Should I Lie on Resume?

[deepblue]

I was

hospitalized for a while and disabled for even longer due to cancer.

Now I'm looking at my resume and all the

companies I worked for are out of business and basically I was thinking that adding an additional year to my last

job and saying I started my own consulting business might help me find work now.

What do you guys think? Should

I go for it? :twisted:

[DrSmellThis]

I'm not sure why you're

seeing it as necessary to lie about that.

[deepblue]

I've been out of work for 5

years going on year 6 and my medical status isn't on my resume. I don't think the word disabled would help anyhow.

So I could have been doing anything for that time (enrolled in school over the Internet). It just doesn't look good

to have a huge gap like that.

[belgareth]

As a manager and having hired

hundreds of people over the years I'd firmly say no. Tell the truth. Anything else will get you disqualified the

instant some clerk in HR discovers it. If a clerk doesn't discover it, some manager will, in all likelihood.

As

a hiring manager I would be much more likely to accept an explanation than hire somebody I caught in a lie. My

thought is that if somebody is lying to me to get hired they'll probably do it while working for me. That is

somehting I never accept.

[deepblue]

Would you hire someone with a 6

year resume gap and every place of business listed is out of business? Is Burger King in my future?

What about

my consulting business? I did do a little bit of work and was thinking about making a web site for it.

[belgareth]

Yeah, I might but it depends on

my read of the situation and the person. I hire as much on character as I do on skill sets. Integrity is a prime

concern with me. Also, keep in mind that they will probably check your credit report and that will show medical

bills as well as previous employers. I certainly compare the credit report to the claimed job history and suspect

most others do because employment references aren't worth a damn in most cases.

Type out an explantaion of the

facts and add that to your resume as an addendum. Be sure and do a good job of it. It certinaly will be nmore

helpful than anything else you might do.

[DrSmellThis]

http://149.101.1.83/adahom1.htm

I posted the Americans With

Disabilities Act site so you can check it out yourself. I'm not sure you have no protection.

I believe you can

get on your feet again, and that not all employers would disqualify you. Sh!t happens, after all. It's not your

fault you were sick, and not beyond understandable that you had a hard time getting back. You've done other good

things with your life, and are ready to do more.

[bjf]

Moreover, when you do interviews, try

to use it as a positive. Surely you learned stuff that people don't generally know or are aware of. Things that

will help you be a better employee.

You beat cancer. What can't you take on?

[deepblue]

What if I fudged a year at

someplace I didn't get hired at? If I apply again later, should I just send in the new copy and claim the old one

was a typo if asked?

I applied for a job at this one place and now I'm looking to see if they have a volunteer

opportunity, but maybe they still have my resume from my old application.

My medical bills were all paid, so I

don't see why they would show up on some credit report. The credit report shows work history?

[belgareth]

Depending on the company, they

may well have the resume on file. We used to keep them in case somebody filed a claim of discrimination. A lot of

businesses now record everything and store the data for that reason. In lawsuit happy America it is simple

prudence.

Lot's of things show up on credit reports. If the insurance company was late paying it might be on

your report. Sometimes it can show up as a positive too depending on how it was reported. Yes, Jobs frequently show

up on credit reports as well as past residences and such. A lot of big companies use investigation services to check

up on a person's past also, especially for sensitive positions. Basically, anything you might put on a credit

application can and often will show up on your credit report.

I don't know what kind of position you are

applying for so am giving you worst case answers. In general, you are going to be better off sticking to the truth.

If nothing else, you don't have to worry about tripping yourself up later.

[deepblue]

I guess I didn't want to lie

anyhow, but I already put my tainted resume out there to a couple places. I didn't get looked at so no one

questioned it, but if I apply again for a new opening ... do you think I could call it a typo on the old one or

would they simply not call me up?

The position would be computer geek.

Sorry about not being a tower of

virtue here, but you never expect to be in this type of position with an empty past. I came back physically but I'm

still pretty bummed. It was too long to be sick, to be away from life.

[belgareth]

That depends on what you said.

