lying about work experience?
I was wondering how deep recruiters go for background checks, especially if the previous firms that you had worked in was not at a well-known bulge bracket firm. Do they really research the firm on the net, and call them to verify if you had worked/interned there?
Furthermore, what if the internship was done at a country other than the US (international)? Suppose I had interned at a boutique in asia, that is not well known at all. How would the background check work, and how would they know if I am not exaggerating/BSing things overboard?
Is Lying on My Resume OK?
No. Don’t do it. It’s not worth it. While international positions or other internships may be hard to check, most background checks will verify all of your previous employment.
Lying vs. Exaggerating
There’s no need to lie when you have a well-crafted and reviewed resume. Remember, as you quantify your past experience, you may find yourself using the clever art of exaggeration. WSO user @International Pymp" gives us some examples:
- Actual Exp: sat in on a couple of meetings with lawyers when you were an intern and didn't say a word or even know what the fuck anyone was talking about
- Resume bullet: "worked with senior executives and legal council to negotiate highly complex joint venture agreement w/ multinational pharmaceutical company looking to enter the Indian market"
- Actual Exp: the associate you were working under as an intern built a model and then told you to make some basic modifications to the formatting and go over it to make sure he didn't fuck up
- Resume bullet: "enhanced complex LBO model for $150m acquisition of a hotel operating company in Shenzhen China to better reflect LVAT sheltering through sale/buyback to Hong Kong SPV"
If you do exaggerate, make sure you know what you’re talking about, or else you’re likely to get called out in the interview.
Recommended Reading
- I’ve Been Fired What Do I Do?
- What I Learned from Lying on My Resume
- Lying on Your Resume
- Lying About What You Did During Internship
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They ask for 1099 forms, you can't lie dude
Do not lie about your previous work experience. I have personally seen someone get fired after they have started due to inaccuracies on their work history.
This is a truly humiliating experience and will get marked on your U-4 for the rest of your career if they catch you.
What about unpaid internships?
You're generally still required to submit paperwork to the company for which you are working even if you are unpaid. Thus, it is still (and always) a terrible fucking idea to lie about prior work experience.
+1
OP - see this: //www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/ive-been-fired-what-do-i-do
This is what happens when someone gets caught (repeatedly). Do NOT put yourself in such a situation.
Just do it say the company went under and theres no way to prove you worked there.
I don't think the op is necessarily asking if he can lie about interning in another country
sounds like he's asking how banks confirm unpaid internships in other countries if there wasn't official documentation.
because not every country is as strict with hiring/paperwork and internships like the U.S. is, (for example in many asian countries if you have connections on the inside, you can intern without needing any interviews or paperwork at all).
sometimes they'll be slightly less formal (at smaller firms), but they'll still ask you for your previous bosses email or phone number or something and check you out.
Bottom line: DO NOT LIE about WHERE you worked or WHEN you worked. The art of exaggeration can be used wisely, so long as you're smart about it.
for example:
Actual Exp: sat in on a couple of meetings with lawyers when you were an intern and didn't say a word or even know what the fuck anyone was talking about
Resume bullet: "worked with senior executives and legal council to negotiate highly complex joint venture agreement w/ multinational pharmaceutical company looking to enter the Indian market"
Actual Exp: the associate you were working under as an intern built a model and then told you to make some basic modifications to the formatting and go over it to make sure he didn't fuck up
Resume bullet: "enhanced complex LBO model for $150m acquisition of a hotel operating company in Shenzhen China to better reflect LVAT sheltering through sale/buyback to Hong Kong SPV"
you can do that. but DON'T LIE... and when you do exaggerate like above, you should at least know what you're talking about to a pretty decent degree or you'll get called out at an interview.
^Agree with the post about exaggerating. Everyone exaggerates on their resume. If they didn't, everyone would look pretty lame. Just make sure you DID do it.
Example:
Worked on an LBO model which resulted in blah blah
What you actually did:
Check over the work of senior's LBO etc etc
No one expects (and everyone knows) that there is no way an intern built a model by himself.
i built an earnings projection model my summer after freshman year buddy.
@Kanon Thanks for the link, holy crap that guy got raped bad damn...
It's not like I'm going to actually lie about my experience but I was just curious as to how the process works, especially when it concerns internships abroad, where there may not be such a formal process with the 1099 forms etc.
I mean seriously, if I were to intern at a boutique shop in indonesia or singapore, how would they confirm?
PS. I'm just a college freshmen who had never had a proper job before (I worked as a cashier if that counts), does the interviewer ask you to submit forms, or proof of your last internship (ex. 1099, business card, contact # etc.) or does the HR do everything? What if the firm I am interviewing for was a boutique or middle market, do they also have a HR who conducts these background checks?
....
I had one unpaid internship working under a close family friend. I had to submit paperwork (SEC stuff).
He basically told me that I could put what I wanted on my resume and said that he would verify it to an extent. By this I mean analysis of pretty much anything that could help, not too much decision-making stuff though.
What do you guys think of taking advantage of this and trying to tailor this experience to a job opening? (I never embellished more than the average person, but I know many people had the same "opportunity.")
^ yes, i did that.
be careful
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