Whilst the winner of the apprentice got away with false information on his CV, this happens rarely in reality. According to Lauren Williams, Director at Michael Boyd & Partners, more and more employers are performing reference and education checks, and if they find any inaccurate information on the CV, offers are being withdrawn or contracts are being terminated.
“We have found that in the last few months, especially within the Financial Services industries, although certainly not limited to this sector, employers are withdrawing offers if they find any information submitted on a CV is false. It is becoming a very serious matter and individuals cannot afford to make any mistakes on their applications.”
“We have even heard of some instances where a candidate under valued GCSE grades, where she put a C but actually got a B. Even in this instance, the offer was withdrawn.”
Hannah Beamish, Head of Recruitment, adds “It is also essential that dates of employment are accurate. If you are not entirely sure of which month you started employment, it is advised that you check with your previous employers. We have seen instances where offers have been withdrawn because the dates of employment are wrong, by only a month. For individuals that have undertaken a lot of temporary jobs through agencies, it can be difficult to remember the exact dates of employment. However, these agencies will be contacted to confirm the dates on your CV, so it is advised to contact the agency yourself to confirm the dates they have on record. If you have your P45s, it should state your start and end date which you can use on you CV.”
According to the agency, even for people that have been out of education for several years, it is still essential that individuals ensure the education details are accurate.
Whilst not all companies perform comprehensive employment and education reference checks, it is not worth running the risk. Even if individuals make a genuine mistake, many employers will not accept any excuse for inaccuracies.
Michael Boyd & Partners is an award-winning agency located in Rayleigh, Essex. For further information, please visit www.michaelboyd.co.uk
