moral compass and yet require their employees to have one. My CV always shows gaps and my habit of job hopping, so I know I will always have a hard time of it, but I also believe that if I am honest, some employers who will consider me are easier to deal with because I did not lie. Usually, I know from experience that when a company runs out of options and needs to get a worker asap, they will go back to former applicants with the skills they are looking for, even though they do not like the job hopping or gaps. Many times, I was not the first choice or just a back up applicant when the preferred one backed out. That was fine with me as long as I got the job to pay the bills LOL.

[@winoodlesnoodles1984]

@@whatevergoesforme5129 , I am surprised job hopping isn't an asset now days. Job hoppers are EXACTLY what many places are looking for. Basically you come in with a wealth of varied experiences and are unlikely to hang around long enough to want a raise. Sounds like the perfect fit for many jobs. (joking, but sometimes its only funny because its true)

[@MasterMayhem78]

Exactly this. I have very good work experience but it’s not all flashy and I’m very cautious to not misrepresent myself. But the person that does lie and misrepresent gets the job because it looks flashy and the hiring manager only sees the lies.

[@ash2kewl]

This is so true! I’m lying eff that

[@SaLvAdOriaN127]

@@winoodlesnoodles1984 I’m a job hopper and feel no shame. Employer won’t give you a raise? I have a solution, look at the competition and trust me they will pay you way more. At least in my experience and field it’s the only way up.

[@lillones]

Job recruiter: "I can lie to you about this job, but you cant lie to me about your job experience"

[@dominicstokes8662]

You are not lying about. recruiters don't even know what's going on only the contractor that goes there and find out what's really going on. in general they all lie about the job position all that crap they make up on the job description is nothing but bullshit.

[@merritt2014]

It's all about leverage. If you lie to a company, they can burn that bridge with you with 0 worries. If a company lies to you, are you willing to burn that bridge? Probably not cause we all need jobs. Sucks that that's just how things are lol.

[@kilovolt2494]

@@merritt2014 depends on the industry. I have a blacklist of companies that did something insanely stupid. And again, burning the bridge is not lucrative (at least for me), but neither I will let them walk away freely. Let’s say, 5-10 years pass, and I hold on to my database, just like they keep applicants’ data. If they interview me like nothing happened, no problem, I say, but the pay I ask is 150% of the market value. I take my shots. Too much? Out of the approved budget? Seems like no deal, because I am not working for you for less. At least I tried. I don’t know if that considered “burning bridges”, but that’s is something I am very firm about, because I do not put companies on that list just for rejecting me.

[@GenerationX1984]

Hmm... It's almost as if our society was built by narcissists. How worrisome. "I'm higher ranked than you according to society, so I can fib a little but you can't fib. Not even a little. Morality doesn't apply to me. I'm a psychopath."

[@7F0X7]

@@merritt2014 leverage is a euphemism for *power.*

[@justinoleary911]

I have lied my ass off my entire career and would not be where I am today without lying. I’m as honest as every company has been with me

[@goodfay]

😂

[@mtardieh]

🤣🤣🤣

[@mandelish]

I have a huge gap in my employment (had a child then had to stay with him since he was sick for a long time). Give me some tips please.

[@LastTransendentalist]

A friend of mine wouldn't put the gap on the resume, but when asked he would say he signed on a Non Disclosure but he did similar work to his X job and made it sound like the job he was applying for. Hope you see this. Happy hunting! @@mandelish

[@nickvledder]

Well, you at least fight with equal weapons 😄.

[@nicholasspellman8219]

Better to lie on resume than tell the truth in the unemployment line.

[@TILLEYJS]

That's the ticket.

[@smolpener7430]

Why? They pay about the same.

[@deirdrekiely6187]

​@@smolpener7430 No, they don't. Unemployment pays a portion of what you made at the job.

[@mattr2626]

@@smolpener7430 that's just not true.

[@kdeloris2225]

🤣🤣🤣

[@477sierra]

I was one of a dozen candidates up for a particular job. During the second interview, the person asked me why I didn't "embellish" my resume to make myself stand out from the others. I thought he would like the fact that I was being honest with him. He told me all it did was put me on the bottom of the pile. Apparently, now you get punished for not lying.

[@winoodlesnoodles1984]

If you aren't willing to lie to get a job, do you really want it? ROFL!!!

[@Bloodark124]

@@winoodlesnoodles1984 "If you really love him/her you should steal them from their boyfriend/girlfriend" such an immoral appalling logic.

[@rejectwokeness1314]

The recruiter probably have no other reason to reject you, so used this as a half ass excuse to drop your candidacy

[@winoodlesnoodles1984]

@J C Well said!

[@csl9495]

Lol man. I did a mock up practice interview with a senior recruiter. Mind you I'm always myself in an interview. Especially if I had some great things to say about myself. But I was also transparent about the things I didn't know. She said she loved my transparency and told me that's a unique quality and that I should Champion it. I was just thinking to myself.... wtf this person lying to me for lol. That the worst advice ever!!!!

[@Gachastan]

If you lie - you won't get the job, if you don't lie - you won't even get into interview XD. It sucks to be alive.

[@anthonyfranklin7240]

No no White Face, if you lie, you MIGHT get the job, if you tell the truth you definitely won't. EZ decision. Roll the dice and let the future figure out the rest. Lie to your heart's content!

[@Fight2Survive]

@@anthonyfranklin7240 hahaha couldn’t have said it better 😂 better to take your chances

[@R0cketRed]

Perfectly said, no chance if u don't lie with most companies wanting a masters degree and 10+ years of experience for a job barley paying over an amazon delivery driver. This is the bs we live in now. So I agree roll the dice otherwise your signing your own rejection.

[@kilovolt2494]

@@anthonyfranklin7240 I like the way you think. That’s exactly how things are. You lie and get blacklisted from the company, or get rejected and _probably_ never ever apply to the same company again-the choice is obvious to me.

[@jacobg8640]

I mean it depends. Feel free to lie about job title or not be specific with dates or things that very likely won't be caught or matter. But if it's something like requiring 10 years of experience and I have 7, I'll just apply with the 7. If they deny me for that reason, then either the experience really is necessary in which case I would have likely performed poorly or it isn't and I wouldn't want to work with a company that doesn't realize that.