In cases of huge responses the first couple cullings are done by clerks and often chucked. No promises but it does

happen. In other cases the whole stack is handed over to a professional recruiting company and not seen by the

hiring company until culled down to a couple dozen candidates.

If you want, you can PM me and we can talk in

more detail. I can understand not wanting to tell a lot in a public forum.

[Mtnjim]

The thing that bothers me, that you

would even think about it... :nono:

But then again, a recent survey found that 20-30 year olds thought lying was

OK as long as you didn't get caught. :hammer:

[DrSmellThis]

This situation provides

another opportunity to look at a more holistic alternative to black and white thinking, as well as giving deep blue

something useful to think about.

I don't believe admonishments not to lie should be a supreme, black and white,

inviolable moral rule. That would be foolish thinking, and result in a morality where you might end up cutting off

your nose to spite your face. The same goes for all abstract, isolated moral rules.

However, situations

where you have to lie to save your integrity are rare. It can happen, but not often. Why do I say

"integrity"?

Some of my own professional research into ethics and life stories suggests that "integrity" can be

essential to moral life at a fundamental, organic level. People need it, and this is what people often really are

aiming for in their everyday lives, when they try to do the right thing.

Perhaps the most basic way integrity

plays out in your life is both being true to yourself at your deepest level; and also living a process of sharing

that truest self with the world. The world then starts to "reflect yourself back to you" in an increasingly powerful

way. This is a process and cycle that leads to fulfillment for yourself and others. You find your place. Isn't this

what you are creating, deep blue?

Compared to the concept or rule of "lying", "integrity" is a much

bigger, more useful moral concept that you can apply to your whole life and your whole person.

OK. In this light,

the worst part is not literally that you considered lying. The worst part, the sad part, is that you have already

chosen not to be true to yourself by thinking this way. Lying is the consequence of that; the reflection of that;

and the enabler of that.

Choosing not to be true to yourself is self-defeating, and therefore nonsensical.

Living a life of nonsense is a form of suffering.

If you start accepting yourself now, it becomes a habit that

will ultimately empower you.

Take bjf's example. By looking at your experience of illness and recovery as a

positive, thinking about it that way, and speaking about it that way -- you actually make it into a positive for

yourself, and make your life better for it. You give yourself a chance to blossom completely that way, since all

your energy is consistent, and goes into that same positive direction. Then it really is a positive, not just in

your mind as an abstract thought and possibility. It becomes strictly someone else's problem if they can't get it;

and you become unstoppable for who you are in the biggest, most powerful sense.

Why should you have to

walk around with a conflict inside yourself, from lying and looking at it all as a negative? Then you feel like you

have to hide something? Screw that! Let somebody else have a conflict if they want one. You have done nothing wrong,

but have instead used courage to survive an ordeal that brought you in touch with your own existence and mortality.

That can translate to greater inner strength and wisdom. How many people have that going for them at a young age?

Let the learning process happen to its fullest and embrace who you are! You are going to let this experience make

you be less mature, instead of more? Then you will have really wasted those five years in one sense, while weakly

protesting to others that you haven't.

Hold your head high, look the other person in the eye, know who you are,

and be proud of it! Don't let it even occur to you that you are anything but better. You have chosen to take

advantage of that opportunity to be a better man, and no one can take that away from you. There is plenty of time to

work in life, and working is great. But there is more to becoming the best person you can be. We learn these lessons

throughout life, and not just as a kid, before we start working.

In my book, having someone on my team who really

lived that experience fully would be an asset. You'll find someone capable of getting it if you live it. That's a

direct benefit of integrity.

[deepblue]

Yeah I see where you are all

coming from. I'm getting a copy of my credit report for a reference and I'm going to stick to the facts as they

are. Although I'm not sure about telling anyone I had cancer. That part still doesn't set well with me, even

though I have to say something about that time period.

