I currently work for a marketing company where we end up doing a lot of print and web production. We’re listed in the yellow pages, so we get phone calls from the public regularly. Today a woman called with an interesting request. She wanted to know if we could produce a university diploma and transcripts. Incredulous, I asked if she worked for the university in question, thinking maybe she meant some sort of design for a university’s diploma and printed collateral. She replied that she needed it for “novelty purposes”. Riiiiiiight. I said, “We don’t do stuff like that” then I hung up. I wish I had caller ID so I could publicly shame her. What a moron.
Every time someone applies for a job, their credentials should be checked thoroughly. I imagine that people fabricate and lie about this sort of thing all the time. We need to have more documentary proof in general because you cannot trust anyone when they tell you what they’ve done. Many people inflate their own experience and abilities and others just flat lie.
If I ever hire anyone I will want to see proof of work. I will call their employer, their references, and I will Google them. Then I will do a background check for good measure.
O_o Wow. I hate to think that people can be that deceptive. Then again, I suppose people like that rely on the rest of us to be so trusting.
I definitely google before an interview (whichever side of the table I’m on).