Job Interview Tips: Lying In An Interview To Get A Job

By Florence Mukunya

Thinking about lying in an interview to get a job? Think again! It may be hard to get a job in the current job market but that does not mean that you lie to get a job. It does not matter whether you lie in an interview or on your CV, lying during the recruitment process will destroy your chances of ever getting a job.

According to Melody Mwendwa, a Professional Interview Coach at Corporate Staffing Services , here are the 3 common lies job seekers tell and their Consequences

Read also: When Should You Lie on Your Curriculum Vitae?

1. Lying about your experience

As we all know, related experience to the job you are applying for is very important for you to get invited for a job interview. Before making any job applications it is advisable to go through the job and if you notice something that you have no experience in its better to research and learn more about the role and also be up front with the interviewer about it.

Do not lie about having experience in any of the roles as the employer will naturally do follow up questions on the same and you risk him noticing that your answers are not credible. Well it makes no sense in coming this far in your job search only for you to raise doubts with an employer which isn’t helpful when you are trying to be impressive.

2. Lying about your salary in an job Interview

Job seekers are aware that when interviewers ask about their previous salary they use the history to determine how much they should pay them for the current position. So you feel that your current salary is too little and need to earn more in your next job, don’t be tempted to lie. The problem of lying about your salary is that employers will always ask for pay slips to verify the information provided either on the CV or during an interview.

If an interviewer finds out that you lied he/she looses confidence in you, it does not matter whether you were the best candidate for the job, nobody will hire you at this point. Rather than lying to get a better salary, practice on your salary negotiation skills so that you can land a higher salary.

3. Last Job Interview Tip: Lying About Your Referees

So you messed up in your previous job and left the company in bad blood. Lying about your referees will not help as employers are very keen when conducting back ground checks. Your referees are supposed to give your previous work experience without being caught off guard. Providing your friends as your referees will not work for obvious reasons.

Rather than lie about your referees make sure that you talk to your networks regularly, keep them updated on what is happening in your career and make up with referees that you might have burned bridges with because believe it or not, referees play a very major role when it comes to you getting the job.

Highly Recommended: CV Writing: What You Didn’t Know About Referees

In conclusion Ms. Mwendwa warns job seekers against lying in an interview say that even if you are not caught lying in the interview process you face an even greater challenge. You might have gotten a job you are not qualified for nor have experience in; the challenge comes in that you cannot perform and you risk being fired.

The writer is a Communications Officer at Corporate Staffing Services, a leading Recruitment firm that offers CV Writing, Job Placement & Career Advice. Email florence@corporatestaffing.co.ke