[@alwayslearningtech]

I've run my own business. The resume decides who gets in the door, once they're in the door, the resume doesn't matter much at all and it's all personality. Changing your job title to something that's actually accurate to what you did or are capable of, instead of what you were called in your previous role is actually more honest.

[@solaris025]

I agree. I hire the same way.

[@donaldoehl7690]

We're told to make resume a concise single page document... how does one do that without "creative editing"? BTW; I've lied on every single resume I've ever presented. SUE ME!

[@alwayslearningtech]

@@donaldoehl7690 I don't think the one page rule is that important but each recruiter or employer will have different preferences. If you want to get a good idea of what an employer is looking for, Google resumes online, look at a bunch of them and figure out which ones you'd hire. After looking at 50 of them, you'll likely see what recruiters and employers want - short, sweet, to the point, no fluff, easy to navigate and scan over without reading it. If they're interested in finding out more, they'll read your cover letter, give you a call or put you in the short list to compare with others later. Just my 2 cents anyway.

[@winoodlesnoodles1984]

@@donaldoehl7690 The one page thing is a joke. If you are fresh out of high school/college, this may be possible. However, you may change positions several times at the same place of work. Putting all this on a single page is impossible, especially if you need it to show consistent employment. I'm a bit older and still keeping it to two pages. However, I have seen 3-4 pages that all have relevant information to a job posting.

[@jackwilliam2226]

that's as honest as it gets

[@henryk.5192]

How did we get to this point, where people would consider lying in their CV’s? That is the real question. Nowadays, we have entry level jobs, paying near minimum wage, requiring advanced degrees.

[@Sara-Eevtea]

Exactly.

[@scanlonsocial5136]

This has been one of my biggest problems when searching for a job. Many of them will also want you to have 3-5 years experience... for an entry level job that pays close to minimum wage... It's insulting.

[@troywardjr1216]

Where? In california? I was from a small town and you can get an entry level job starting at $23 an hour.

[@prateekkarn9277]

@@scanlonsocial5136 entry level job needs experience. Where do you get experience? From doing jobs. But what jobs require no experience? Entry level jobs. How to get entry level jobs? Get job experience. Initiate the vicious cycle of need experience for job

[@scanlonsocial5136]

​@@troywardjr1216 What small town? Honestly curious. I've lived in a few states, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and now Indiana, and know many people all over the country. I haven't heard of an entry level job that pays $23 an hour. Most I've personally seen is $15 an hour, and only in the last few years or so, and those are hard to get because everyone wants them.

[@iAlwaysSpeakTheTruth]

Considering employers lie left and right. Yeah, I do. But I’m a great worker. Do I enjoy lying? No, but when you have to because you need to keep a roof over your head, yeah I’m going to do it. It’s a 2 way street, until employers stop lying and making unrealistic expectations , I will continue to be the same equivalent.

[@lenabuggs8003]

Hat tip to you sir!

[@fisyr]

I'd be happy to do the same, but I'm an extremely bad liar. I can lie reasonably well by omission, but I'm really bad at telling straight lies.

[@TILLEYJS]

Exactly.

[@asadb1990]

you consider it like acting. and your role is the job you are applying for.

[@thebeesknees745]

@@fisyr You don't have to lie, just don't tell the truth. Seriously, that's how I always have a job. I don't lie about who I worked for, but I do lie as to how long I worked for them. I don't lie as to what I did, but I do lie as to my title in the company. I have 3 resumes. That's my secret to remaining consistently employed. 1 resume may be for a technician, the other for service, and the last for physical labor.

[@esued86]

Job application takes 1.5 hours to fill out. Recruiter takes 5 seconds to look at your resume to throw it out.

[@23rawrcookies]

An Application does not take an hour + to apply to 😂

[@candlestyx8517]

@@23rawrcookies Tailor resume, write cover lettter, fill out application. Yeah, it can take up to an hour and a half to apply for one job

[@jaweel6205]

I’ve never written a cover letter ever. My resume is better than anyone I’ve known in my age group… and I did recruiting on the side at my last job in finance to hit bonuses. Guarantee I’ve seen people from places like Duke, UVA, Chapel Hill with absolute dogwater resumes. A good resume, a nice suit that’s at least $1000, and the ability to confidently explain why you’re a better fit versus people with better GPAs at better universities. They’ll take a guy with a C average, majoring in computer science, that held a club sports or fraternity membership at a large state school with part time summer jobs over a 3.6 guy from a high tier college that never left his dorm room. I work with really type A boomer clients and unless you have a set of balls, you’ll always get stepped on closing deals that require staying until 11pm at the office

[@Metruzanca]

I have a feeling this "Big KZbinr" is our good friend Joshua Fluke.

[@RawChristianSuperman]

definitely

[@jackwilliam2226]

Josh' calls it as he sees it... and he sees well.

[@lluewhyn]

Definitely. I saw that video as well.

[@albertojohnycortizo8959]

That particular guy has a problem...

[@EnglishMandy]

@@albertojohnycortizo8959 I mean, the dude is real tho. I dont see any problems in calling corporate bs and toxicity.

[@anastasiab9506]

Considering how much and how often companies lie to their potential employees, I think it is not a problem to embellish parts of your resume.

[@pey7777]

When I was just a wee undergraduate student, I had done a database project as part of my part time job entirely in google sheets. I had no experience in actually building relational databases like MySQL. I wanted to apply to a summer internship, but many of them required experience in relational databases like MySQL. I knew that in the right environment, I had the skills to quickly adapt and learn the skills that I needed to perform well at my job. I put that I used MySQL for the database project and landed the internship. Over those 3 months of interning, I probably learned more than I had in a year's worth of taking classes. I came out of that internship fully confident in MySQL and my programming skills and proceeded to land a high paying career job out of school. If I hadn't given that small lie on my resume initially, I likely wouldve never been considered for the internship opportunity.

[@nickd2296]

As long as you can prove you somewhat understand what you are doing there won't an issue lol

[@uncharted7againblackking256]

@@nickd2296 yep be an issue

[@junc2191]

I think you are very successful now

[@Bdavis2475]

Good job buddy

[@MJSGamingSanctuary]

@@uncharted7againblackking256 its not an issue if you can be taught as you go. Most managers just need someone who can fill in an extra pair of hands that they themselves just don't have. I know a lot of jobs where managers hate their employees but have to keep them cause they can't do all the labor themselves. As that would take having like a 1000 arms.

