Is OK to lie on your CV/resum?

The chief executive at Yahoo has been accused of lying about his qualifications but he's
certainly not the first.
Adapted from The Independent, by LUCY TOBIN, 10 MAY 2012

1- The board of Yahoo is discussing the future of its chief executive, after an investor accused
him of lying on his CV. His crime? He falsely claimed that he had a computer science
degree, as well as a degree in accounting, when he applied for the top job
2- The Yahoo boss isn't the first and won't be the last person to be caught with a little white
lie on the CV. In 2000, the PR boss of the football club Manchester United claimed on a CV
that she had a first-class degree from Cambridge University. When she was hired, it turned
out that in fact she had a second-class degree, and she was sacked
3- The chief executive of the Asia-Pacific division of the world's biggest hotels firm,
InterContinental Hotels Group, claimed he had two degrees - from Cornell University in
the US and from Victoria University in Australia. In fact, he attended classes, but he did not
graduate from either university. He resigned before he was sacked. CV trickery is a
growing problem, according to Sal Remtulla, director of employee screening at Risk
Advisory, a major consultancy group.
4- "We've seen a 20 per cent increase in CV lies since the start of the financial crisis," she
said. "It is more difficult to get jobs. People are finding it difficult to meet companies'
tough requirements and they are lying on their CVs.
5- "The Yahoo boss is absolutely typical of the people we're screening," Ms Remtulla added.
"Even mid-managers who are in their 40s still feel it is necessary to embellish their school
exam results. We've also seen an increase in cases where people buy degrees on the
internet. It makes our life interesting."
6- A wider choice in higher education has made CV lies easier, according to Paul Palmer of
Cass Business School.
7- "The growth in degrees, particularly at the new universities, has made it much more
difficult to track education histories," he said. According to Risk Advisory, one candidate
invented a school, designed its own website and provided a phone number with a fake
school secretary!
8- Firms are fighting back with aptitude and psychometric tests on top of interviews and CVs.
And there is more demand for pre-employment screenings.
9- "Recruitment may be lower, but companies are still hiring and they want the right honest
people," Ms Remtulla said "There's no difference between an accountant or IT worker or
medical professional lying about a qualification. People are relying on your advice, and you
may not be qualified to provide it. CV lying is unethical. It hurts the people who have
worked hard and really have those qualifications, and it gives an understanding of
someone's character too. "People who lie on their CV should be sacked. You wouldn't trust
them. If they can lie once, they can lie again."