Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home IT Management
    • IT Management

    Another Worker Pays the Price for Fabricating Resume

    By
    Deb Perelman
    -
    April 27, 2007
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Admitting that she had fabricated her own academic credentials, Marilee Jones, the dean of admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, resigned from her post on April 26 after nearly three decades with the college.

      The news came as a shock to the MIT student body and community, as Jones was famous for urging stressed-out and highly-competitive students to relax, and stop trying to be so perfect.

      In fact, shed recently promoted a book shed co-written on the subject—”Les Stress, More Success: A New Approach to Guiding Your Teen Through College Admissions and Beyond,” making her a guru of the movement to tame the college admissions frenzy.

      Yet, to the vast majority of people who never knew her personally, the news that she fudged nearly all of her academic credentials might seem less shocking. In fact, the book “Freakonomics” estimates that 50 percent of people lie on their resumes, with author Stephen D. Levitt referring to a W.C. Fields quote in his explanation: “Anything worth winning is worth cheating for.”

      But youd be hard pressed to find a person who has been caught cheating and thought it was worth it in the end.

      Just ask David Edmondson, the former CEO of Radio Shack who resigned in February 2006 after it was found that he had “clearly misstated” his academic record, claiming that he had received a bachelors degree when he had not. Or George OLeary, who stepped down five days after being made Notre Dame football coach in 2001, admitting hed lied about his academic and athletic background. He never received a masters degree or even played college football.

      Employers of individuals in less visible positions are also taking an increasingly black-and-white view of employees who fiddle with their credentials.

      “This MIT case underscores the danger of embellishing whats in a resume. Its more and more common for employers to do background checks, and there are more and more resources available for employers who wish to do so. Even if an employee has been found to have embellished a smaller detail, they may terminate the employee on principle alone,” Patrick Manzo, vice president of compliance and fraud prevention at Monster.com, told eWEEK.

      /zimages/6/28571.gifClick here for 10 ways to tweak your tech resume.

      Other factors have made it even more risky for people to stretch the truth on their resumes. Newer technologies have made it easier for companies to ferret out cheaters both before and after hiring them. Also, the digitizing of resumes has made it possible for even the smallest lie to follow an individual throughout his or her career.

      “Young workers need to be especially careful—a lie on your resume early on can have long-lasting consequences,” said Manzo.

      Monster found that a surprising number of job seekers hold the misguided perception that employers expect a little resume padding here and there even though companies have repeatedly said that this is simply not the case.

      “Make sure your resume is correct in each and every respect,” said Manzo.

      /zimages/6/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms Careers Center for the latest news, analysis and commentary on careers for IT professionals.

      Deb Perelman

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×