[@joemomma4514]

I will treat the companies the way they treat workers. Like mushrooms. Feed em crap and keep em in the dark.

[@donaldoehl7690]

Treat employers like a pretty girl you're trying to score with; Lie your ass off with a straight face.

[@Popojuju17]

Lool

[@jamesperez6785]

I know what you ahh and i know what you nawt

[@SkyCardis]

"Honestly is the best policy" "Well yes, but actually no"

[@StarContract]

"Honesty is the best policy." - a wolf giving a ship survival advice, Francisco Goya, painting on canvas

[@southbaycommuter]

When HR Guy encourages you to LIE to have a better shot at "getting that phone call from a recruiter..." -what does that tell you about the entire process?

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

I’d encourage you to take a little closer listen to what was said in this video.

[@asadb1990]

its technically lieing without admittings thats what it is.

[@7F0X7]

@@ALifeAfterLayoff You literally started the video by saying "you may want to consider painting in a few white lies". You LITERALLY SAID THIS AND I DISRESPECT YOU FOR IT!

[@johnhughes1783]

Ya Frank. White don't you listen better and not call out people for "lying". Clearly you are not prepared to put in the effort or listen to this man carefully explain how to use "white lies" which CLEARLY are not like regular lies. If you tried a bit harder you'd understand this. Also don't miss the video on corporate "ethics", I'm sure you will misunderstand this also. I feel dumber for having read your comment, Frank.

[@southbaycommuter]

@@johnhughes1783 There's no "misunderstanding" here. A lie is a lie. And misrepresenting the truth, or putting down "white lies" on a resume is fraud. People have been sued for fraud for doing just that. And I will try to use simpler words in my future posts so you won't feel so dumb.

[@kaym7704]

Sometimes the stuff they (HR and the hiring managers) put on the job description...I just roll my eyes at. I’ve been in positions where the job description was more fluff than anything.

[@Umph84]

Very true. I remember seeing my job description a few years ago when we were looking for a new employee and some of the requirements they put on it were a joke. Half of the people in my dept at the time weren’t even capable of meeting the requirements. Lol

[@McSnezzly]

Yepp. Even for HR positions themselves... HR doesn't need a license, yet they claim you need one to work with HR. They just do entry-level work. It's so silly.

[@mrcat3493]

@@McSnezzly I’d love to see an HR person interview a person for an HR spot. It must create some sort of trans dimensional vortex and tear the very fabric of reality. Lol

[@BawkBawkBawk666]

@mr cat they have a secret handshake and a ritual.

[@anthonyharmon9265]

Fluff??? You mean lies? Its ok for them to lie but expect pure honesty from the applicant. Its a modern slave system thats one sided and benefits only the company....

[@Ramza941]

I am surprised that you were honest with this video. I was expecting a "never lie or exaggerated your qualifications blah blah" video. You have earned my respect sir.

[@AhmedMohamed-qm4wd]

I believe the youtuber he’s speaking of is Joshua Fluke

[@asia.b]

Yep 😂

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

Love Joshua's channel!

[@rollinOnCode]

nope

[@deusexmachina558]

Thought exactly the same! 😂

[@mog_Entertainment]

I thought so too.

[@pseguin7124]

People who are afraid to lie on a resume are also people who can't understand why they have been stuck in the same position for the last 5 years.

[@Tecolote41]

As someone who has been stuck in the same position for 4 years… I concur.

[@pseguin7124]

@@TaxingIsThieving you sure can, I personally know people who have. Some very big name companies too and nobody ever checks. I would recommend that you actually know how to do the job first though. But to keep it real, nobody is ever going to just give you opportunities just because you are a nice person. You gotta make those opportunities happen even if you gotta lie a lil. The employer is lieing to you about how great the company is and expect you to tell the best lies you can.

[@Eljefe5948]

@@TaxingIsThieving but if you get caught you will be in big trouble with the law.

[@frankchen4229]

@@Eljefe5948 How so?

[@Eljefe5948]

@@frankchen4229 Sometimes HR does a deep investigation and asks for transcripts and and if they find out you lied, you will have a dark stain on your record. In other states it's a crime.

[@Garowen]

TLDR: 95% of job searches today are people are in a very difficult job search and aren't having any luck So they should be lying on their resume.

[@sammitchell7310]

I lied on my resume to get my first job in HR as an assistant. I’ve been at the job for a year before I got promoted to HR specialist😁

[@nancykerrigan]

Did you have HR experience or education background in the field?

[@se2664]

What did you “lie” about?

[@sammitchell7310]

@@se2664 experience in HR recruiting

[@lilmizzije]

i lied about an internship experience and now i have a background check where i have to enter my employment details personally. I'm guessing i should just leave out the experience that i lied about and list the rest?

[@magskl672]

Your account name here looks to be an actual name. You might want to be careful about admitting this freely with your name attached to it... just advice from one HR professional to another.

[@triopsate3]

My personal opinion on lying on the resume is that you should never be a complete idiot about it and do what good liars do. In other words, don't lie about things that are easy to disprove, mix the lies in with the truth, make sure to keep your lies consistent and not to trip up while lying and finally to spend more than 3 minutes thinking up a lie in order to flesh out your lie.

[@Frissdas1207]

Yet companies will lie to you about vacation/PTO packages, remote opportunities, raises ect.

[@McSnezzly]

@limelight81 Sorry, but a lot of bad companies are the standard. Places like SHI International will do all they can to make themselves look very nice and pretty, yet I've never met a person who didn't hate working there.

[@atomiccritter6492]

@ghost mall even "good" companies do bad things. Im sure you are aware of national companies underpaying staff illegally for months and stuff like that. But I forgot you are that supposed recruitment expert who puts the blame down to the candidate and no blame down to employers for whatever happens

[@thalissevero7627]

@ghost mall I am not going to dispute your personal experience. But, as someone who is a Gen Z trying to get my first job by doing volunteer work and spending on courses in order to get into my industry, I can tell you that for someone like me that is just starting out it really feels like I cannot really choose where I will be getting myself into due to my lack of work experience. Both seemingly "shitty" and "non-shitty" companies have previously contacted me for interviews, but I have always landed more "shitty" job interviews that were offering me a salary ridiculously lower than the average, legal pay in my industry than vice-versa; So, for the most part, it seems that in order for me to actually start working and get experience, I will have to just accept anything that has been offered to me for the time being regardless of how good or bad it may be. And, unfortunately, in my experience, the work that I have been "offered" (I never got past a job interview and landed an actual job) is usually severely underpaid which already gives me the vibe that the work enviroment I will be working in is probably mediocre at best.