Also, not trying to justify a lie but, the disease and

the treatment made me unusually weak (more than you can imagine) and I just wanted things to go back to normal. It

really isn’t that I’m just brain dead and don’t think anything of it. I’m looking at possibly loosing a house and

other things I don’t want to think about. Besides, I know I can't compete in the high tech market with six year old

work experience and references that are out of business so they can’t be contacted. Maybe I can find an

apprenticeship or an internship to get a leg up.

Thanks for the input everyone. If you think of anything

else just post a note.

[DrSmellThis]

What else could you tell

someone that would be better than the truth that you were battling cancer? What in God's name is wrong with that? I

mean, it's your private business and you don't have to tell anyone, but why wouldn't you want to? Didn't Lance

Armstrong just blaze a trail for everyone?

I like the leg up idea. Just a tiny bit of retooling and getting back

in the flow. Makes perfect sense. Or maybe you'll find someone who trains new employees in whatever.

[Mtnjim]

"Extended illness" is the truth,

and all they need to know.

[deepblue]

Maybe you know Meredith Viera

from the TV program "The View." Her husband, Cohen was on the Larry King show and he has MS. He kept quiet about

his health and got a job that made his whole career. When he asked his boss later if he would have still hired him

had he been open about having MS, he said he would not have hired him.

Admitting to a major illness that might

come back and drag you down later isn't like coming out of the closet and saying you’re gay. Not everyone will

want to train you or put time into an employee that might have a lot of sick days.

[DrSmellThis]

It's your choice. I could be

wrong. Mtnjim's approach is one way, although any extended illness could indicate possible future health problems

in an employer's eye.

It really just depends on the situation, and luck of the draw. My first inclination would

be to turn my illness (and renewed sense of courage, focus, priorities, and determination, etc.) into a glowing

positive, without being preoccupied with it, or using it too much as an excuse. What the hell kind of character

building was the guy or gal interviewing you engaged in in the past five years? It can be similar to being in the

military or Peace Corps, if one creates that character from the experience. It makes a compelling story for selling

certain positive qualities, especially if you can embellish it with other things from your life somehow. I

personally would feel confident I could sell it to most audiences. That's just me.

Not everyone will want to

invest in you. But many will. The guy on Larry King is just one guy, with one boss. What kind of jackass thinks,

"Had cancer, won't hire him!"? Would you want to work for that person anyway?

Every potential employee carries

risks, including health risks. You just have to know how you represent far more potential return and benefits than

risks, and feel confident in that.

You know what the possibilities and/or statistics of relapse are for your

situation. You are taking more of a risk with your health than any employer. You can decide what you feel

comfortable with yourself, and if you don't have a problem with it, why should anyone else? To be frank, if you

thought you were going to die tomorrow, you wouldn't invest in extensive training either, so you must already feel

good about your intention to work at what you want to do. You must feel strongly that your own logic is more sound

than any potential naysayer's. If they bring the risk up, your confidence here will be valuable. You can tell them

you are recovered, no longer needing treatment, and in permanent remission; as far as medical science can tell, for

example. That would be honest.

On the other hand, you might conclude that you have to "withhold" certain aspects

to be most true to yourself and the world. This could be one of those rare instances. Maybe I just ain't

seein' it. But if you really did, all things considered, then you could still feel good, that you were living with

maximum integrity.

You can always look at each potential job separately, and finesse your resume accordingly. You

can also modify your approach over time with experience.

I just think I can detect a little negative,

pessimistic, fatalistic thinking on your part, over and above "what the situation calls for"; and wonder whether

that might be interfering with your perception of reality a slight little bit.

[Mtnjim]

"


It's your choice. I could be wrong. Mtnjim's approach is one way,

although any extended illness could indicate possible future health problems in an employer's eye.

It really

just depends on the situation, and luck of the draw. My first inclination would be to turn my illness (and renewed

sense of courage, focus, priorities, and determination, etc.) into a glowing positive, without being preoccupied

with it, or using it too much as an excuse."

I tend to agree with the Doc. Tell the truth, hence my "extended

illness" response, but-- as the Doc says put a positive spin on it. Don't over emphasize it, but acknowledge it.



