Ask Me No Questions, Ill Tell You No Lies
|
If only there were no questions involved in getting a job!
If you've been following NBC's "The Apprentice," you know who Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth is. She's had the honor of being fired by Donald Trump (and others, according to "People" magazine).
A while back, Omarosa claimed that one of the other contestants made a racial slur against her.
According to website opinion polls, only 10% of viewers believed Omarosa's claim; 90% thought she was lying.
These poll results were showing BEFORE viewers of the April 15, 2004 episode saw Omarosa lie to members of her team, including her "boss." It wasn't a little white lie, it was a biggy.
And it had nothing to do with trying to win the game, because she'd already been fired from the competition. I won't go into the details... talking about Omarosa could keep me busy for about 50 pages.
I believe that, despite Omarosa's obvious intelligence, talent and skills, her decision to tell lies rather than take responsibility for her actions (or inactions) is going to ruin her career. It's a real shame, because she has so much going for her. But her lying will be her undoing. And when she fails, she's going to blame others. She reminds me of... uh-oh, I'm starting to get off on a tangent. Back to my point... don't lie to employers... or potential employers!
Telling a little white lie when you "call in sick," is one thing. Lying about your qualifications on your resume or during a job interview is quite another... do not do this, no matter how tempted you are! It will come back to haunt you!
When you've been struggling to find a new job, have you ever thought about:
- Putting a friend's name as your previous boss on the application?
- Making something up about your experience so you'll match the desired qualifications?
- Exaggerating your education?
- Saying you resigned from a job when you were really fired?
- Failing to mention a little felony conviction from couple of years back?
Maybe the company in question is trusting, understaffed, or lazy and won't do a background check. But are you willing to bet your career on that?
In this fiercely competitive job market, the temptation to lie in order to boost your chances of getting a job can be pretty strong.
But BECAUSE the job market is so tough, employers are getting tough, as well. Very few are now taking resumes and applications at face value.
Trust is nice, but when it comes to their hard-won personnel budget, ever-increasing demands for better customer service, and their sometimes-fragile reputations, companies are taking no chances with the people they hire.
No matter how desperate you are for work, lying is a bad idea.
Most employers will check your references (carefully), do a thorough background check, and find out about your "inaccuracies."
Let's say you "exaggerate" your qualifications on your resume. The employer is impressed and calls you in for an interview. She asks about your qualifications, and you must lie to back up your resume claims. She falls for it, fails to verify your references or background, and hires you.
Can you breathe a big sigh of relief? Nope. Now you have to back up your claims with your job performance. If you start to struggle, chances are good that you'll start to lie again. Eventually people will get suspicious, and the background check will finally be done. You are busted!
But the sad story doesn't end there. You lose your job and vow to never lie again. You correct your resume... but wait... what about that job you were just fired from? It only lasted a few months. Would leaving it off be lying? If you leave it off and are asked during an interview about that employment gap, what would you say? So you decide to include it on your resume. Then you're asked in the interview why you left your previous job. Oh no! You tell them you left because it wasn't the right fit. This company does check you out, and get the truth from your previous employer. Now they know you were fired. But worse, they know you lied about it. There go your chances for THAT job.
See the nasty snowball effect that lying can cause?
Don't do it!
You may reprint/republish this article if you include my name and a link to this website.
Bonnie Lowe is author of the popular Job Interview Success System and free information-packed ezine, "Career-Life Times." Find those and other powerful career-building resources and tips at her website: http://www.best-interview-strategies.com.
|
|
|
20 Powerful Tips For Advancing Your Career
You don't want to stay in your current position forever... you want to move up! Here are 20 ways to boost your chances of getting that nice promotion:
What Is Contract Programming? An Alternative To The Conformity Of Everyday Employment
What is contract programming, you ask? Well, when companies need specific computer programming expertise, for temporary periods of time, they generally hire a contract programmer or an employee of a consulting firm. Contractors almost always have a higher hourly wage than a salaried employee and are often paid for overtime. Contracts can last from one to three months to many years, depending on the situation. A contract programmer generally does one thing: program (code) for the duration of the contract. So, contract programming is just an area of computer consulting. Other areas of computer consulting include custom developers, network consultants and information technology (IT) consultants. The contract programmer can work via two forms of contracts: 1) "W-2...(related: Employment)
Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Successful Petite Model?