[@GeneralChangFromDanang]

Employers will lie about job descriptions and pay, so yeah, I'd say lying on your resume is fair game.

[@atomiccritter6492]

the eternal battle in cpaitalism of employer vs employee

[@ELdASenSei]

unfortunately, I lied my ass off. Before this I was always straightforward, honest to the T, and it brought me nothing but infinite frustration and rejections.

[@candlestyx8517]

People prefer pleasant lies over boring or uncomfortable truths. We live in a era where everyone is trying to sell themselves to someone and they have to think like a advertiser.

[@KCFlyer2]

I'm 65 and retired after 30 years it IT. I learned a lot on the job and I was able to "self teach" on a lot of things. But so many jobs require a degree that I wouldn't get a second look. And today they use "resume bots" to look for their keywords. Back in 1988 I got a job because the boss (best boss I ever had) wanted me to write a quick report for him. He gave me the record layouts and left me alone. I was done in just a few minutes. I got the job because I showed him I knew what they wanted. Today I couldn't get an interview because of a lack of a degree

[@bogdanpali]

Even if you have a degree, as you said... if you don't know how to make a perfect cv with exactly what HRs want, you won't have any chance. Best chance nowadays it's to have a connection that can recommend you, to at least get an interview. I've applied for a job in Mechanical engineering for a year and only got ghosted or that automated response: thank you for applying but...After a friend recommended me, they called me, had my interviews and in less than one week, I've received an offer. That blew my mind.

[@KCFlyer2]

@@bogdanpali Which proves the old adage - it's not what you know, it's who you know.

[@redpilljesus]

​@@KCFlyer2with your personality, you could have gotten a degree quickly from some place like WGU.

[@bubbasouth69]

Sad but true

[@lionedheart]

@@bogdanpaliYou have a degree In Mechanical Engineering and they wouldn’t have hired you but due to your friends recommendation they did? How many years of experience did you have?

[@8701F]

Yes, don't lie too much, but yes. I lied and learned the skills within the starting period of the new job

[@jackwilliam2226]

if Biden can do it, then anyone can

[@crazymonkey60123]

@@jackwilliam2226 OMG 🤣

[@thatguy8005]

My ex wife was really good at lying and good at interviewing. She would get the job and it would take about a year for them to want to fire her, then a bout a year to fire her. She would then sue claiming they fired her because she was a woman and get a settlement. She did that the entire time we were married.

[@bluesquirrel3919]

Had no other choice but to lie to get my first job. Had trade school experience, but no real job experience. Passed the civil service exam, lied on resume (met a lady with a list of defunct companies, used 2, but the 3rd used was live, they obviously didn't check), got the first job of 3 total in lifetime. All turned out fine 😎 Retired now.

[@TheodoreChin-ih7xz]

With how ridiculous the expectations are, compared to how low the pay is, it really seems like employers in general WANT you to lie to them as much as you possibly can. I don't like doing it, but that's the environment they created.

[@mandelish]

and they do...and the test is if you can do it well enough so they accept your lies.

[@ForgottenKnight1]

Talking about IT sector: Dates of employment - If you have gaps, they will not believe you why. You can say that you were sick, or you had problems, or you simply wanted a pause, and most will not believe it. So definitely lie on this one. Also it's very hard to distinguish between job hoping and finished contracts. Basic skills - If you really looking for candidates with preferred skills, why not make then basic ? This should be a no brainer. Why you left - Just tell them the project finished and they had no more assignments. Or you found a better opportunity and wanted that. It's not their business if you got fired, or why you got fired and so forth. The recruiter should be interested in the actual situation. Just as I don't ask you "why did your company fire 20% of your personnel this year". Would you answer a question like that, HR ? Education - don't lie about it. The company where you worked for - If you worked for a FAANG, even through a third party, mention both. References - This is bull and I agree with this popular KZbinr. Just because you didn't like your boss, doesn't mean you are incompetent. Dates of employment - You can very easily solve all this by opening your own LLC and there will be no gaps and no falsification. Criminal Record - This should not be their business, unless the job is a government one. Experience - Years are not really relevant. Look for what are the requirements they need. Most HRs have no idea about this so they just slap X years of that or Y years of the other in the job description, when actually, an individual with half that period is 90% to 100% as competent as one with the desired number of years.

[@jumafaro]

I was thinking about that. I had a gap of a few years because I was in school. But companies don't seem to understand that here in Brazil (few people have the luxury of going to College without workinh over here). I am thinking of a freelancer possible job I can sneak in.

[@michaellendzian2655]

Well said.

[@se2664]

I don’t want to open an LLC… I’d rather extend my length of employment

[@steve00alt70]

Whats LLC?

[@izamalcadosa2951]

@@steve00alt70 A Limited Liability Company, which, can be yours or someone else's, but you can use it, to fill in a gap, if you don't really have it or a job.

[@misstrini2244]

I have been completely honest in the past on my resume and I didn’t get not one call back, the minute I extended the truth a bit I had hiring managers beating down my door. Listen once you’re not lying about being a plastic surgeon I say go for it. Hiring managers are not interested in no skills you have to spice up that piece of paper. May the best story teller 🥇

[@deanrobbins8102]

Love your videos. It would be interesting to see your take on Companies that "lie" about the position they are hiring an applicant for. Otherwise known as the "bait and switch".

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

I have a video on low quality employers you may want to check out!

[@BusinessWolf1]

I got baited into a backend position when it was supposed to be full stack. As a junior. What they needed was actually at minimum an intermediate level back end guy with some front end knowledge. I learned php + mysqli database + codeigniter 4 + jquery in 2 weeks and they expected me to be able to be super productive in a very, very, VERY badly written codebase within hours. I quit when I realised this, and put it on my resume as an apprenticeship, because that's what it really was. Unpaid as well by the way, so it really was an apprenticeship.

[@Davidjune1970]

Literally have seen people lie on their resume to dumb it down in order to get a job they are over qualified for in order to get back to work in a tough market.

[@Dan.50]

If you want the job, LIE. If you don't, tell the truth... Sad reality.

