How much should you embelish your CV?
Discussion
I've been working for a large (one of the largest) engineering firm for the past 4 years since I graduated, but have lost my career direction somewhat and am thinking of moving on (may start a separate thread about this actually).
I found out today that when providing a reference the company only provides information on my job title & salary. No detail regarding the projects I have worked on, the responsibility I had or what I am like to work with is given.
I have been part of a small team for the past 2 years, so have been closely involved with everything we have done. Although I have technically not been a 'project leader' I'm confident I have the ability to do just that. Would it be wrong for me to embelish the responsibilities I had in order to aid my application for roles a few grades higher than my current? I've not really taken my career progression seriously up to now; I have just turned up to work & enjoyed working on a variety of different things, and consequently am not as high of a grade as some of my career-focussed peers.
When an employer reads a CV do they expect a bit of bending of the truth to be contained within? If I don't do it will I be putting myself at a disadvantage?
Part of me thinks just state honestly what I have done (read: a lot of 'contributed to'), the other Apprentice-watching half says to big yourself up, blag blag blag, in it to win it etc etc..
Any and all advice appreciated
I found out today that when providing a reference the company only provides information on my job title & salary. No detail regarding the projects I have worked on, the responsibility I had or what I am like to work with is given.
I have been part of a small team for the past 2 years, so have been closely involved with everything we have done. Although I have technically not been a 'project leader' I'm confident I have the ability to do just that. Would it be wrong for me to embelish the responsibilities I had in order to aid my application for roles a few grades higher than my current? I've not really taken my career progression seriously up to now; I have just turned up to work & enjoyed working on a variety of different things, and consequently am not as high of a grade as some of my career-focussed peers.
When an employer reads a CV do they expect a bit of bending of the truth to be contained within? If I don't do it will I be putting myself at a disadvantage?
Part of me thinks just state honestly what I have done (read: a lot of 'contributed to'), the other Apprentice-watching half says to big yourself up, blag blag blag, in it to win it etc etc..
Any and all advice appreciated
Imagine a dinner party, which by a fluke both your former and new line manager have been invited to. They soon realise that you have been employed by both of them, and begin to swap notes. Are they going to uncover a lie based on your CV? If the answer is yes, you've pushed it too far.
Stuff that's easy to check (Qualifications, anything that made the media) are definitely a no-no. Ditto any concrete achievements that definitely weren't attributed to you. However, there's nothing wrong with embellishment IMO - suggesting you're a bit more competent at Excel than you actually are, or that you had a bit more of a high level involvement in a project than you actually did - if you can back up that embellishment with those skills when it matters.
Vlookup really isn't that hard.
Stuff that's easy to check (Qualifications, anything that made the media) are definitely a no-no. Ditto any concrete achievements that definitely weren't attributed to you. However, there's nothing wrong with embellishment IMO - suggesting you're a bit more competent at Excel than you actually are, or that you had a bit more of a high level involvement in a project than you actually did - if you can back up that embellishment with those skills when it matters.
Vlookup really isn't that hard.
Just my tuppence...
Bear in mind that the CV will only get you so far through the process - if the inteviewer(s) is/ are any cop, they'll be asking questions as to situations you've been in and how you behaved...
For example, if I was interviewing for a 'project leader' I'd be looking to understand how you acted when an aspect of project delivery wasn't go to plan, or someone involved with the project wasn't meeting your expectations - or how you resolved a difference of opinion you had with them or they had with other members.
Of course you've got to advertise yourself to the best of your abilities - just be sure the substance is there to back up any claims you make!
Bear in mind that the CV will only get you so far through the process - if the inteviewer(s) is/ are any cop, they'll be asking questions as to situations you've been in and how you behaved...
For example, if I was interviewing for a 'project leader' I'd be looking to understand how you acted when an aspect of project delivery wasn't go to plan, or someone involved with the project wasn't meeting your expectations - or how you resolved a difference of opinion you had with them or they had with other members.
Of course you've got to advertise yourself to the best of your abilities - just be sure the substance is there to back up any claims you make!
Hi, if you are the poacher here, I am the gamekeeper. If you come to work for us, you will have around ten hours of interviews to get the job.
We will specifically ask you, about your individual contribution to projects and results. What were your ideas,actions and what were you accountable for.
Some people get a bit flustered, and whilst interviews should be a fun process, some people can't maintain it if they are lying, or the become very unwilling to overstate their involvement in activities that actually were there bosses.
My advice is to be honest. By all means present only examples of your work which are positive, ignore or forget your mistakes. But don't claim detailed experience of things your have only nodding acquaintance with.
What if you get a job that actually is too big for you, and then proceed to get fired from?
We will specifically ask you, about your individual contribution to projects and results. What were your ideas,actions and what were you accountable for.
Some people get a bit flustered, and whilst interviews should be a fun process, some people can't maintain it if they are lying, or the become very unwilling to overstate their involvement in activities that actually were there bosses.
