More and more school leavers are lying on their CVs to land jobs they're not qualified for.
Honesty is the best policy except for school leavers who wonder when embellishing their matric certificates crosses the honesty line. CV background checks will tell of plethora of cases of matriculants who have altered their CVs in order to increase their chances of landing a new job.
Businesstech reports that one of the most popular tricks school leavers use is adding desirable subjects like mathematics and science to their matric certificates as well as changing their symbols from lower to higher symbol.
Why adding false information is becoming commonplace
Background screening companies suggest that there is a perception among job applicants that if senior members in government can lie about their qualifications, and not be held accountable, what should stop them from lying on their job applications and hoping that they will not be caught out.
Omitting information is also a serious problem. If a job applicant decides to omit information such as a criminal record, they are obliged to disclose the information no matter how insignificant they think it may be. And in any case, should a potential employer decide to a background screening, the criminal record will be revealed.
Other common lies job applicants lie about include:
What many matriculants do not realise is that companies these days are increasingly conducting background checks on job applicants. And if they find that your job application or matric certificate are inaccurate or fraudulent, you will be caught out. If found guilty, that means a possible criminal record against your name as fraudulent behaviour is a punishable offence.
To help you improve your chances of finding employment, use the following tips:
Obtain references: Add the names and contact numbers of your teachers and previous employers who will be able to give personal information about your character
Get experience: Employers are drawn by candidates who have some form of practical experience, whether it’s through voluntary work or a part-time job.
Read: Job hunting with no experience
Apply for suitable positions: Not all vacancies require that you hold a matric certificate, so keep an eye out for jobs without this requirement
Honesty is always the best policy: False information can have detrimental results on your reputation, so always strive to be honest in your CV and during interviews.
At the end of the day, remember that by lying on your CV, not only are you minimizing your chances of getting a new job, but you’re also denying qualified candidates of a chance to get a job that they deserve.