[@arinthium4018]

I lied and got my best job so far, although this was during the pandemic when it was an employee’s market. Take a look around and use your advantages

[@jameskeane8653]

Executives have been caught out lying and kept their job, companies lie all the time but expect the average worker to be truthful - to get a job you almost have to lie - especially if you have a gap in employment.

[@metademetra]

While I wouldn't recommend lying about having a master's degree, I will say I was able to get way more job opportunities fudging dates to close resume gaps. I did so and I got hired within a few weeks.

[@tygerbyrn]

“White Lies” 1. Job title 2. Third party versus direct hire 3. Location 4. Dates of employment 5. Skills, basic versus preferred 6. Reason for leaving; “left for better opportunity.”

[@CorporateDetox]

Dude these background-check stuff is insanely wild from a german perspective. We had a light version of this process but it's gone for the most part. Encountered this just 2 times and kindly denied them getting the informations. They still hired me. Stay strong guys!

[@allendaniel2748]

Lying on your resume is one thing. However, being able to demonstrate the knowledge and expertise is quite another. You can BS yourself in school, but in real life it is getting harder. Apply for jobs that suits your skills and interests. Knowing your stuff is more important!

[@qee540]

just BS your way out. this is business.

[@BusinessWolf1]

Yea but knowing your shit and getting the job are not 100% correlated. You could get rejected for a job you are overqualified for because the recruiter expects you to be lying in the resume when you've been fully truthful, so they evaluate you way lower than you actually are.

[@smolpener7430]

Or you can lie, learn a few things while they call you a dipshit, then take that experience somewhere that ain't garbage.

[@joecater894]

Sometimes skills / qualifications are needed to do a job ; sometimes they are totally irrelevant to the job, but the company is elitist and feels they are setting a minimum level. Actually, that's very common.

[@trannessa]

Lying is grossly common. I have been too honest to a fault. My performance speaks for itself when i'm working but if i struggle to sell myself in an interview, how will i even get my foot in the door.

[@rufusmcgee4383]

In the computer field, I recommend saying you have experience in a particular language/technology even if you don't. If you get called in, you will probably have time to sit through Coursera to get familiar. Generally, tools/languages are pretty easy to learn and not getting a job despite years of practical experience because you don't have specific experience in a particular language you can learn in a couple of days/weeks is kind of silly IMO.

[@crazymonkey60123]

hOw oN EArTh caN yOU WOrk aT a JOb WItH nO EXperIence FoR a CerTaIN SkiLL?!?! 😂🤡

[@zohramartini9425]

@@crazymonkey60123 that is what happened in the 80s. You learn on the job...

[@kkjr6673]

The more languages you know, the easier it is to pick up another one (natural as well as programming). But beware of different language families and “false friends”. I once had to work with, debug, and eventually fix, an entire SW Python tool, bc someone didn’t realize that delete in Python does not work like delete in C++.

[@BusinessWolf1]

To add to this, I learned backend fundamentals in a week after being front end only previous to that. Took me another week to learn a serverside framework (codeigniter 4)

[@rufusmcgee4383]

@@crazymonkey60123 Lol! I remember a long time ago, after working in C++, getting a request to write an application in Visual Basic. I said "Sure" (I was desperate having been out of work for a bit) and picked up a copy of "Learn Visual Basic in 30 days" and the floppies to install VB on my way home from the interview. It was a Friday. On Monday, I reported for work and started coding. I worked like a dog, but the project was a great success. They never found out.

[@dripcoffee3]

I passed the interview and I had to fill in an application form. I had to fill in the question which asked if I had ever been dismissed from a service previously. Then I circled yes. I had a feeling that I wouldn't get a job even after passing the interview if I circled yes. After 3 days, they decided to cancel my hire because of that. I didn't know it was that important. So there you go. I would have been working there by now if I just circled no. So yeah. I just discovered this video today and had I discovered it 45 days ago I would have had the job.

[@dripcoffee3]

@Shem Yeah on a positive note I learned that if I want to get hired I just lie and its that easy

[@infotechsailor]

Ya dude you should have played some language manipulation to make it a white lie.

[@matthewsheeran]

No is the same as "I don't recall your honor" i.e. you forgot and nobody can open your skull and check your brain to see whether you are lieing or simply forgot. So no harm no fail: never reveal you have ever been fired or have a criminal or driving record, or even that your previous boss was a dickhead. Be a politician!: half truths and dissemble.

[@NetSkillNavigator]

Same experience.. I was also asked the same question.. and of course, I lied!! I got the job.

[@hirampriggott1689]

isn't that illegal for an employer to ask if you got fired?

[@RawChristianSuperman]

No employer will ever check to see if you graduated high school, almost no employer will ever check to see if you have an Associate's or Bachelor's degree. I've had several management jobs and lied about having a Bachelor's, I've never even stepped foot into college. They don't check unless you get into a S.T.E.M. field or other specialized skill, because Bachelor's and Associate's are worthless on their own. Anything that needs a Master's degree or above they will definitely check. They also rarely contact your previous employer(s) unless as mentioned, the job takes a specialized skill.

[@kerriganm]

I have some inside info on this. Many hiring companies don’t check, but beware: I worked at a university where I answered phones all day long verifying people’s degrees. So… a lot of employers and graduate schools *do* check.

[@RawChristianSuperman]

@@kerriganm Like I said, specialized job fields will, or another school will.

[@duellinksrebel143]

Really?????? Omg

[@RawChristianSuperman]

@@duellinksrebel143 Yes, really.

[@charliec9720]

Not true. Just got a middle management role. They absolutely checked my hs and college transcripts. As have two other companies in the past 10 yrs!

[@redheadedcutie7691]

Companies are not allowed to give references. Just dates and times of employment via background check. Proper companies are only allowed to do background checks and not ask for references. If HR at a company is more hung-up about references when hiring a top candidate, there is something wrong with the hiring process.

[@johniii8147]

Resumes are marketing/sales documents so within reason u tailor it to the job description. Just be able to back it up with talk in interviews.

[@rutavitkauskaite7512]

When I tell the truth, they do not believe me. I finished a medical course, but decided to have vacations for a half a year. So it was an empty space in my cv, nobody believed me that I was not working.

[@donaldoehl7690]

I had a neighbor who owned a used car lot and he maintained that people will sooner believe a lie than the truth. Try to prove him wrong...

