Just before you judge me, think about that document you attach to the mails you send to companies when seeking a job! Ask yourself truthfully; Can you actually do all the things listed there? I mean, even the part that says proficient in Microsoft Office. How many of the office suites can you use flawlessly? Yet, you would put excellent in using MS Office. Abeg, Abeg, please don’t kid yourself, you can only use at most three tools in the whole office!
Anyways, I applied for a job in a multi-national and one of the key criteria was the ability to swim. That was how I added Swimming as a skill and a hobby! In fact, during my interview, I slightly exaggerated of the months where I volunteered as a lifeguard in an Olympic size swimming pool. I imagined the devil shaking his head at the magnitude of the exaggeration. But hey, I needed the job badly and a little white lie never really hurt anyone right?
In the course of my interview, I noticed one of the interviewers picked a special interest in me.He was probably fascinated at my swimming skills I guess. So, fast forward to a few weeks, I got a mail that I had been selected as one of the five trainee staff chosen for a company retreat, with the Central Executive Team at a 4-star hotel in the state. I was super excited and everything made sense till the day my village people decided to show me they were watching me in 3D.
We got to the bar of the hotel surrounded by a standard swimming pool and everything was going great. After the session at the bar, a few people had retired to their rooms leaving just about six people (myself and the ED inclusive) at the bar. I was with Mr. Niyi, the interviewer who took keen interest in me, when we saw the ED trip into the water. At first, I thought he was alright and could get himself out. I mean He was the ED now? Next thing we know, the ED was struggling with the water, about to drown. The Dude couldn’t swim to save his life and neither could I!!! How did he ever become the ED sef?
Long story short, my swimming skills were questioned and I was automatically disqualified from the selected candidates because of a little lie I told on my CV. That day forward, I learnt to stop lying on my CV.
There are other ways to sell yourself on your CV without telling a lie. For instance, my CV currently looks a little like this – “Good knowledge of basic packages in MS Office” It is honourable to pay the truth forward because sooner than you think, your CV lies will definitely catch up with you!
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