this post was submitted on 06 Nov 2023
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Hahahaha. Incoming rant.
Lying is one thing, but if the whole "prettying up resumes, cover letters and conduct at interviews" is lying, then it's the employers who are choosing the liars and make this process this way.
Not to mention the posted job description and duties often either are very different, or the description doesn't tell the full story, or is so generic and lacks substance.
These things I did to get hired... are they lying?
Candidates "lie" because truth filters you out of these stupid human resources systems. Rant over.
It's the same for every place you need to apply or pitch an idea where the places are limited. Criterias just get absurd, and even acing the criterias might not be enough. People who rise are simply the better bullshiters.
Years ago my friend received a call for a job, within minutes the HR person asked if he had a good experience with a certain language and he flat out said no, even though he had some very basic knowledge. The interview ended right there. I just couldn't believe that he wouldn't lie, he was perfect for the job, but HR does not care. He's been in the same role for 10 years and unwilling to "lie" to get a promotion or a new role, so that is where we are. This 30% of honest employees is probably not getting the best jobs.
Exactly, and when you hear stuff like some HR people 'not accepting career gaps for any reason', it's cause for some people to make up some BS about it to get around that. I'm not very good at lying, but what recruiters want are stories, and thus I can justify "white lies", omissions, minor embellishments to give them what they want and play their game. Don't lose your integrity, but honesty is not the best policy in the job hunt until you have a contract. It took a year for me to figure that out.
Over that time though recruiters at different companies were all over the place in terms of quality, when they did reach out. Some company's processes are well-defined, transparent and their recruiters actively keep you up to date. Despite not ultimately being hired there, one company I was really impressed by their process, more than any other. Some HR teams you have to keep following up, they never give clear answers and drag you along for over more than a month without really telling you where things are at. That was more frustrating to me than no response or any rejection.
This is my stance as well. I have a decade of experience and I have been a workaholic, so at this point I wouldn't want to work somewhere with that bs anyway. I also have experienced one great HR team.
That being said, I know how the game is played. A decade ago, I listed a dozen things on my resume I would have had trouble to demonstrate, but nowadays I can just build a nice story that is 100% truthful from cherry-picked facts. Sad truth is that if you're too candid you might come off as too disengaged nowadays. I've seen it happen in interviews. Best to pretend that your life led to this moment, and that you're that kind of person to find exciting whatever kind of work it is. If you lack experience for entry-level roles, just fill the gaps with lies.