Want to break into the petite modeling industry but wondering if you have what it takes to succeed? There are lots of magazine and commercial modeling opportunities for good modeling jobs. Take this quiz to find out if you qualify to be the next top face in the petite modeling industry. Answer honestly. These 15 questions ...(related: Employment)
Fear Of Being Outsourced? Fight Back
Me, outsourced? Impossible. How could they replace a business-humor columnist? But my brother-in-law, the radiologist, told me his hospital was threatening to cut his position because they had found a medical group out of India that would read MRIs at half the cost.He warned me, "Hesh, don't be so smug. No one is indispensable in today's world economy."He was right. I had become blasé. I needed to diversify and find readers outside the USA, especially in the booming call-centers of India.Do Indians find our business customs humorous? I decided to do some research. ...(related: Employment)
From Cleaning Lady To Entrepreneur: How Your Cleaning Business Can Benefit From The Images
Many people never consider entering the cleaning business because of the images it has."Be a janitor (or cleaning lady or maid)? Me? That's too demeaning!" is a common reaction.In the past, these jobs had very low status. Nobody with a college degree would be caught dead doing them. These ideas are slowing changing, but since the business of cleaning only has about 6% self-employed entrepreneurs, it's still true that a lot of t...(related: Employment)
Career Change: From Suits & Sales To Boots & Rails
Peter Humleker had it made. As the general manager of a successful car dealership, he was earning an impressive income. The only problem? He hated what he was doing."I was making a living off of manipulating and misleading people, taking advantage of them with ugly games and lies," Peter said. "It's how I was taught to make sales, and I was very good at it."Eventually, his feelings of success were overcome by feelings of remorse."I had to get out of that business," he said. "No paycheck amount is worth the guilt, lies and not being able to look at myself in the mirror."So at the...(related: Employment)
Interview Preparation
The dreaded job interview is the Number 1 source of email enquiries to Confidence Club. The following email is typical:"I have an interview coming up and I'm terrified! I have to do a presentation in front of a panel of judges, and I j...(related: Employment)
What Turns Potential Employers On; What Turns Them Off?
According to an annual survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, these are the mo...(related: Employment)
Learn How To Succeed At Career Fairs
This career article will give you some great tips on successfully navigating thru career fairs.This issue will quickly cover the following:A) Purpose of Career FairsB) H...(related: Employment)
Get A Life Why Dont Ya?!
It's okay to take your job seriously, to be a stickler for professionalism, and sure it's wonderful to take your responsibilities seriously. However, you have to be a bit careful when you allow your job to become your LIFE.Give your work your best effort, stand up for your beliefs, but be...(related: Employment)
Continuing Professional Development
Continuing professional development (CPD) is promoted by the CIPD to support the systematic development and accreditation of its members. The aim is that the continuing search to improve knowledge and skills through exposure to new experiences benefits both the individual and the business. The CIPD actively encourages CPD along with other bodies for professionals such as lawyers, accountants and surveyors.The world is not static and there are new developments in all areas emerging all the time, which are both challenging and exciting. Change gives individuals a chance to stretch their ability and staying up to date builds confidence and adds to credibility. For businesses, the benefits are the ability to stay ahead...(related: Employment)
Think About A Nursing Degree
If you decide to get a degree in nursing, there are many things you need to know and consider first. Choosing your nursing school may not be aseasy as you expect. There is research that needs to go into it to be sure you get the best school available to you. You are going to want to lo...(related: Employment)
site-map - Copyright © 2007 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved | Free Articles and Information | Employment