[@anonymouslyanonymous5987]

At the end of the day, I think the US’s hiring process is flawed! Companies are always setting most unrealistic requirements for a position, and expect candidates to be honest. HR lies all the time to employees, so why should anyone expect the truth from anyone nowadays. Everyone’s goal in life should be finding a way to be financially liberated. My philosophy is, you will never be financially independent if you’re still working for someone even if you’re earning 6 figures. You should always search for a way to become your own boss like starting a business of your own or becoming an entrepreneur! This day and age, jobs are never secured. Having a passive income is the best way to be financially stable!

[@Dark_Angel07]

For my last job I used my supervisor as a reference. Me and the department manager didn't really get along and I knew she would give me a bad review. However, I got along well with the other 3 supervisors. Technically that's would be a lying because on the application it said "Supervisor" not manager. So if you don't like you boss, try to find at least one person who is above you to use as a reference.

[@BreadAndGatorade]

Bet that. Did same thing no issues.

[@mandelish]

My friend gave me references over the phone while cooking her dinner - by the way I was there at the time.

[@eranmor8640]

Most of the people I know lied on their resumes. They desperately did it since they realized they are unable to compete with the job market in their situation. A person with kids, a mortgage, etc. cannot afford to stay at home. This is even more common amongst immigrants that cannot compete with local trained and experienced candidates.

[@drew8235]

A lot of this advice would be fantastic if we lived in a world where telling the truth would get you at least an interview. But we don't live in that world.

[@autostuff8971]

For black and white things that are verifiable like a degree/certificate or years worked or having worked at company "x" or job title, lying or misleading seems like a bad idea. For much of the rest that is more qualitative/opinion/fluff you're really just putting yourself in a positive light like companies do. Don't call a hamburger a hot dog but describe your hamburger in the best light like has premium pickles with hand sliced tomatoes, grilled to perfection. Your resume is supposed to make you seem like a great candidate, right?

[@Lukkaboc]

Ah! I am a gourmet burger. Handcrafted with love :)

[@robhost4271]

You nailed it

[@janjoy9759]

I quit my previous employer of 3 yrs this August, I'm already 3 weeks with my new job and hate the commute! Just got a call from recruiter which thinks I'm still at my previous employer. Is it ok to keep it that way? Can they find out I left in august?

[@bluevillsplash]

@@janjoy9759 it's çlose enough to not matter in my opinion. Who updates their resume weekly?

[@rubbersidedown7041]

@@janjoy9759 yes, they can find out you left in August. That is one of the basic questions they can ask. I tell you this out of compassion. Do not stay in any soul sucking job or do the long commute if it makes you miserable. It will all slowly chip away at you. Move out of state if you have to, but choose wisely and do your research. Look for low crime communities with good family values. May God bless you. Stay safe out there.

[@pipbernadotte6707]

Yes. Lie. Big business does not care about you or your family. The job market is a knife fight. I lost a job opportunity once because the hiring manager was from the Netherlands and thought my hour long commute was too long.

[@johnsmith-ro2tw]

These are all good advice...in theory. Eventually, you DO need a job, so you can make an income and live. If you face constant rejection, for whatever discriminating reason employers have (although employers claim they are equal opportunity employer, bla bla bla...), at some point, you need to become creative. What option do you have ? If you are in a pool of candidates who are more desperate than you are to get hired, what are your chances if you don't lie ? It's all about being a good liers, and do a risk/benefit analysis. You don't lie about being a surgeon if you never studied medicine. What's the harm however if you are too creative about your experience as an accountant, or software engineer ? Wrong balance statement ? Bugs in the code ? Nobody's hurt. Only the greedy shareholder gets his 30% R.O.I a month later. I have experienced how employers DO blatantly lie about what the job is about, because they identified me as the guy they wanted to hire. It goes both ways. You're not guilty as long as you don't get caught. If you do, then what ? It's not a crime to lie on a resume. There is evidence people like Macron made up degrees on their resume. If such people lie, why could you not ?

[@franciscofuentes8916]

I think we all get that especially when you've been laid off but it's clear lying can be detrimental just as much or more as being too open about your life

[@jillpruett4772]

One experience I had is sometimes it is useful to not show credentials if you are concerned about being overqualified. Under certain circumstances I wouldn't put degrees on a resume or app if I was otherwise qualified.

[@AnnLaustsen87]

Rule #1: If you're an HVAC and/or Plumbing engineer, make sure to go to industry events and network. You should be going out to lunch with someone outside of your company at least once a month. In my industry, it's best to make solid contacts through networking and not go through a recruiter. If you go through a recruiter, the company will less likely be able to pay you what is in the upper range in terms of salary.

[@parkerdarphin]

Thanks for the advice! I’m switching jobs in my company next month. I’ll be a mechanical engineer doing HVAC and fire protection

[@ltraltier6009]

Absolutely. They will make every excuse they can to NOT hire you.

[@sirdetmist3204]

People needing to lie to get a chance at a job is a symptom of a unbalanced market. Companies have far too many options.

[@JCK119]

Definitely agree with his 2nd point, about rewording your job title to something that is recognizable in the job market. For example, I was in the Army as a "25S - Satellite Communications Operator and Maintainer"; Civilians are definitely not going to recognize what that is at all, so I changed the title to IT Field Technician.

[@StoicTheGeek]

My company used to call IT project managers, "IT Stream Leads", purely to differentate them from Project Managers (who were business PMs). Nobody outside the company (and quite a few inside the company) had any idea what that title meant. Using standard language is being clear about your role, not lying.

[@amead78]

I’ve embellished some things on my resume but I’ve never outright lied about anything. If you lie on your resume and you can’t back it up during the interview or at the job, you’re screwed.

[@BrendenDrivesMeCrazy]

Get the job and worry about that later 🤣

[@okyggtty]

You are doing it wrong. Lying on your resume is necessary.

[@ivan200804]

Thank you for not lying about lying.

[@briceyokem9236]

In my experience, most employers are blockheads. They lack the perception to see beyond the surface, so if you, shall we say, 'embellish' your resume, you get ahead of those who don't. This is an ugly fact of the employment experience today.

[@mandelish]

Most people who interviewed me where as much nervous doing it as I being interviewed or more...They are also afraid of being judged and many times don't know what to ask.

[@MannyLoxx2010]

Joshua Fluke had an excellent, 2 part video on this subject!! Brian and Josh are the real deal!!

