Cover stories for time out

[rsingh]

Sorry.

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[northernladuk]

But if clients are getting so picky that any gap on the CV is virtually an automatic fail, you can understand why people fill in the gaps.

The question I would like ask here is do they really see it as an automatic fail. I really cannot see why? A career break or time away isn't the end of the world so I would question the whole need to lie.

[northernladuk]

But say I bought an off the shelf ltd company equivalent for Japan or somewhere in the middle east.

Then I just claimed to have worked for them for a year while I had in reality be on a beach.

This is just dumb and deserve everything you get IMO. Why not go the whole hog and totally fabricate the whole CV if you are going to do this.

I wouldn't use it for anything in defence, or banking or where strict background checks are applied.

Another dumb comment. Your CV goes on agents db's, online jobsites (if you use them), you have to apply for loads of roles before you get a gig. You saying you can juggle all these duff CV's with the real ones and not get caught. You are just setting yourself up to be found out by putting both versions out.

But why not?

Because it is barefaced lying? I don't know where but at some point this has to push legal boundries.

If someone really pressed you then you would of course tell the the whole complete truth but if not you'd just tell a version of the truth "I was principal architect at HariHito Technologies group where I worked on several challenging projects for technologies X, Y and Z. However after a year I had to return to the UK for family reasons."

But that is not a version of the truth. It is a bareface lie. And if someone pressed you and you told the truth you would be out of a contract with a tough job to get another. No one is gonna by that moronic crap. Really.

I've worked for some of the major consultancies, large blue chip clients and when they are trying to sell stuff and make money they stretch the truth all the time. It is a completely normal and accepted part of business and there is a huge difference between presenting your good side and fraud.

If clients don't want to see gaps on your CV surely it is just good marketing to plan ahead and present any gaps in a useful way

There is stretching the truth and there is creating false companies and lying. Too totally different things. I am flabbergasted you can't distinguish between the two. You appear to have made your own mind up about what you consider a 'stretched truth' and a false role and lie so why are you asking us.

I have no issue with people applying whatever artistic licence to their CV's within reason but this kind of thing ticks me right off.

[norrahe]

Sorry.

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When I realised that due to the credit crunch I may be on the bench for some time, I immediately upped my volunteering from part time to as full time as possible with cats protection, et voila "here's wot I did in my cv gap".
At least I was doing summat worthwhile whilst looking for that new gig.

[DieScum]

But that is not a version of the truth. It is a bareface lie.

It's not lying and frankly I'm a little bit hurt by that.

The company exists, I worked for them for a year, I worked on projects on technologies X,Y and Z and now I have moved on and am looking for other work.

Now I don't reveal that the company is just a shell that I own or that the projects were just me mucking about on a laptop and getting the certs while on a beach but the company has a strict privacy policy (I decided) so would be unlikely to reveal that.

How is that different from an IT services company hiring me, sticking me on some training classes and in a lab with a book for 3 months then pimping me out as an expert on technology X for large amounts of money to end clients? That happens a lot in business I've done it personally myself and as long as you can deliver it works well.

I'm not saying I'd ever neccesarily do anything like this but I'd rather get a bit unconventional with the truth then never have the freedom to take some time off and still earn money on my return.

[stillooking]

Really, I don't think folks should be raising this topic on a web forum; there are plenty of people out there who will take a hypocritical view of this and it may reinforce their prejudices, there is a lot more bureaucracy from clients/agents wanting lots of references etc and this is not helping the cause, generally, at all.

Those that wish to take the moral high ground, fact is clients, agents, vendors and people don't tell the truth all the time.

[FICO]

Sorry.

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excellent thanks for the link

some good roles near my place

[rsingh]

excellent thanks for the link

some good roles near my place

No probs

Post back and let us know how it goes for you. I'm sure others could learn from your experience if you get involved.

[rsingh]

When I realised that due to the credit crunch I may be on the bench for some time, I immediately upped my volunteering from part time to as full time as possible with cats protection, et voila "here's wot I did in my cv gap".
At least I was doing summat worthwhile whilst looking for that new gig.

Exactly - and it's much easier than faffing about with 'fake companies' etc to fill the gap on your cv.

To the OP. You are an employee of your Ltd co. You do not have to bill all the time, so if there is a gap between paid assignments, there is nothing wrong with volunteering your time which in turn will boost your skill set. Its a win-win for all parties involved.

[northernladuk]

It's not lying and frankly I'm a little bit hurt by that.

The company exists, I worked for them for a year, I worked on projects on technologies X,Y and Z and now I have moved on and am looking for other work.

Now I don't reveal that the company is just a shell that I own or that the projects were just me mucking about on a laptop and getting the certs while on a beach but the company has a strict privacy policy (I decided) so would be unlikely to reveal that.

How is that different from an IT services company hiring me, sticking me on some training classes and in a lab with a book for 3 months then pimping me out as an expert on technology X for large amounts of money to end clients? That happens a lot in business I've done it personally myself and as long as you can deliver it works well.

I'm not saying I'd ever neccesarily do anything like this but I'd rather get a bit unconventional with the truth then never have the freedom to take some time off and still earn money on my return.

My god. I am probably being trolled now so won't rise to it but your tenuous grasp on what is mildly truthful and an outright lie are staggering. I am glad you are not one of my friends with that spin on everything.

The company exists, will give you that. Did you work for them?? Come on.. mucking about on laptops, getting certs. No way on gods earth is that you working for a company. You delivered nothing to the company, you were not asked to do anything, there is no formal contract. Nothing. It is a lie. You did not ever work for this fake company.

How you can compare that to an actual gig leaves me lost for words. IMO you really need to sit down and have a think about what you are doing. You say you won't do this but you have put an awful lot of time and effort in to convincing yourself it will work. Are you really prepared to go to these levels and put your contracting career at risk when other options are available?