1w ago

how good are you at lying during job interviews?

and what would be the point of lying?

I applied to 2 positions and got one. On both counts I shadowed for a day and was sincere.

Job 1 offered me a position I took.

Why I think the second job rejected me: I was assigned to 2 coworkers who started prying inquisitively about my job experience and expectations. I told them I don't want to go back home with back or leg pain or feeling broken, I don't mind doing my pause after 7 hours of working and not 4 but I actually NEED my pause, one every day, I also told them I don't live to work but the other way round (this is nursing).

Apparently they told management all this because during my interview with the c suite they mentioned what other coworkers think about me.

I still believe if you need a job, please do lie because you need the money. I was sincere this time because a union member told me to clearly state what you want in the beginning, so there are no uncomfortable situations afterwards.

I'm also a terrible actor, so maybe this was for the better?

This makes me value authenticity even more because one of those suites, a woman, used the strategy of faking being close to you (smiles, modulating her voice...) so you believe she actually cares about you so you let your guard down.

even though I got the other job it still stings because I was rejected for being authentic. Am I wrong?

So, in the future, do I keep being authentic or do I feed management BS? Feeding them BS always worked in the past.

24 comments

I always tell the interviewer what they want to hear. Its very obviously a game of correct answers.
I lie on my resume too, but not in ways I can't back up.
For instance, I imply I have a degree because I did go to college for 4 consecutive years for a multitude of degrees. So I have different resumes with different majors depending on what job I'm applying to. I mostly use my CS/Engineering degree now-a-days. I'm able to talk the talk enough that they've never checked or asked for a transcript.
But it sounds more like your job wanted to, on paper, be compliant with workers rights stuff
"We offer a break at X and Y hours."
But had a cultural expectation to not follow it. Which is dumb and they can, in my humble opinion, get fucked. Nursing has a massive burnout rate and shit like that is why.
I think you should recognize you dodged a bullet more than you should think about "lying" in an interview.
- In Australia resume lying can be prosecuted as fraud
  
  In the US it's one of the only ways to get a good job except for nepotism.

Keep feeding them BS. Embellish your past experience (within reason), make yourself look good. Management has zero qualms about lying to you, regardless if you're a prospective hire or have been working for them for decades. So might as well do the same thing.

Here’s the worst kept secret in any industry: lying during your interview usually doesn’t have any consequences. It’s not illegal, unless you’re committing fraud, which has a pretty high bar (like falsifying official documents, or signing an affirmation that what you said is true).
The most likely consequence is that you’ll have lied about something you can do, and they’ll find out about it when you can’t do it.
Now, lying and stretching the truth are also not exactly the same thing.
Take this example:
“Why do you want to work here?”
The actual truth: “I want money and you pay well.”
The stretched truth: “I value your company’s commitment to being an industry leader in the field, and would like to be a part of a team with that kind of mission.”
The hiring committee will absolutely eat up the second statement. It’s not exactly the whole truth, but it’s not really a lie either.
Or here’s another one:
“Why did you leave your last position?”
The actual truth: “I was fired for hitting on a coworker.” (Please don’t do this.)
The stretched truth: “I decided to look for another position when it became clear the company’s opportunities weren’t something I could see advancing my career. I feel like this company can offer me opportunities that would much better align with my career goals.” (You know, having a job.)
Basically, you can stretch the truth to make yourself look good without flat out lying.
If it’s important to you to be honest, which it should be as that’s noble, then lying should be off the table. But your competition will probably be lying, so stretching the truth might be the best option.
Personally, I don’t lie during job interviews, but I won’t be completely honest, because I want to look my best.

When someone asks you questions, it's also an opportunity to ask them questions back, to find out if you're heading for an environment you don't wanna be in.
THEM: Is work/life balance important to you?
YOU: So, obviously my family's important to me. I always do my job, though. What kind of expectations to you have here?
THEM: Well.... (look at each other nervously. look up at the cameras monitoring them.) We're expected to make work a priority...
- Was being interviewed by a few people at a company. I asked about hours, and they essentially said, "Being a salaried position, it would be the standard 40 hours, but we like to usually work 45-50 a week." I think they might have heard my brain mentally slamming the door on them so fucking hard cause there were some of those awkward looks.

IMO, lying is a terrible way to start any relationship. At best it means you wind up with a job you're unqualified for. At worst the whole thing blows up in your face. Maybe even the remote possibility of fraud charges.
Don't think there's anything wrong with embellishing or talking yourself up, but outright lies seldom work out well. At least in my experience in my industry.
- Look man. I don't know what to tell you. I was the president of the USA from 2032-2040. I'm also a time traveler here to warn you about this crazy pandemic that happens in 2020. Look, it won't make sense until it happens. Everybody is going to wear masks, there's murder hornets that turn out to be no big deal, there's a shortage of toilet paper. It's a whole thing that shuts down the whole planet. Point is, people thought after 3 years it was over. Turns out, it makes people go batshit insane. They elect a guy who before campaign season even starts is already convicted 34 times, but never sent to prison. He turns out to be a legit fascist and a throwback to nazism in the 1930s. And people just accept this because their brains are rotted.
  Point is, I'm here from the future. Sooooooo, can I have like $500,000?
  What?
  Oh, shit. Thats right. The second great depression hasn't happened yet.
  Can I have $5.00?

I realized you just need to suck it up and tell them how glad you are to work for such prestigious company and blah blah blah.
Fucking companies I wish they could be erased as the cancer they are.

You kind of jumped from one thing to the next, as an interviewer nothing super jumps out yet, but for clarity maybe tell us how this part went specifically, what did each party actually say?
Why I think the second job rejected me: I was assigned to 2 coworkers who started prying inquisitively about my job experience and expectations. I told them I don't want to go back home with back or leg pain or feeling broken, I don't mind doing my pause after 7 hours of working and not 4 but I actually NEED my pause, one every day, I also told them I don't live to work but the other way round (this is nursing).
That just feels like two separate conversations and we're missing some key info. No judgements, if you said something we'll tell you, but I won't judge.

I'm just a really bad liar generally, so there's no point trying. Also lies have short legs.
- So they're more stable and able to resist being toppled?

Not very, I think. Way back in the day I did the usual where I exaggerated the positives and downplayed or bullshitted the negatives, and finding a job was pain. But that one interview where I kind of did not give a fuck I ended up getting the job, which is my career almost 20 years later.
I guess the people on the other side of the table have heard it all before and can smell nervous lies parsecs away.

I don't but I would not shadow someone for a day unless they were paying me. Im not sure I could go 7 hours without a break and would likely demand one somewhere around 5 or 6.

I think you did exactly the right thing there. The place that rejected you seems to have a toxic work culture, which you avoided. And you still got a job. I'd call that a win.

I've lied about wanting to work at every single job interview I've ever had. I've also gotten most that I've applied for so I must be good at it.

I'm not sure what the point of lying about a requirement that you have which the employer intends not to satisfy would be.

companies WILL lie to you, so lie to them constantly.

I always tell the honest truth. I'm an utterly terrible liar. /lie

I'm autistic and really difficult to lie and I have been without a job for 15 years. So I guess it's important to lie I guess?
- How do you live? Fellow autist here.
  
  I don't. I am on low income housing with food stamps, barley able to eat and my mom who lives in another state is helping me with essentials at least tell she hasn't no money or dies then I'm probably going to go with her on that part tbh.

I like to do dual interviews with a friend and then at the beginning we just say that one of us always tells the truth and one of us always lies.

24 comments