Probably one of the most challenging aspects of job searching is the job interview. Here, you have to convince your interviewer that you’re the most deserving candidate for the job. And as the unemployment rate in the country continues to rise, chances are you’d run into more competition for jobs than before.
Unfortunately, it seems that desperate times call for desperate measures for some applicants. There has been an increase in the number of incidents where applicants are deliberately lying in job interviews. By lying on your resume or during a job interview, not only are you jeopardizing your career, but you’re also deceiving your interviewers as well.
As you can already tell, this article talks about incidents of lying in job interviews and why doing this is a bad idea. In addition, Also discussed here are the reasons why applicants lie in their candidate qualifications as well. And I will also recommend some alternatives that you should do instead of lying on your resume or during a job interview.
“I am Fully Qualified and Possess the Necessary Skills for the Job.”
With the introductions out of the way, let’s begin the article. And where better to start than with the most common thing applicants lie about during a job interview. Of course, I’m talking about lying in your candidate qualifications. These lies range from overstating your previous work experience to fabricating your competencies.
An example of this is stating your proficiency with certain apps when you only have basic knowledge of them, at best. The most common apps that people lie that they’re proficient in are online communication apps, Microsoft Office programs, and Photoshop. It’s also not a coincidence that these apps are crucial apps for remote work as well.
In another example, one of our applicants claimed that they have advanced skills with Xero accounting. We received word from the client that the applicant’s skills doesn’t match the ones they’ve put on their resume. Fortunately, the client simply helped certify this staff themselves and continued employing them.
We also had an instance of applicants who mentioned that they are proficient in tech support. But when a client hired them, they didn’t know how to use the online communication apps that the client uses.
“I’m Capable of Balancing Two Jobs at the Same Time.”
Another common lie that remote work applicants say is that they’re able to balance two online jobs at the same time. Usually, this happens because the applicant already has one job and thinks that having another one won’t be difficult. Unfortunately, they can’t deliver the expected productivity for either jobs.
An example of this happening comes from one of our applicants. They already have a full-time job, and yet they applied for a second job through us. This applicant lasted one day before resigning because they realized that they couldn’t do both jobs simultaneously.
We also had another remote contractor who wanted to “test the waters” on handling multiple clients. They applied to become a part-time web designer via Remote Staff, since they already have a full-time job. Unfortunately, his productivity suffered, and he was unable to balance both works. It was so bad that we had to negotiate with the client to agree to a replacement instead.
Another example of this happening comes from another of our applicants. This applicant has been with us for seven months already, but it was only recently that we learned that they were working two full-time jobs. One was US-based, the other, Australia-based. They thought that they could work on one job, then work on the other job, due to the different time zones of each work.
Their reason for doing working two full-time jobs was because their spouse was out of a job. When their boss found out about this, he was disappointed with them. Despite their apologies, their boss has already made up his mind and canceled her contract.
Omitting Crucial Details to your Interviewers.
The next lie that I will discuss will be omitting crucial details to your interviewers. Sure, you’re not directly lying to your employers, but you’re also not giving them the whole picture either. Doing this could prove troublesome for you and your employers, as our examples show.
For our first example, we had applicants who didn’t mention that they were immigrating from the Philippines during their interviews. When a client hired them, they suddenly had to resign because their immigration application was approved.
Another example of applicants omitting crucial information is when one of our applicants didn’t mention that they had a pending application as a teacher. They only logged in for four hours before notifying us that they opted to accept DepEd’s offer instead.
“I have the Necessary Tools and Equipment for the Job.”
In today’s remote work environment, having the necessary tools and equipment is essential in being productive in your job. These range from your computers or laptops, having a stable internet connection, and anything else your job may require. Unfortunately, not every aspiring worker has access to these items.
So what do they do? Well, some lie that they have these items instead of telling their interviewers the truth, probably because they don’t want to look ill-prepared for the job. But doing this deceives your interviewers about your ability to work remotely.
An example of this is when we discovered that one of our staff is just borrowing their neighbor’s laptop so that they can work. It all went well at first, until the neighbor asked them to return it, that is.
Another example of this was when one of our staff was sharing a laptop with their sister. To further complicate things, their sister also had online classes.
Reasons Why Doing This is a Bad Idea.
Obviously, lying in job interviews has consequences. Deceiving your interviewers will severely damage your reputation as a remote worker, and trust me, remote working is a fairly tight circle. Once word goes out that you were lying in job interviews, you’ll find it harder to find remote work as no company will trust you anymore.
Aside from ruining your reputation, you may even face legal issues as well. Remember your work contract? Guess what, that’s not for ceremonies only. If you lie about your skills, capability to work, or whether you have another job can, and will get you sued for breach of contract.
Another reason why lying in job interviews is a bad idea is because you’re biting off more than you can chew. Lying can only get you so far; once you encounter a problem that’s beyond your skills or lack the equipment to solve, your company can, and will, fire you. Companies are willing to train those who are honest and willing to learn, not liars.
And finally, lying is just plain unsustainable. Simple as that. Contrary to popular belief, full-time remote working is similar to working full-time in the office. And just like working in the office, you need to have your own equipment and time to rest to work productively. Lying about these will only lead to unnecessary stress, and at worst, burnout.
Why do Applicants Lie During Their Application?
So why do remote work applicants lie in the first place? One of the main reasons is financial difficulties. Because of the urgent need for a source of income these days, many Filipinos are willing to apply to any job openings that come their way. And instead of honing their skills and talents, which takes time, they decided to use the quicker method instead.
After all, when you and your family are struggling to meet ends meet, do you really have time to think about your reputation? Or the consequences of your employers finding out you’re lying on your candidate qualifications? Those are problems for another day. What matters more is having something to eat for today, right?
Another reason why applicants are lying in job interviews is to look more qualified for the job. Experience is hard to earn, and as I previously mentioned, not all applicants have the luxury of job opportunities. And if finding a job was difficult when there’s no pandemic, what more now?
Instead of Lying, What Should Applicants Do?
Okay, now this is a challenging question to answer. Because, quite frankly, there really is no other option for you to do except tell your interviewers the truth. Yes, I know being honest may lead to you not getting hired. But being honest shows your integrity and determination to learn what is needed to get the job.
And speaking of being truthful, if you don’t have the necessary equipment and tools to do your job, immediately tell your interviewer about it. There are companies that offer support for their employees, including providing them with computers for their work.
Aside from admitting the truth, there are other things that you can do before applying. One is simply honing and widening your skills so you can apply for more jobs. Yes, I know this takes time, time that you may not have. But there are many online classes and tutorials on the internet today that can help you learn new skills. All you need to do is look for them.
Another thing that you can do is to read the job’s requirements before sending your application. Doing this allows you to know what you’re getting into and see if your skills fit them. If your skills are apt for the opening, then why not test your luck? If not, well, you can either hone your skills or look somewhere else.
The Truth will Set you Free.
And that’s it. Here are just a few examples of applicants lying in job interviews and why they are not a good idea. Lying on your resume or during a job interview may bring a short-term benefit to you. But in the long run, even you will suffer from your lies.
And although you may have understandable reasons for doing so, that does not excuse the act of lying. There are many alternatives that you, such as honing and developing new skills so you can apply to a variety of jobs.
