Lying About Education

In class (sociology) today we were discussing the economy, lack of jobs and all that noise. A girl mentioned how people more than ever are lying on resumes about education, credentials, etc. to find work. She had no data or proof just a comment.

My question is how is it possible to lie about education? Would a simple background check not show you are lying? Is it only when providing a social security? Are the people hoping they overlook the background check? I know that many times applications ask if you are willing to do a drug test but, never actually give one.

Depends on the job.

Find Dr. Matt’s post on higher level programs and read it.

I’ve hired lots of people, half right out of school and half from the workforce and never checked their educational bona fides.

[quote]Dr. Pangloss wrote:
Depends on the job.

Find Dr. Matt’s post on higher level programs and read it.

I’ve hired lots of people, half right out of school and half from the workforce and never checked their educational bona fides.[/quote]
Mine is easier. If they do not have a state license then I dont have to worry about education.

Lie about everything. That’s how you get people to like you.

If there is a direct connection between the specific education and job performance it is checked in all but the rarest of situations; when only marginally related it depends on policy.

[quote]maverick88 wrote:
My question is how is it possible to lie about education? Would a simple background check not show you are lying? Is it only when providing a social security? Are the people hoping they overlook the background check? [/quote]

There have been a couple of high-profile cases in college sports where a school agreed to hire a new coach, only for their background check to turn up some level of falsification on their resume.

In both cases the guy had gotten away with it for at least one hire, and it was only once he moved up to a high-profile job where the school actually conducted a background check that someone caught them.

I know that a background check was conducted for my current job in engineering.

Well, in theory yes it is possible to lie about your education. There is no national database of college graduates and it is not something that shows up on background checks. The only way to verify with 100% certainty that someone has the degree that they claim to is to get a sealed official transcript. Whether or not an employer actually does this is up in the air. I will say that if the education is really important then the employer will check, especially if the applicant is just out of school looking for a first job. If someone is, say, an engineer and has verifiable documentation that he/she has worked as an engineer for like a decade then the employer may skip requiring transcripts.

I will say that I have technically never had anyone check any of my degrees. I say technically because CMU did require me to submit my undergraduate transcripts before they would allow me to start graduate school, but they did not say that they also wanted an English translation sealed with my transcripts but they accepted it. When I interviewed at the University of Pittsburgh, the department chair just looked at my curriculum vitae and saw that my thesis advisor was a friend and called him and that counted as verification that I had a PhD.

[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
I will say that I have technically never had anyone check any of my degrees. I say technically because CMU did require me to submit my undergraduate transcripts before they would allow me to start graduate school, but they did not say that they also wanted an English translation sealed with my transcripts but they accepted it. When I interviewed at the University of Pittsburgh, the department chair just looked at my curriculum vitae and saw that my thesis advisor was a friend and called him and that counted as verification that I had a PhD. [/quote]

CMU and UPitt, eh? Department?

CMU alum (2008 Bachelor’s, Statistics), Pitt alum (Master’s of Applied Statistics 2010, PhD in Epidemiology 2013), current Pitt faculty (School of Medicine).

Look, if you want to start practicing medicine I say you buy yourself a white coat, roll up your sleeves and start treating patients. I mean, who really asks where their doctor went to medical school, anyway?

[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:

[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
I will say that I have technically never had anyone check any of my degrees. I say technically because CMU did require me to submit my undergraduate transcripts before they would allow me to start graduate school, but they did not say that they also wanted an English translation sealed with my transcripts but they accepted it. When I interviewed at the University of Pittsburgh, the department chair just looked at my curriculum vitae and saw that my thesis advisor was a friend and called him and that counted as verification that I had a PhD. [/quote]

CMU and UPitt, eh? Department?

CMU alum (2008 Bachelor’s, Statistics), Pitt alum (Master’s of Applied Statistics 2010, PhD in Epidemiology 2013), current Pitt faculty (School of Medicine).[/quote]

Physics. I worked at Pitt for over a decade until I left for a tenured position at NTNU.

I’ve seen some gigantic smack talking in blue collar/technical work. I can understand the motive and that someone wants to make a living, but that is no way to go about getting a job. It’s going to become obvious very quickly if someone is lying about qualifications.

