Reply to: How true is your and other people's CVs?

[cojak]

All the clients I work for do qualification and other background checks, does any organisation not these days?

WHS.

My current one did, I think they're getting more savvy these days...

[cojak]

If I want to change my CV, I get the courses, exams and experience first.

It's called Continual Professional Development, don't y'know....

[Not So Wise]

"I would claim credit for more than I did" ?

Guess one could pin something like that into that category if one was going to be ultra strict on the interpretation, but me personally would clasify that to be something like

"Was the PM/Lead Developer for <Huge Project>"
When reality is you were just a normal dev in a team of 20+

[RichardCranium]

Was kind of forced to select that as there was not a option like
"CV is mostly true, just a few minor things fudged like start/end dates"

Basiclly just closed up some gaps between contracts when i decided could not be assed to get a new contract straight away

"I would claim credit for more than I did" ?

[Not So Wise]

My CV is completely true 18 64.29%

Quite a few liars around here then.

Was kind of forced to select that as there was not a option like
"CV is mostly true, just a few minor things fudged like start/end dates"

Basiclly just closed up some gaps between contracts when i decided could not be assed to get a new contract straight away

[SantaClaus]

The day companies don't:

- lie on their job specs
- specify skills that will never be used
- pretend a support role is a development role
- claim a 20 year old legacy project will require knowledge of C#, Java and .net

...is the day I will produce a completely truthful CV

[TinTrump]

All the clients I work for do qualification and other background checks, does any organisation not these days?

My current and previous employers did no checks that I'm aware of. But as I was recruited here by someone who I'd worked with before, that explains it (or does it )

2 before that made me sit tests (and 1 did also ask for my degree certificates). I've nearly always worked in manufacturing so maybe the industry's Cinderella status reflects the comparative lack of background checking. Maybe people are less likely to exaggerate for such modest returns. I enjoy the environment and as a consequence accept its not so well paid.

[Bagpuss]

All the clients I work for do qualification and other background checks, does any organisation not these days?

[Mich the Tester]

My CV is completely true 18 64.29%

Quite a few liars around here then.

[HairyArsedBloke]

<------ Blagger and proud of it.

[d000hg]

Lol - on early results, we're going to end up with the majority claiming their CV is true, but most people's are not. Like the well known "80% of people think they're a better than average driver" stat

[TinTrump]

Page 1 of my CV has a technical skills section that also identifies the level/time I've used something. I also never claim advanced knowledge of something once I've not used it for approx. 3 or 4 years; I realise how much I forget and need to relearn in that time. I claim no knowedge of dBase IV even though I used it in '93; I do reference a course I took in it to demonstrate how long I've been doing this sort of work.

As it happens, in my current role I was asked to extract data from a site which was still using dBase IV. After the initial shock I was able to work with it. Just.

[Pogle]

I find honesty is the best policy - on CV's anyway

[dang65]

My CV is accurate, but it's sometimes unintentionally ambiguous. I mention things like Sharepoint and SQL Server because I've worked with them and have a reasonable working knowledge of them. But it can cause problems. You want to mention stuff like that because it may be useful and give you the edge in a job application, but you don't want people constantly headhunting you for your expert skills in something you spent a few months on three years ago.

[OwlHoot]

Prompted by Stolly's question about honesty on CVs, here's a poll.

Not public. Multi-choice. Two questions.

1. How honest do you tend to be with your own CV?

2. What do you think other people do?

Darn - Although it's multiple-choice, you only get one crack at it, and can't come back to click more options.