So....CV honesty

[RichardCranium]

...

I took the liberty of stealing your topic and creating a poll on it. I assumed you wouldn't mind.

[OwlHoot]

There's nothing wrong with 'blaggin it' to a small degree when searching for a job. To not do so is incredibly naive imo. ...

It also depends how "large" the skill/package is being blagged.

With some specific perl or PHP module or Java class that you could learn in essence with a day or two's close study and trying a few examples, and did so, it might be reasonable. But things like perl or Java themselves obviously can't be fully learned so fast in the same way.

In these examples, most agents wouldn't be able to distinguish the two.

[Stolly]

Hmmmm i'm not a dev, but the thing that has prompted the question is a role that asks for experience with a certain SAN vendor.

I've not seen that one, but do have lots of SAN experience in general and since they all do the same thing at the end of the day i've never had any trouble picking up say Netapp after spending a lot of time with HDS.

I could still deliver for the client and it doesn't look like they are looking for in depth skills on their SAN choice....

[Stolly]

I took the liberty of stealing your topic and creating a poll on it. I assumed you wouldn't mind.

My IP lawyers will be with you shortly.....

[expat]

Some time ago I commented on here about how my doctor, on hearing my estimate of my alcohol units per week, had offered counselling on cutting down, to my surprise. Someone here pointed out that the doctor probably routinely multiplied patients' estimates by four: that would explain why he was so concerned. My mistake was to estimate my consumption honestly.

Are we saying the same about CVs? That most CVs lie, and most clients assume that will be so? Again, those of us who are straight will just be "adjusted" down to a presumed level.

Is there no way I can be judged on my work, rather than on my ability to blag a CV?

[RichardCranium]

Are we saying the same about CVs? That most CVs lie, and most clients assume that will be so? Again, those of us who are straight will just be "adjusted" down to a presumed level.

Is there no way I can be judged on my work, rather than on my ability to blag a CV?

A good question. I don't know the answer:

"Smart arsed interviewers", 1st July 2008, Post 56:

I got called to a contract interview a couple of years back for some outsourcing company. We went through the whole 50 minutes with everything being tickety-boo then the manager on the interview board said
"You're a liar."
"Sorry?"
"So you should be. You're a liar. All contractors are liars."
"I can provide a referee for every entry on my CV and will give you phone numbers now so you can check everything I have said."
"No point. They will be liars too. I only called you here to see how you defended that pack of lies you call a CV. You're good, I'll give you that. You can go now."

Admittedly, their HR did pay the invoice I sent for the mileage + £250 for my time.

[Pogle]

Well your lucky you never went to a Catholic school that would have learnt you more about fear .....

[sweetandsour]

My CV is 100% honest, with no embelishment of any sort and so far its stood me in good stead.

But hypothetically if a role came up that you were 80% a good match for and you could easily learn the other 20% on the job with no problem is it a bad thing to put the 20% on your CV as something you have already done in order to get the role ?

It would be unethical.

My CV is 100% honest.

I do wonder if I am doing the right thing though as my stint on the bench gets longer and longer.

I have also worked on projects in the past with so called "technical experts" on a higher daily rate than me who blatently googled the answer to every technical question I asked them in front of my nose.

[Pogle]

It would be unethical.

My CV is 100% honest.

I do wonder if I am doing the right thing though as my stint on the bench gets longer and longer.

I have also worked on projects in the past with so called "technical experts" on a higher daily rate than me who blatently googled the answer to every technical question I asked them in front of my nose.

Yeah I've worked with folk who clearly did not have the experience, but when it comes to renewal time. I'm the one kept on. I try to be honest and I try to work hard and do a good job, that's just how I want to live my life

[TiroFijo]

I've never had to 'embellish' my CV so far and wouldn't do it. The best way to list your levels of experience on the first page under a 'Proffesional Summary' is by using the following:

• Expertise with...
• Excellent knowledge\experience with...
• Extensive knowledge\experience with...
• Exposure in\with...
• Trained and certified in...

That way you give a good clear honest definition of all the skills that you have and others that you might have used either at some time in the past or on your own. The Exposure part would say just that.

If an agent calls me and sees that I have most of the skills bar one or two I say that yes I have not used this but I am very capable of learning the skill on the job and have done so in the past. I'm not only trying to sell what I've done but also what I am able to do.

The practice of embellishing CVs is used quite a lot by the Indian bodyshops in the US and I have had first hand experience with dealing with it. I was using an Indian bodyshop to raise invoices for me while I was n the US and they would market my CV for me. I sent my CV to their marketer and the guy sent it back for to me to see if I liked the changes he had made to it. The guy had added a bank to my CV stating that I had worked at said bank for two years! I quicky re-sent my old CV back to him and told him in no uncertain terms could he modify it!

This practise is very common among Indian bodyshops where I would say that at least 50% of their CVs are made up. I would assume it is the same here in the UK?