[@stevemaize]

Lying to survive, consequences be damned we got bills

[@LifeBindeR222]

I've lied about the length of time of employment because I had a horrible toxic workplace that I quit on very bad terms after 9 months of work. I didn't want to put that job on my resume and since I worked for my best friend for a bit longer than a year right after that job I asked him if I can put that I worked at his company for 9 months longer than the reality so there's no gap on my resume. I've also used him as a reference and all of my employers since then have called him to ask him about me and no issues I've gotten every job that I've applied to since then. I've been with my current company for about 5 years and two years ago before I got a promotion they called my best friend as a reference and he told me right away, I knew what's happening even before my boss even promoted me 😂 Luckily that friendship is still going strong years later so I haven't had an issue 🙂

[@bp-ob8ic]

12:50 Why would you ever put the reason for leaving on your resume? A resume is a sales flier, not a biography.

[@liveyouryoga]

You don’t have to put reason for leaving on your resume and be very cautious if they ask in an interview.

[@swrekcfest]

5 second glance and then I’m gone … well , that explains why candidates have a hard time with recruiters

[@morlandoemtp]

I had hr at a very big nationwide company tell me to lie in my application, or he wouldn’t be able to hire me 😂😂

[@kimjong-un5562]

The thing is company's want to see what you look like

[@howtosober]

If a job is demanding a Ferrari and they're offering a Pinto, they deserve all the lies they get. Don't require degrees for people that don't need them. Don't discriminate against titles that are smaller than what we actually did. Don't use dates to discriminate against age. Don't use gaps to discriminate against employees that have been out of work. Then we won't lie on our resumes.

[@youtubedeletestheoppositio8188]

The KZbinr he is referring to is Joshua Fluke, and Joshua is an person to admire. The whole lying about a reference is absolutely acceptable, so long as you both get your stories straight which is fairly challenging and needs near perfect coordination.

[@pinklobelia2389]

I worked at a company where people lied on their resume and were fired. One was a director who even hired people into the company. She lied about where she worked when she was really an independent consultant. The other was a product manager who didn’t know how to use Excel.

[@mandelish]

Yeah, good....they tried, had their chances ...lost got the kick...fair ... By the way Excel is not what you can learn on the spot like say Word I wouldn't lie about it...

[@daciamarkum3098]

I went to a bootcamp where they expected graduates to put 2-3 years of experience on their resumes--I was not comfortable with that. I got lucky, I knew someone in the industry who had jobs on her team. I still had to get through the interview and pass a coding test, but I do not regret being honest.

[@QurikOfficial]

This is very informative but also numerous reasons to avoid working for large corporations. You literally sell your entire life to them until it’s unwanted or you sell it to the next corporation. Best of luck to you all

[@JTguitarlessons]

I omit things from my resume, like jobs only worked for a short time. It's not relevant to the position applied for. However, I've never added blatant lies. That seems like craziness lol. I think we need to stop believing we owe recruiters/hiring managers things. Own your life. I've jumped around a lot and still snag jobs left and right when I want them. I know we aren't all so lucky as far as this part goes, but I don't freak out in interviews. I never have. Just own it. Stop feeling like you owe them anything, you don't. These aren't minimum wage jobs, either. Far from it. Right now, companies are hurting for dependable help that will show up on time and work dependably. Just do that, and tell them in the interview that you'll do that. That's the secret. Tell them you'll work weekends, holidays, and that you want the graveyard shift. Watch their eyes light up, and watch how you snag a higher paying warehouse job and a shift that's actually not as bad as you think. These companies need labor, don't let them make you think they're not struggling for it.

[@ibuprofenPill]

Damn straight I lie but not anything too extreme. Recruiters don’t get a monopoly on unfairness even though they want to think so. Being honest almost made me homeless. I did what I had to do, landed the job and hit the ground running.

[@RealmRabbit]

One thing a person could do if they have a gap is claim they did volunteer work for some place, maybe even be willing to say its your grandmother's greenhouse or ranch or whatever if you are asked who owned it... They wouldn't research you so thoroughly that they'd want to contact your grandmother (who may not even use phones) or otherwise verify she has a greenhouse or ranch or whatever... I've not done this, but it would be a good way to fill a gap... Or minimize it...

[@kraazed]

As a career software developer, after 12 years I don't need to "fluff up" my resume. I've done plenty of things I can speak to. When I was more junior and early mid level, I needed to fluff the occasional bit of experience, usually for things that were a "nice to have" not the core requirement. The problem, especially with software development jobs is most position requirements are over the top, requiring junior and mid level candidates to have a level of experience and exposure to technologies that are more aligned with someone who has 7+ years experience. These days I'm say more picky about jobs I take, I completely turn down jobs that ask for too much because it either means they want someone with very rich experience for cheap, or they have no idea what being a proficient developer is about. It's impossible to know everything, but good developers can learn anything with time and commitment, our whole career is non stop discovery and learning.

[@markm8623]

If you listen to this guy's advice, you'll be unemployed for years.

[@KeyItemsandlockeddoors]

The having a person pretend to be your boss in a reference check is fine in my opinion. I've done it plenty of times and done it for people. Just make sure you have the right info and don't undersell or oversell. One great trick is to make sure you seem super busy. When the hiring manager or recruiter calls and you're the person who's pretending to be the reference tell them you are super busy but have a few seconds. This will make them cut to the chase.

[@Sara-Eevtea]

Lying on my resume terrifies me lol imagine I write "proficient in Excel" then they ask me to do a complicated spreadsheet 😳

[@bronxishomenomatterwhereig3149]

Learn on the fly. Read books on it. Look up tutorials. And practice at home and during downtime. It ain't easy but you'd be surprise what you're capable of when the pressure is on.

[@TILLEYJS]

Eh. Fake it until you make it.

[@Sara-Eevtea]

@@bronxishomenomatterwhereig3149 Funny you say that because in my current jobs' interview they asked how familiar I was with Excel, I was honest and now they're paying for my classes and 1:1 training too 👍🏼

[@bronxishomenomatterwhereig3149]

@@Sara-Eevtea Oh well consider yourself blessed to have found an employer that is willing to train. Sounds like a good company. Stay for a few learns and learn a lot

[@Sara-Eevtea]

@@bronxishomenomatterwhereig3149Thank you, The Lord really did bless me with this job 🙏🏼 They actually encourage us to sign up for at least 2 trainings a year so we get to pick what we want to learn even if its not our actual job in case we want to move up.

