Rejection after rejection will inevitably leave some job candidates questioning the strength of their CV. In our difficult jobs market, one may feel the need to tell a few 'white lies' on one's CV to give it a bit of vavavoom. The C grade you may have got in A level Maths may find itself being bumped up to a B; your job as a newspaper deliverer suddenly counts as experience in the media industry and the two year gap which you actually spent working as a club rep in Ayia Napa becomes two years abroad teaching English to foreigners and culturally advancing yourself. Surely no one actually has the time to check these things?<br/><br/>Nowadays employers won't need to take a lot of time - fears that people are faking qualifications on their CVs has led the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills to partner up with Higher Education Funding Council for England and Universities UK to launch an online service in which employers can check candidates' qualifications, known as the Higher Education Degree Datecheck. All 165 publicly funded universities and colleges in the UK are on board.<br/><br/>If you still aren't convinced that lying is NOT the best policy, consult the 2010 case of NHS worker Rhiannon MacKay. She was jailed for six months under the Fraud Act of 2006 after it was discovered she had falsely claimed two A levels and forged a letter of recommendation when applying for the job of Capital Projects Administrator. When MacKay's performance did not match the expectations she had set up for herself through her sparkling resume, her past was delved in to and her deceit was revealed.<br/><br/>Is the perfect CV worth a jail sentence? Certainly not. Particularly as there is no need to lie - a resume is a platform on which you can play to your own strengths. If you cannot think of any personal strengths upon which to play, it is likely that the job is not suited to your skills and will be a struggle for you. If you claim to be master of ExCel, but in reality cannot make heads nor tails of a spreadsheet, this will become apparent when you start the job and you will lose credibility. If you find you need to lie, it is worth finding a different job to try.<br/><br/>Mona, GRB Journalist
