The 3 Lies You Should Tell In Every Job Interview, According To A Recruiter
We all bend the truth in an interview in one way or another, but these three are make-or-break, must-have mistruths.
djile / Shutterstock Job interviews are almost always fraught in one way or another, even if it's just the usual jitters.
But when it comes to certain questions from hiring managers, it can often feel like we have to tap dance around the truth if we want a shot at the job. It turns out, that instinct is absolutely correct in some cases, according to recruiters.
A recruiter shared the 3 lies you should tell in every job interview if you want to get hired.
The conventional wisdom in job interviews is that honesty is the best policy, and if you have something in your past you want to cover up, you should figure out how to either spin it into a positive or avoid it altogether.
But of course, in practice, that is often nonsense. Employers and recruiters aren't exactly known for being open-minded risk-takers. You give them the slightest reason to dismiss your candidacy and most of them will do so.
This is why tech recruiter and TikToker Bonnie Dilber says you should take an entirely different approach instead: Lie your little tail off. Well, a little bit, anyway. We're not recreating an entire persona here, Mr. Ripley.
But Dilber said there are three lies you should tell in every job interview, and she recommended that all job seekers "prepare your lies beforehand." Who knew interview prep could be so diabolical?
1. Lies you should tell in every job interview: why you're leaving your current job.
"If you are leaving your job because you really dislike it, because you don't get along with your boss or your colleagues, you're going to lie about this," Dilber said, because these complaints only backfire. "All they are going to hear when you say that is that you are difficult."
So what do you say instead? Simply lie your way into a reframing of the situation. Dilber recommended something like, "Things are going great, but I want to take on bigger challenges." Easy peasy.
2. Lies you should tell in every job interview: why you want the job you're applying for.
"Look y'all, like 100% of people who want a job want it for the money and benefits," Dilber said. But that kind of straightforward honesty "doesn't actually differentiate you from anyone" and it also sends up warning signs. "It's a big red flag to them because they think that's all you care about."
So what if that is all you care about, though? That's where the lie comes in. "Instead you are going to tell them why you're passionate about the company's mission, why this job is your life's work, and you are just such a good fit for the culture at this company."
Spreadsheets are your singular passion for those 30 minutes you're in the interview chair. You are a cyborg who thinks nothing of pivot tables. Now go get 'em!
3. Lies you should tell in every job interview: your plans for the future.
"I don't care if you are starting grad school in six months and just need this job as filler," Dilber said. "I don't care if this job pays half of what you're used to making and you are going to jump ship as soon as you find something better." Whatever the case may be: Girl, lie! This is no time for honesty!
"When they ask you about your plans for the next five years, your plans are to be at that company," Dilber said. "Your plans are to come in, knock it out of the park in this role, and continue to grow as opportunities arise... What every company wants is top talent that is going to stay and grow with them."
Recruiters also suggest lying about your hobbies if you don't have any or yours are boring things like "watching TV," and embellishing your title and job description at your current job if it's not an accurate representation of your duties. Basically, say you're doing far more work than the title and description suggest.
Dilber went on to stress that "recruiters are not dumb." They know all the everyday, pedestrian, canned responses are the reality: you hate your current job or you wouldn't be leaving, you're in it for the money, and once something better comes you're gonna bounce. That comes with the territory.
But, "if you don't have the critical thinking to know that those aren't going to be very attractive to an employer," Dilber said, "then it's going to be hard for a recruiter to move you forward in their process."
Ultimately, job interviews are a game of cards, and what's key to pretty much any card game on Earth? Lying. So go on, you charlatan, and go get that dream job! Just be careful not to slip up and tell the truth in the break room.
John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social justice, and human interest topics.