[@simonfernandes6809]

You can bend the truth on your CV but you need to back up anything you claim at an interview. Because outright lies will VERY likely get found out. On the other hand, exaggeration and embellishments based on truth are par for the course.

[@mrd_cz]

"You can't learn a different programming language until the moment you enter their door, but if it's like google docs and Microsoft word..." Thank you so much, you gave me the perfect example to use in my next interviews! From your 3rd programming language onwards it's pretty much as you describe... from word to google docs... you just don't know where the buttons for formatting to currency are, just need to google it and you're done! Same as programming, whether you define a function with def, void, function(), or =>, you just need to google it and you'll find out! Great job!

[@shutout951]

5:00 Recruiters will contract you to an individual 3rd party and advertise the position for that company. I don't see why we can't do the same. I totally agree with your advice. I'm glad you brought this up

[@BillyT531]

It is grounds for immediate termination if found out. (Of course, most of us are "at-will" employees meaning that we are one argument away with our boss from getting booted anyway...) And if decide to litigate your termination, good luck with that. The other trick bag is your employment application better closely match your resume'.

[@TILLEYJS]

Been fired 5-11 times. Every new contract I tell these stories. Manager one time said.... Did you tell us that? Nope. Would you have hired me if I had told you? Nope. (After almost a year of contract extensions) guess your facility would've lost out based on your narrow views. You get hired for resume. Fired for fit.

[@zachaddington5264]

Not even a fast food restrunts wont hire me.

[@kallistajohanson6399]

Sweet relief to hear the green light on swapping job titles! Been having anxiety about this for a couple months now! Thank you!!

[@Tonyp3]

I had a toxic boss that tried to get me fired and even prevented my transfer to another department. I don’t like on my resume but have embellished a bit and use a wingman to look over my resume. My newest resume makes me look great and even though true I still suffer imposter syndrome sometimes and put myself down. Damn anxiety.

[@jeffnewcomb601]

it's nice to know that I work 30 years in an industry and it earns me 5 seconds of your time. I wonder who loses out more in that situation; me, for not being a wordsmith or willing to fudge it to get your attention, or your client, who ends up with an inferior candidate that knows all the buzzwords that get you sappy but has entry level experience, no work ethic, and will be gone to the next job in 6 months...

[@ALifeAfterLayoff]

You’re underestimating a good recruiter’s ability to quickly identify talent that’s CLOSELY aligned with what the hiring manager wants.

[@jeffnewcomb601]

@@ALifeAfterLayoff I love the channel and appreciate your advice. I think you're overestimating the talent and ability of many recruiters today. I don't want to start a food fight though. It's a tough world out there.

[@atomiccritter6492]

welcome to capitalism which simply doesnt care about people

[@billtheman7546]

The part about lying about working for a contractor but say you worked for a specific client: I get that so much from Indian software developers to make themself look good, it's really annoying. They would say something like "I worked for Google for 6 month" but really it was through a outsourcing agency, it's DEFINITELY NOT the same.

[@asadb1990]

its just as good if they know the people at the office.

[@izamalcadosa2951]

Not true! If you worked at the Alpha-Company, you learned all the best practices and way of working of that company.

[@thebeesknees745]

I lie on my resume. I worked for several large companies. They don't have the time to verify your work history or call your references when there are hundreds of applicants. I have one job on my resume I only worked for 3 months at yet say I worked for 3 years. My boss listed is actually my friend from highschool. He knows what to say. That I worked there from such and such date, and what my title was.

[@autumnblack6373]

The only thing that was wrong with my resume I had one day for an interview was a gap between two jobs. Without going into too much detail, I maintained integrity, gave them the real reason there was a gap, and without realizing it at the time, I showed them that I want to have better control over my own life now. I got that job.

[@MrKB087]

I did and I got a job. Fake it til you make it ya'll

[@TILLEYJS]

Pretty much.

[@ericnelson9100]

Yes, it is perfectly fine to lie; however, you have to be able to know what you're talking about and keep all your "facts" straight. Remember, an interview is a lot like a lie detector test; in many cases they already want to hire you, they just need to make sure what you put on the resume is indeed accurate information.

[@ericnelson9100]

@@keithparker1346 I'm not advocating for it, but HR can only verify dates of employment and position.

[@jackwilliam2226]

Lying always pays off.

[@CodexArgenteus]

A friend listed himself as a “manager” rather than supervisor when applying to a new job because he had taken on his superior’s duties after the superior left & wasn’t replaced but my friend wasn’t given a raise or a higher title despite doing essentially that role. He was able to even have another manager coworker concur as his reference so this allowed him to move into a manager position with the correspondent pay at his next job.

[@LindseyObrooke]

Can you make a video about what to do if you have a big gap in your resume? I dealt with chronic illness that took me out of the workforce for over five years, now six because of the pandemic. I feel extreme dread about this. I'm a great worker and have good leadership skills, but I feel like jobs won't be willing to give me a chance because of the gap. I also have minimal experience because I got sick only a year into my first job.

[@lazybeastz182]

It's a numbers game keep applying some people will care about gap others won't

[@TILLEYJS]

Humans are funny. They're all hard working. Very similar to dating.... Said person is great in bed. When does anyone actually say.... I'm lazy and terrible in bed.

[@JJ-vp3bd]

@@TILLEYJS whats your point

[@TILLEYJS]

@@JJ-vp3bd everyone always thinks they're hard working.

[@Julia-us1nu]

I'm an executive coach and leadership consultant. I recommend putting skills that you have on your resume and tailoring it towards the career you are looking for. Volunteer and community positions can be used in gaps.

[@thebeesknees745]

If you lie about a particular skill, you need to be able to BS your way through an interview. Know the basics of a skill. Make sure to have several details on deck, such as a programming language syntax.

[@sl0523]

I mean, there's a fine line between lying and misleading. For hard facts like, education background, employment durations, just don't like. You're not gonna say that you graduated from Harvard, where you're from a community college. But other parts, you can be a little bit of a stretch. For example, on your last, it's not your responsibility to manage clients data, but you covered for your colleague once during their sick days or vacations, then you can put it on your resume. Technically, you did it, but it is the recruiter's interpretation to think that you did on a daily basis, which, in this case, you didn't. However, you didn't lie, you just misled the recruiter with vagueness and ambiguity.