I lied on my résumé to get a better-paying job — and I think others should do the same
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- Insider recently spoke to an accounting employee who lied on their résumé to get their current job.
- They lied about work experience and software proficiency after staying home with their daughter.
- "I'm glad I lied on my résumé," they said. "It's made a world of a difference in my quality of life."
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with a 37-year-old who works in accounting. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their career, but Insider has verified their identity and employment. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Shortly into the first COVID-19 lockdown in the spring of 2020, the accounting firm I worked for shut its doors. I left my normal routine as the world changed and started collecting unemployment.
I have a child, and it almost felt like I needed to be home for her in a time of such turmoil. But I also knew that when I wanted to go back to work, I would be judged for my time off. So I fibbed a little.
I spent 18 months at home with my daughter before going back to work
When I applied for a job, I knew I couldn't leave such a large gap in my résumé. So I created a name for a consulting firm and described the things I had actually done in the last 18 months, like helping friends with their invoices and accounting.
I just made it sound much more professional and official.
You'd think human resources would've looked up the firm I created, but I guess they didn't
No one ever asked me about it, at least. If they had, I would've come clean and told them I did have my business license and was doing small-time accounting to make ends meet while taking time with my kid.
I've never taken a break in my adult life. I went straight from school to working full-time and never had a chance to pause. It almost felt like a gift in a way, to be able to focus on my child and my mental health and things other than work.
I also lied about my software proficiency
The job I was applying for also stated a requirement for knowledge of a specific software system that I had simply never used before. But I wasn't going to let that stop me.
I wrote on my résumé that I was familiar with the software, and then I set about making that the truth by researching it and watching YouTube videos on how to use it.
The funny thing is, now that I have the job, I literally use that software every day
It's definitely not the easiest or most intuitive software. But I have enough faith in myself that if I don't know something, I have the ability to learn how to do it. I'm very skilled at problem-solving, and I know when to ask questions.
There's also support in place for honing your skills at the software (though no one at work knows this is my first time learning it rather than honing my previous skills!). It's a complicated software, but I've faced every challenge and then some
I've gotten 2 raises since I started this job
I make much more than I did before. Plus, I love where I work now, and I don't think I would have been able to get the job if I hadn't lied on my résumé.
If someone else asked me if I thought they should do the same, I would say: absolutely. It's worth it. Have confidence in your skills, and know how to rephrase things in ways that are technically true (like my having spent my 18 months off helping friends with their accounting needs).
Companies put people without the correct qualifications into positions all the time
Why shouldn't it be you? But you have to advocate for yourself. No one else will.
I'm glad I lied on my résumé. My hardest day at my current job is easier than my average day at my previous job, and that has made a world of a difference in my quality of life.
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