A few weeks ago, I received the following note: “I read your column about lying on job applications. Bad advice. Lying works. If you are not lying, you are at a disadvantage.”
With our shaky economy, many people feel anxious about losing their jobs or finding suitable employment to pay the bills. Since fear and anxiety often motivate people to behave in ways that sacrifice their personal values, I wanted to respond to this comment.
Clearly, this reader believes that he can’t land a decent job on his own merits. He’s wrong.
Even in unsteady, unpredictable times, lying is a bad choice. It’s true that sometimes liars get away with phony stories and receive job offers they don’t deserve. But the consequences are enormous. You can get caught, humiliated or fired. Or worse. You can start working in a position that isn’t right for your skills, personality or the arc of your career.
Let’s say that you want a management role after working in the technology field for several years. Instead of highlighting your accomplishments and leadership talents, you pretend to be a seasoned supervisor with a passion for developing strong, capable teams (some liars insist on making bold claims, rather than sticking with simple facts).
Now, let’s imagine that you land the job, and you hate it. You don’t like your team, your responsibilities or your boss, for that matter. But you have to pretend to be an experienced and enthusiastic manager. Every moment of every day, you have to cover your tracks, just in case someone decides to dig deeper into your background.
Plus, you are utterly exhausted from the charade.
Perhaps management roles aren’t for you. Have you considered that? Or maybe it’s time to consider a career change. How would you know? You were so afraid to be rejected that you closed yourself off to other opportunities.
When it comes to job searching, people with integrity tend to see the big picture. They want to build a progressive career that supports them in all aspects of their life. They know that losing one position doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, because companies always need reliable and honest workers. Even in tough economic times.
On the other hand, liars pin their hopes on a single job or company. They tell themselves that they can’t live without that one prospect, and so they fabricate stories to impress the boss. Sometimes they win the job, sometimes they don’t. Either way, lying makes life more stressful than it needs to be. And it can point you down the wrong career path.
Here’s my suggestion: Stop pretending. If you lied to secure your current position, find a way to come clean or embark on a new job search right away. This time, make it a good one. Create a dynamic, attention-grabbing resume that shows off your real-life achievements. When you talk to employers, take part in a genuine discussion about the company, its goals and your experience.
Try to be yourself for a while. You never know, you might like it. Not only that, but it could open up the best job of your career.
Send your job search questions to Eve.GetAJob@gmail.com.
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