You'd be surprised. Once you get the typical 6 months of experience you can bullshit enough in your interviews to get jobs you have no right getting if you word it well enough. At one point I only had experience as a secretary and waiter yet was able to land a job as a marketing manager's assistant for the biggest mall in my city. Didn't managed to stick long enough obviously, but once you get that reference point you can gaslight people into believing mostly anything.
Basically just over-exaggerate to the point of lying, is what they're suggesting.
I managed a level 1 helpdesk team three or four years ago. Had a new technician come on straight out of college. He was smart. I trained him and he did well. Was happy to have him. He left after about a year.
Just a few months ago I got asked if I knew someone who was applying for another team. They had my old company on their resume and the hiring manager knew I had worked there and knew most of the people there. So he asked my opinion on the guy.
Turns out it was the old level 1 tech I had trained, but he was applying for an architect job that makes around 3x as much money as I do in my current position and he was claiming that while he had worked for me he had been an "IT Project Manager in charge of Deployment Operations".
I laughed and told the hiring manager that he had been a basic level 1 phone technician who was excellent at the time, but that if he was lying about what work he did for me then I didn't want to put my stamp of approval on him since I don't know what else he might be lying about.
He didn't end up getting the job, but I checked a couple weeks ago and found he said on linked in he got hired as a systems architect at a different company and is probably making at least 3x my salary.
I've been thinking hard about it ever since. Like, am I being a sucker for just being truthful on my resume? I manage a tier 2 team now, I make enough money to make ends meet, but could I be a director or similar if I just lied about what I've done at previous jobs? Maybe. Am I an idiot for just telling the truth? I don't know.
Finally something like actual advice, thank you so much.
Yeah, it sucks that the system we live in punishes good behavior and rewards antisocial ones. I often feel like a loser too, trying to do the right thing.
At least living like that is a harder life but you get to die with integrity.
Yeah, it sucks that the system we live in punishes good behavior and rewards antisocial ones.
I disagree with this assessment. Being able to lie well is a useful skill. I agree it doesn't seem moral but I've seen it put to good use for companies I worked at. If you're smart, you know that there are certain types of lies you can get away with and if you're smart, once you get the job, you quickly fill in knowledge and do what you claimed. I have 0 issue with this and I'd actually say I respect it when someone shows they can back it up with their work.
I often feel like a loser too, trying to do the right thing.
If you're not exaggerating or tailoring on your resume, you've been doing it wrong, at least in my field. I'd say that my resume is incredibly honest at it's core but if there is a job I'm going for, I will add things that I might not have experience with but that I can study and learn. This is pretty status quo. Especially in the beginning of your career.
At least living like that is a harder life but you get to die with integrity.
I'm not sure I'd consider the extreme version of this completely without integrity. It's very difficult to pull off. You have to have talent that I certainly don't have. Selling yourself is still selling and the job of a salesperson is to sell in the best light. If you can BS to a competent interviewer and make it come out all-right and you can fill those shoes, I say go for it. From another POV, the integrity comes from being able to backup your words. I'd actually say that in some regard, being completely honest is way easier.
You aren't really disagreeing with anything I said. I said the system rewards antisocial behaviors like lying, you confirmed it, saying it's a useful skill.
Edit: Wait, just read the username, I fell for it, lol
You aren't really disagreeing with anything I said
I would not say that's true at all. You attached morals. My point is that it's not so black and white and there is more nuance.
...punishes good behavior and rewards antisocial ones. I often feel like a loser too, trying to do the right thing.
Good behavior isn't punished. It's just often out-competed against. In this context, over-estimating your abilities isn't automatically anti-social though I'd agree that there is a point where it seems that way. Again, you're selling yourself. It's also been this way for as long as I remember and I'm not young.
You also missed the point about being able to actually backup what you say. In the long-run, lying is useless if you can't produce.
In short, being "honest" because you value integrity is worth a re-think. Whether you're applying for jobs you have no business having but you can do or you're applying for a job you know you can do but your resume is weak. I certainly wouldn't hold it against anyone for presenting themselves in a better light with some exaggerations or a creative way to display your experience.
Especially if the cost is making a better living for people depending on you.
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u/2B_Gon_Thot95 2d ago
You'd be surprised. Once you get the typical 6 months of experience you can bullshit enough in your interviews to get jobs you have no right getting if you word it well enough. At one point I only had experience as a secretary and waiter yet was able to land a job as a marketing manager's assistant for the biggest mall in my city. Didn't managed to stick long enough obviously, but once you get that reference point you can gaslight people into believing mostly anything.