Good Luck!!!:angel:

[deepblue]

I just think

I can detect a little negative, pessimistic, fatalistic thinking on your part, over and above "what the situation

calls for"; and wonder whether that might be interfering with your perception of reality a slight little

bit.
I was preparing to volunteer at a hospital I sent my tainted resume to originally for a real job. It

made me upset to think I may have complicated matters with BS which I no longer wish to keep up. I guess the only

thing I can do is call it a typo if anyone asks.

The volunteer position is non-paid and probably run through a

different department than HR anyhow. Plus I'm doing them a favor so ... maybe it was an overreaction.

[belgareth]

All you can do is try. The

worst that can happen is they'll say no. You won't be any worse off than you are now and might possibly be better

off.

[deepblue]

None of my credit reports lists

a work history or any reference to my hospitalization or anything interesting at all for that matter ... which is

good because a good credit report is good to have.

The work history on my resume is old ... should I wait for

an internship or just start applying for paying work? I'm not desperate for money yet but I wonder if that is just

an excuse not to go for the gold. When I interview I’d like to have some recent work history from a local source to

talk about but … what I need and what I like might be two different things. Opinions?

[josethpauline]

that is not a good idea!

you must know how to create a resume (http://resumebuilderplus.com/) without false information, what id

they ask you explain what is written in your resume? :nono:

[Rbt]

"took time off for extended

sabbatical" (better check spelling on that...)

"time off for religious retreat" (ugh, hope to (insert name of

god here) I don't die I'm so sick!)

:rofl:

Reality:

Being specific and honest is probably best

especially for a "paid" position. But I think you can be somewhat vague for volunteer work. "Attending to

personal/family matters" would be pretty much truthful if dealing with an illness or other medical/personal problem.

At least that's my opinion.

Outright lies on a resume can come back to haunt you years later.

[Mtnjim]

You guys are aware this is a

4 year old thread, right??

[Rbt]

Well it may be old, but if it gets

bumped we might as well do something with it... A new arrival may find it of interest.

[Bruce]

Well, I found it interesting.

<blush>

Not that I always manage to achieve it, I always find honesty to be the best policy. Like the guy in

"Trading places" said: "Just be yourself. Whatever happens, they can't take that away from you."

[idesign]

Hafta agree with the honesty

angle. Funny thing, but honesty seems to have a way of rewarding itself, and its bearer. What I've lost in the

short term I've won back with interest down the road. For me, integrity disallows lies. And I sleep very, very

well. :)

[HornyMan]

Deep

Blue:

I'm in your EXACT SAME POSITION.

I suffer from Bipolar Disorder and have been on disability for

3 years.

It also just happens that the economy screwed up over the last couple of years making my return to

work really difficult.

First of all I too will have a gap on my resume of 3 years, and when I tell them I was

on disability for a psychiatric illness many companies will simply "write me off"..

I think I know a good

solution to your problem, and mine...


VOLUNTEER!!!

Before you think of heading back to work you

need to make sure your capable of it. No point going back on disability or getting laid off down the line (shortly)

because you didn't get back in the field.

Secondly if you volunteer at a charity like the Red Cross, or

WOrld Vision, and ask them if you can use the same skillsets you'd like to use when you find long term work you are

kinda getting back in the field. You are working for free but building your confidence and portfolio

back.

Furthermore, when you do apply for work this volunteer job may turn into something at the same

organization, although I hear charities may pay as little as 60% of market rate.

If you head into work

elsewhere with 6 months to a year of volunteer work on your resume it will FILL IN THE GAP on resume... furthermore

it looks better than saying you spent the last 5 years sulking or lying on a beach. Imagine what people will think

when you say "I volunteered for a charity working for free for 6 months to build up my skills and give back to the

community"!

I am going this route . I figure this will increase my bargaining power when I try to get long

term work later on.

Also its a great way to build up your skills again without any pressure...

HM

[bradlystaton]

Yeah i dont think it is

good to lie in resume if you lie in resume some or other day you have to say truth at that time you will lost your

fame. So it is better to say fact which is good from my part.