Introduction
In a very weird way, sometimes grown-up adults with a unique personality and solid educational baggage forget the simplest things that toddlers manage to keep in mind. One of the most well-known symptoms of this weird mental dysfunction is forgetting that lies are never the answer, mostly because they tend to be revealed in the most embarrassing and humiliating way. In his case study, Business week CASE: Executives making it by faking it, McCool (2007) makes it clear that faking previous working experience will most likely have negative effects on one’s career and reputation.
For an HR manager, it is essential to learn the background of a candidate for a certain vacation. Though one might argue that experience often turns out an even more important element of a candidate’s background, it is still necessary to keep in mind that education certificates mean that a person has been trained properly for a specific job (McDavid, 2009). Therefore, it can be considered that an employee’s background is important when the person being hired does not have a previous record in any company yet. When an HR manager looks for someone with previous experience in a certain sphere, the recommendation letter from the candidate’s previous job can tell much more about his/her skills and qualifications.
Executives Making It by Faking It
Therefore, lying in the given case is quite understandable and, frankly speaking, quite excusable, especially if the interviewed person has no previous experience and is very anxious. Therefore, if the interviewee meets the standards, lying about the previous experience can be excused – though not encouraged.
Speaking of background checks, one must admit that these do not seem necessary when an employee handles his/her tasks well. If one has proven that (s)he can handle certain tasks, there is no need to search for compromising materials. In case an employee fails often and does not seem to have the required qualifications, an inquiry concerning his/her education and/or experience is reasonable.
Considering the results offered in the case study, one must admit that the most important thing that an interviewee can do in the course of the interview to make sure that his/her reputation will not be blemished in the first year of their working experience is to avoid lying at any cost (Harwood, 2012). As the results of the research conducted by McCool show, lying will eventually bring one down from the Olympus of director’s appreciation to the pits of hell where the has-been subordinates mock the fallen hero. Jokes aside, being honest is the best tactics that a candidate for a job in a reputable place can possibly choose:
At least once or twice a year, business people the world over are reminded of the high cost of a little exaggeration, a material omission, or an outright lie on a résumé and how a tangled web concerning one’s background can lead to career catastrophe. (McCool, 2007, para. 2)
Conclusion
Therefore, the best possible piece of advice that one can give to a candidate for a job is, to be honest about his/her education and experience. Even a small exaggeration can cause huge problems. Hence, providing accurate information is advisable.
As simple as the moral of the story is, it is often overlooked by most employees. Lying is never the best way to achieve something because sooner or later, it is going to be revealed. Moreover, the downfall that will follow will be in direct proportion to the success that one has managed to achieve (Garrison & Wang, 2011). Once again, people have to learn the truth that lying is bad. Hopefully, the analyzed case study will help me learn the lesson.
Reference List
Garrison, L. & Wang, W. (2011).Breaking into acting for dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishing, Inc.
Harwood, L. (2012). Your career: How to make it happen. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
McCool, J. D. (2007). Business week CASE: Executives making it by faking it. Web.
McDavid, S. E. (2009). Education and related services. New York, NY: Infobase Publishing.