Can you lie about having a degree on your resume?

Lying on your resume about your education level in order to obtain a position or advance in your career is NOT okay and chances are, it will catch up to you. I highly recommend full honesty when creating your resume.

Can you lie and say you have a degree?

You lied! You can’t go back and fix that. Even if you go back and finish your degree now, your transcript will show your degree was conferred AFTER you started employment. The issue will be that you lied on your application, not that you don’t have a degree.

Do employers actually check if you have a degree?

Employers can confirm a candidate’s diplomas and degrees no matter when they received them. An employer will request this information if it is relevant to the position they are hiring for (such as a higher education teacher). Usually, an education background check does not verify licenses.

How can companies check your educational background?

Sometimes, a hiring manager may ask you to present your diploma, so they can keep a copy of it in your file. Other applications can require you to submit or order a sealed transcript. Another way a hiring manager may authenticate your education is by contacting the schools or universities that you attended.

What did you lie about on your resume?

Dear Prudence: I lied on my resume about my education. I lied about my degree on my résumé for years—and now I’ve been found out. Photo by Teresa Castracane.

How many years have I lied on my resume?

For more than 20 years I’ve exaggerated on my résumé, in particular regarding my education. I got comfortable with the lie and no one ever questioned my “degree.” A few months ago a recruiter from a prestigious company reached out to me about a position in his organization.

What happens if you lie about your degree?

I got comfortable with the lie and no one ever questioned my “degree.” A few months ago a recruiter from a prestigious company reached out to me about a position in his organization. I had multiple interviews and was getting great feedback. Then, they went quiet. I contacted everyone I spoke with and received no response.

What should I do if my father finds out I lied about my education?

All you can do is be brave enough to tell him and assure him you’re happy about this discovery. I’m betting that once he gets over his instinctive fatherly reaction to chide you for going through his things, he will feel an enormous sense of relief that the secret, and he, are out.

Dear Prudence: I lied on my resume about my education. I lied about my degree on my résumé for years—and now I’ve been found out. Photo by Teresa Castracane.

What happens if you lie your way into a job?

If you lie your way into a job, it may become painfully apparent to your employer and colleagues that you haven’t learned those things and don’t have those skills. Then the questions will start. Directed to you and the university you said awarded you a degree. You cannot come clean.