My advice is to be honest. By all means present only examples of your work which are positive, ignore or forget your mistakes. But don't claim detailed experience of things your have only nodding acquaintance with.
What if you get a job that actually is too big for you, and then proceed to get fired from?
An interview process is designed to weed out these things.
Whilst a few people can bulls
t a good interviewer will soon work out whether you've done what you claim to have.
Also, it is a small, incestuous world in some industries.
I'm in FMCG, if I apply for a job I am 90% sure that the recruiting manager will be able to get hold of someone either first or second hand to ask some informal questions.
Whilst a few people can bulls
t a good interviewer will soon work out whether you've done what you claim to have.Also, it is a small, incestuous world in some industries.
I'm in FMCG, if I apply for a job I am 90% sure that the recruiting manager will be able to get hold of someone either first or second hand to ask some informal questions.
Yes, I have been asked in interviews "so who specifically did you report to when you were leading this project?" Having given the name, they go, "Oh, yeah, I know xxx - I'll give him a call this afternoon."
Fortunately, I would never make a claim I couldn't substantiate.
You should accentuate the positives and those things you've done well, but not claim to have done things you haven't actually done.
Fortunately, I would never make a claim I couldn't substantiate.
You should accentuate the positives and those things you've done well, but not claim to have done things you haven't actually done.
I've interviewed people who were project lead, or head engineer etc on stuff in the past. Unfortunately for them in both cases I knew the person who actually was the technical lead in those cases. In one case my contact couldn't even remember the guy working on the project and in the other he was much more junior and didn't understand some of the fundamentals of the system we were working on.
Obviously bigger industries are ready to get away with stuff like that.
Obviously bigger industries are ready to get away with stuff like that.
The secret of a good cv is that it should not contain a single lie, yet when you read it you shouldn't be able to recognise yourself.
Eg: Postboy = Head of International Distribution.
Sent down to Rymans to buy a new calculator for Brenda in accounts = sole responsibility for sourcing new computing hardware to upgrade finance department.
Eg: Postboy = Head of International Distribution.
Sent down to Rymans to buy a new calculator for Brenda in accounts = sole responsibility for sourcing new computing hardware to upgrade finance department.
A chap I used to work with (he'd phone me daily for surveying/building advice), and went on to be a very big fish in an Insurance company, apparently was the Surveying Manager for the whole company. Funny, I don't remember there ever being a Surveying Manager!
Other guys I worked with are now claiming that they were 'Senior' or 'Manager', when in fact they weren't.
I always stick to the truth, but on seeing the above examples on LinkedIn, wonder if I should be BSing with the rest of them?
Other guys I worked with are now claiming that they were 'Senior' or 'Manager', when in fact they weren't.
I always stick to the truth, but on seeing the above examples on LinkedIn, wonder if I should be BSing with the rest of them?
I stick to the truth, but also research and remember what I have done
For instance when I was testing I was the Lead Tester on a certain project. No biggie, when it came to moving on I looked deeper into that project and found out that we had been paid 1.5 million for it
So it becomes, Lead Test on Project generating 1.5 million revenue once delivered. Sounds a bit better
The other good source is your job description, you know that thing you get given when you join, that immediately means naff all and you never look at again, there are some great phrases in there that you would never think off and don't know you do them.
For instance when I was testing I was the Lead Tester on a certain project. No biggie, when it came to moving on I looked deeper into that project and found out that we had been paid 1.5 million for it
So it becomes, Lead Test on Project generating 1.5 million revenue once delivered. Sounds a bit better
The other good source is your job description, you know that thing you get given when you join, that immediately means naff all and you never look at again, there are some great phrases in there that you would never think off and don't know you do them.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
The secret of a good cv is that it should not contain a single lie, yet when you read it you shouldn't be able to recognise yourself.
Eg: Postboy = Head of International Distribution.
Sent down to Rymans to buy a new calculator for Brenda in accounts = sole responsibility for sourcing new computing hardware to upgrade finance department.
Excellent work sir!Eg: Postboy = Head of International Distribution.
Sent down to Rymans to buy a new calculator for Brenda in accounts = sole responsibility for sourcing new computing hardware to upgrade finance department.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
The secret of a good cv is that it should not contain a single lie, yet when you read it you shouldn't be able to recognise yourself.
Eg: Postboy = Head of International Distribution.
Sent down to Rymans to buy a new calculator for Brenda in accounts = sole responsibility for sourcing new computing hardware to upgrade finance department.
Excellent work sir!Eg: Postboy = Head of International Distribution.
Sent down to Rymans to buy a new calculator for Brenda in accounts = sole responsibility for sourcing new computing hardware to upgrade finance department.
SeanyD said:
Stick to the truth, be factual, and avoid waffle. CV's full of self-opinionated 'First Class...' 'Highly Professional...' 'Highly Motivated...', is a big turn off for me, and unlikely to even get an interview.
You missed out "Excellent team worker" and for me, the biggest turn off, "An eclectic mix of hobbies."
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