Skip to main content

Resume lies lands woman in jail

Apr 12 2010 by Brian Amble
Print This Article

If you're tempted to lie on your resume to land that all-too hard to find job (and something between a third and half of us are happy to do just that), here's a salutary story from the UK that might make you think twice.

29-year-old Rhiannon Mackay, lied about her qualifications and made up references to land a job as a Health Service administrator. But when suspicions were raised about her performance, she admitted lying on her CV and forging the references.

She also admitted using the same fake CV to apply for 11 other jobs "because she felt she was not busy enough at work".

The surprise here isn't that she lost the job. It's that she was prosecuted for forgery and fraud and jailed for six months.

While Mackay is the first woman jailed in Britain over CV lies, she's not the first former NHS staff member. Last year a former NHS senior manager received a three months sentence after it was revealed he had vastly exaggerated his degree qualifications.

Latest book reviews

MORE BOOK REVIEWS

The Confidence Myth

The Confidence Myth

Ginka Toegel

How can women leaders break free from gendered perceptions? Professor Ginka Toegel’s new book challenges the narrative that female leaders lack confidence or that women need to "fix" themselves, arguing for a fundamental shift in how organisations recognise and reward competence.

Super Adaptability: How to Transcend in an Age of Overwhelm

Super Adaptability: How to Transcend in an Age of Overwhelm

Max McKeown

Max Mckeown's heavyweight new book draws from neuroscience, psychology and cultural evolution to develop a practical framework for human adaptability.

Why Start-ups Fail: Avoiding the Traps on the Path to Commercial Success

Why Start-ups Fail: Avoiding the Traps on the Path to Commercial Success

Bernie Bulkin

Arouind nine out of 10 startups fail, but as Bernie Bulkin argues in his new book, many of these failures are preventable. Exploring the major reasons why start-ups fail and how to avoid them, this book is a must-read for any entrepreneur.