Man lies on his resume to get a job he wasn’t qualified for, ‘Maybe the whole system’s broken’

A man narrated his difficult journey during job hunt before he finally secured a remote job with decent pay after several rejections. Tired and exhausted, he decided to rework on his resume and added details that didn't really fit his profile.

In a post on Reddit, he wrote, “I was broke, desperate, and tired of all the rejection emails. One night I just snapped and rewrote my resume like it was a fanfic character. Added skills I didn’t actually have, projects I never did, even made up a fake consulting gig that sounded fancy but was really just me helping my cousin with his site once.”

After applying for a number of jobs with the new resume he got calls for some interviews. To deal with the newfound situation, he “Learned some buzzwords, watched a ton of YouTube tutorials” while he hoped that the recruiters would not dig deep and unveil his secret.

Describing the sequence of events, he wrote, “And then one company actually hired me. Remote job, decent pay, full benefits. I almost passed out.” Initially struggling with imposter syndrome, he eventually gained confidence and became a valuable team member.

Explaining how he maintained his composure while he dealt with the tasks that came his way, he said, “First month was rough. Imposter syndrom, googling everything, constantly panicking whenever someone Slacked me. But I kept showing up. Kept learning. Faked confidence until it didnt feel fake anymore[sic].”

Later, he confessed that he is now good at his work as his boss called him a “core team member." Exuding confidence in his capabilities, he said, “If I hadnt lied, I never would’ve even gotten the chance….Maybe the whole system’s broken if the only way to get in is to pretend you already belong."

'You were an imposter'

Social media users strongly reacted to the post as one user wrote, “Resumes, cover letters and unfortunately also references, are covered in lies and pufferies anyway. It’s not like this for you only. If it were up to me, I’d delete them completely from the recruitment process.” Another user remarked, “I don’t think you know the meaning of “Imposter Syndrome.” You were actually an imposter.”

A third user replied, “Whatever you do, dont get a conscience and tell anybody.” Another comment read, “Love this for you all. Shows anyone can learn anything they put their mind to.”