[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
Well, in theory yes it is possible to lie about your education. There is no national database of college graduates and it is not something that shows up on background checks. The only way to verify with 100% certainty that someone has the degree that they claim to is to get a sealed official transcript. Whether or not an employer actually does this is up in the air. I will say that if the education is really important then the employer will check, especially if the applicant is just out of school looking for a first job. If someone is, say, an engineer and has verifiable documentation that he/she has worked as an engineer for like a decade then the employer may skip requiring transcripts.

I will say that I have technically never had anyone check any of my degrees. I say technically because CMU did require me to submit my undergraduate transcripts before they would allow me to start graduate school, but they did not say that they also wanted an English translation sealed with my transcripts but they accepted it. When I interviewed at the University of Pittsburgh, the department chair just looked at my curriculum vitae and saw that my thesis advisor was a friend and called him and that counted as verification that I had a PhD. [/quote]

Really?? I honestly thought a background check would show education. Even then many employers don’t do that.

I guess as long as the degree is not directly related it would be easy to do. As stated engineering will be obvious when you have to actually work and in Dereks case lying about medical licenses can get you jail time.

I have a background check in process for my internship this summer. Hiring manager said, “I look forward to seeing you in the next few weeks.” Seems like the background check is just a formality lol.

[quote]spar4tee wrote:
I have a background check in process for my internship this summer. Hiring manager said, “I look forward to seeing you in the next few weeks.” Seems like the background check is just a formality lol.[/quote]

Background checks are generally a formality unless they find something. They cost money so they don’t usually happen unless someone wants to hire you, but a bad report can change that quickly.

[quote]TheKraken wrote:

[quote]spar4tee wrote:
I have a background check in process for my internship this summer. Hiring manager said, “I look forward to seeing you in the next few weeks.” Seems like the background check is just a formality lol.[/quote]

Background checks are generally a formality unless they find something. They cost money so they don’t usually happen unless someone wants to hire you, but a bad report can change that quickly. [/quote]
That’s what I was thinking. I have nothing to worry about unless someone stole my information lol.

[quote]spar4tee wrote:

[quote]TheKraken wrote:

[quote]spar4tee wrote:
I have a background check in process for my internship this summer. Hiring manager said, “I look forward to seeing you in the next few weeks.” Seems like the background check is just a formality lol.[/quote]

Background checks are generally a formality unless they find something. They cost money so they don’t usually happen unless someone wants to hire you, but a bad report can change that quickly. [/quote]
That’s what I was thinking. I have nothing to worry about unless someone stole my information lol.[/quote]

I stole your information. Now we’re blended. Your official bicep measurement is - well, not what it used to be.

[quote]EmilyQ wrote:

[quote]spar4tee wrote:

[quote]TheKraken wrote:

[quote]spar4tee wrote:
I have a background check in process for my internship this summer. Hiring manager said, “I look forward to seeing you in the next few weeks.” Seems like the background check is just a formality lol.[/quote]

Background checks are generally a formality unless they find something. They cost money so they don’t usually happen unless someone wants to hire you, but a bad report can change that quickly. [/quote]
That’s what I was thinking. I have nothing to worry about unless someone stole my information lol.[/quote]

I stole your information. Now we’re blended. Your official bicep measurement is - well, not what it used to be.[/quote]
Oh no. My fate is sealed, but what of my armpits?

I’ve worked in a place where after a few years they worked out that a senior tutor in Engineering had lied about his education background. He just had too many gaps in his knowledge. He’d used another students name to get through the checks. Seemed like he read the texts before the students and managed to stay a few weeks ahead of them, just long enough to seem knowledgeable.

In one other case I asked the boss if an employee had had a background check because I just didn’t believe he could be as qualified as he claimed and that dumb. Seems like he did. So then I asked if we were sure it was him who sat the exams.

And the reason I asked that was I knew a guy who made the sad mistake of sitting exams for a ‘friend’ and got caught. Expelled, begged for mercy, allowed back in and then had a major nervous breakdown from the stress.

I mean even colleges get this wrong: