Man Argues That It's Perfectly Okay To Lie On Your Resume
Is it lying or is it bending the rules of the game to get ahead?
Resume Genius / Unsplash Finding your footing in the workforce is a challenging task, to the point where some say applying for a job takes up the time of an actual full-time position. One person on the r/unpopularopinion subreddit shared the perspective that doing whatever it takes to get a job is just part of the process.
A man sparked major debate after arguing that it’s perfectly okay for people to lie on their resumes.
He shared his own unpopular opinion in a post titled, “Lying on your resume is ok and not immoral.” The man revealed a fairly myopic view of the American workplace, saying, “Bosses aren't your friend and want unrealistic experience.”
He made the claim that getting caught lying on a resume wasn’t such a big deal, as a person would be able to collect unemployment if they were found out and fired. He advised, “Pay a friend to answer a Google voice call. Buy a burner and make a fake website.”
The man made his stance clear by saying that lying on a resume “hurts no one but the company,” yet not everyone agreed.
The comments were starkly divided between people who believed lying on a resume is actually immoral and those who advocated for it.
Photo: Bruce Mars / Unsplash
Many people believe that lying to get a job is an issue of context. As one person said, “If it can really risk someone's safety, it's a moral problem. If you might make a few fixable mistakes until you figure something out at a desk job, that's really different.”
Another person agreed, saying, “If you’re doing any kind of job where you being unqualified will hurt people like engineering, electrician, health care, accounting, then yes, it’s morally wrong.”
Other people maintained that lying to get a job is just part of playing the game in the corporate universe.
“A job interview is just a discussion between two liars,” someone said.
“There's a difference between lying versus focusing on skills you acquired beyond the job titles you've previously held,” someone else said. “That's just marketing, really.”
Casting semantics aside, another person noted, “There is a [difference] between embellishing and lying while being blatantly unqualified for the job.” They believe that “everyone embellishes” their resumes, and “stretching your accomplishments is fine.”
Yet they hold that there is a line that can be crossed: “Lying about your actual abilities is bad” because doing so can cause harm to other employees or yourself.
Photo: Magnet.me / Unsplash
Someone else shared ways that lying to get ahead might hurt you in the long run, pointing out that “If you get fired for cause, like misrepresenting yourself, you may not be eligible for unemployment… Repercussions could be even higher, such as risks of lawsuits and other liability, depending on the job.”
Some people argued that lying was always immoral, even if it helped you get a job because it could cause harm to others.
“Lying on your resume can harm not just the company, but also your colleagues who have to cover for your lack of experience,” they said. “It's a selfish choice with collateral damage.”
“It IS immoral,” someone else agreed. “Whether it is justified or harmful is a different argument.”
A different person commented on just how hard it is to find a job at all, especially in our current economy, which feels like it's on a fast downward spiral. “It’s a grind to make it anywhere,” they stated, then explained that they lie on their resume “all the time.”
“Maybe I am screwing over someone more qualified but I have the skills to make myself sound capable in an interview and then adjust on the fly,” they said. “A lot of jobs, once you get hired, your previous qualifications don’t help you much anyway, it’s all about on-the-job training."
One person shared their views on what qualifies for actual immorality, and it isn’t lying to increase your chances at economic survival. They proclaimed that "The moral failing is the society that put you into the position to have to do it just to get by."
The system itself is broken when the only recourse is a need to lie just to have a chance at getting by.
The American economic system is based on a scarcity model, holding tight to the framework of a dog-eat-dog world, in which some people get ahead and others are left behind.
It isn’t a balanced system, nor is it one based entirely on merit. When who you know and pure luck are factors going against you, evening the score with some inflammatory language on your resume seems like a necessity.
It makes sense that certain people refuse to play by the rules, if only because keeping our heads above water in this world is no easy feat.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture, and all things to do with the entertainment industry.