CV lies and fakes - what ever it takes

A resume is a specific kind of document. It’s a complex mix of autobiography and marketing document. It shows not only what you have done but also indicates potential. Corporate employers are always looking for this special ingredient - a sign that they will pick up and groom a “champion”. It's this desire to believe the candidate - to think well of them - and embrace their mendacity, that is their undoing.

One of the most spectacular Australian cases of resume fraud was that of Glen Oakley. It was a brilliant career that included stints as a director-general at a government department and chief executive at Newcastle Port Corporation. The only problem was that Oakley wasn’t quite who he said he was each time he applied for a new job.

Oakley’s elaborate deception began in the 1980s, when he obtained various degrees from a range of universities. Using these, he created fake degrees and made false representations to a justice of the peace that the photocopied documents were genuine.

The fake qualifications included a Bachelor of Science (Hons), a Graduate Diploma in Education, a MBA and a PhD.

The first time he relied on the qualifications was in 1987, when Oakley jumped from being a humble mortuary assistant to a regional manager of the NSW Maritime Services Board. The move placed him in charge of an operating budget of $44.5 million.

His impressive titles continued until 2001, when the scam began to unravel. Oakley was the front-runner for an executive position with toll road developer Transurban. All was well until a board member expressed doubt over Oakley’s academic achievements. The board member had been the head of the university school where Oakley claimed his Masters degree was granted, but he had no recollection of Oakley.

Things went “legal” after that. It’s a small irony that individuals who can concoct and maintain such elaborate lies seem to have no trouble climbing quickly up the corporate ladder. Many are naturally intelligent yet for some reason lack that core value which all good leaders require - honesty.

The consequences of falsifying qualifications are not only litigious, morally or ethically reprehensible but also potentially dangerous. A former Qantas engineer will stand court next month for forging a maintenance engineer’s licence. They’re the people who service the engines.

I let the client go who had achieved a GPA of 20. Reputation is everything.