Do you know someone personally who lied about GPA on their resume?

Do you know someone personally who lied about GPA on their resume?

Yes
57% (177 votes)
No
43% (135 votes)
Total votes: 312

Do People Lie About Their GPA on Resume?

As of January 11, 2018, the results of the poll are listed below. Submit your answer to get up to date results.

Lying About GPA on Job Application

Lying about your GPA can be a dangerous game. While some users believe that in a competitive business you have to do whatever is necessary to get in the door, most of our users feel that the risks outweigh the reward. Our users share their thoughts below.

Some Users Believe That Lying Is Okay...

ke18sb - Hedge Fund Associate:
I don't think I would care if someone who did lie slipped through the cracks...i mean how many people get handed jobs from family/friends...or even people that are hooked up with an in but still have to earn it, that’s huge too...its dog eat dog world so do whatever it is you gotta do...and don’t bring up ethics because bankers fuck each over all the time.

chicagobanker - Investment Banking Associate:
Who cares whatever it takes to get the job prove you deserve to be there once your there

However, most users believe that it lying will end poorly

JackDole1029:
You'll be fired when HR finds out. I mean is you have a 3.2 and bump it to 3.5 you will be fired and then blacklisted on the street.

ScottJr - Investment Banking Associate:
Even if you do get caught and don't lose your job, you pretty much destroy any credibility you ever had.

User @mixtog" also pointed out that if you're an intern you could also get in serious trouble at your school if your employer decides to call the Dean at your school.

User @smuguy97", a private equity associate, shared a tangible story and pointed out that lying on your resume can haunt you in the future:

smuguy97 - Private Equity Associate:
You realize that the biggest risk is being fired and blacklisted, and that this risk doesn't go away over time.

I work for an LBO fund that recently purchased a company. As part of the screening process, each of the company's top 13 executives received background checks. As it turned out, one of the 13 (who was a general manager of just one of the company's nine operating divisions - executive #12) employees had lied about his GPA and graduating honors (cum laude). His lie wasn't even substantial - he'd added +0.4 to his actual GPA.

We currently own the business, and executive #12 is now unemployed and collecting nothing in severance pay after 22 years with the company, since the fact that he lied on his resume voided his employment / severance agreement.

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no but i don't think i would care if someone who did slipped through the cracks...i mean how many people get handed jobs from family/friends...or even people that are hooked up with an in but still have to earn it, thats huge too...its dog eat dog world so do whatever it is you gotta do...and dont bring up ethics because bankers fuck each over all the time

 
ke18sb:
no but i don't think i would care if someone who did slipped through the cracks...i mean how many people get handed jobs from family/friends...or even people that are hooked up with an in but still have to earn it, thats huge too...its dog eat dog world so do whatever it is you gotta do...and dont bring up ethics because bankers fuck each over all the time

Bro, I could not agree more. Dog eat dog world is my motto!

 
JackDole1029:
Yeah dog eat dog, until you idiots get caught. Then you'll find yourself 100k in student debt, with a 1500/month apt and without a job.
I'll have no debt though when I graduate. So I guess ur point is invalid
 
chicagobanker:
who cares whatever it takes to get the job prove you deserve to be there once your there

Um, lots of people care what it takes to get the job. That's what 90% of the people here want to know.

 

You realize that the biggest risk is being fired and blacklisted, and that this risk doesn't go away over time.

I work for an LBO fund that recently purchased a company. As part of the screening process, each of the company's top 13 executives received background checks. As it turned out, one of the 13 (who was a general manager of just one of the company's nine operating divisions - executive #12) employees had lied about his GPA and graduating honors (cum laude). His lie wasn't even substantial - he'd added +0.4 to his actual GPA.

We currently own the business, and executive #12 is now unemployed and collecting nothing in severence pay after 22 years with the company, since the fact that he lied on his resume voided his employment / severence agreement.

 

Acutally, .4 is quite substantial; 3.5 to 3.9 is very large. UP TO .2 is permissible if, and only if, you have multiple transcripts from different colleges. If anybody calls you out you can just call it a weighting error or something like that. Otherwise it is best to tell the truth.

 

Why would you? Woirst case, you end up with a crappy job, but still a job. Best case, they like you despite your GPA and hire you anyway.

Worst case if you lie: they find out, you get fired. You're screwed for life in IB. Best case, you still have to live with the guilt, even if you get away with it.

"We are lawyers! We sue people! Occasionally, we get aggressive and garnish wages, but WE DO NOT ABDUCT!" -Boston Legal-
 

As a future employer, I will ALWAYS check official transcripts. My first employer (IBD) gave us a general knowledge test and a math test, both of which I absolutely destroyed--so they hired me. I asked them, "So, do you want me to give you an official or unofficial transcript?" They said, "no, we trust you." From what I understand, my interviews and ability to score high on their exams convinced them of my honesty with regard to my GPA; however, I know plenty of charming people who can do well on random tests who didn't perform well in college. I thought it was a very foolish assumption.

I also had a friend in college--an engineering major--who, well, who got into my school and a lot of other top engineering programs because of affirmative action (he was a poor, white southerner from an extremely poor area). He struggled mightily with his GPA, graduating with a 2.52 or something; however, he created an EXTRMELY good replica of his unofficial transcript with fake grades, and the vast majority of employers will only check unofficial transcripts. He got away with it.

For me, the moral of the story is to check OFFICIAL transcripts only. If not, then just throw out the GPA as a factor in employment.

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