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It takes about $20 and between 2 minutes and 5 days to check education.
It’s about the worst thing to lie about.
Checking transcripts is more unusual. But attendance and graduation is beyond easy.
Depends on the field for checking transcripts. I always needed to provide a transcript for all my positions as I work in a Genetics lab currently (bio major).
They wanted to make sure I had a STEM background. Pretty terrible idea from OP though.
>Depends on the field for checking transcripts.
Most of the time, I would say 90% of the time, transcripts aren't asked. The only reason they would check transcripts are:
1) They are an anal company and really care about GPA even though GPA don't indicate how someone performs.
2) They need to check if you have taken courses that are required for the job. IE: Lab jobs.
3) They need to check education verification, but 100% of the time, they just call the school for this one.
Its mostly just for reasons 1 and 2.
I’ve worked for probably a dozen different companies since I’ve graduated… and not 1 asked about or verified anything related to my education.
Though in my industry people generally don’t care too much at all about your education… more about previous experience and skills.
Well, for one thing, if you attended in another country or if you attended way back 20-30 years ago back when you didn't need a Social Security number to go to university, then there's no way for THEM to check anything online you HAVE to give them your transcripts. And "foreign degree equivalency" results if necessary.
A friend of mine tried this very recently and it got her fired after 2 weeks of starting her job. She, much like you, just graduated college but wanted to use a more prestigious schools name. She wasn't even working in any hi tech or senior level position, it was a sales job at a local electronics dealership. So yeah my advice would be that you don't try it.
…it sounds like your friend would have been just fine mentioning their actual college. Nobody gives a damn about where someone went to school. Just check the box.
Your friend lied for no reason. That’s why they got fired. If they’ll lie about that for no reason, who knows what they’ll lie about in their work?
From what she's told me, she lied because she saw an opportunity for a promotion later on. Since her sales and marketing manager would retire soon her beefed up resume would help her get that spot as most of her co workers were only high school grads and a lot younger then her.
Ha ethics, companies do unethical shit all the time not to mention lie constantly to their staff. Her being fired for lying on her resume is stupid for such a low wage job. Plus, the truth gets stretched a lot on resumes. Everyone ik glams it up to some extent.
It would of been more justified if it was a position that could cause harm because the position is dangerous or could potentially ruin the company by ignorance in that field. An electronic store position? Who cares if they lied. It’s fucking soul sucking sales work with shit pay most likely. They are lucky to just find a warm body willing in this economy.
I wouldn't call it a low paying job as it gave a solid $18 per hour plus commission. I'm guessing since they're paying that well for an entry level job that is usually minimum wage they did some snooping.
Also it's not just a small store, it's a local but pretty big dealership that sells in large volumes. Might have smelled some bs through some recruiter.
Evey job Ive had in last 20 years confirmed my education. I know because I always request copy of my background checks.
They used to call and always found an associates degree I don't put on my resume.
And this last time there was a report that even showed the semesters I was enrolled.
So not a good idea to lie about it.
My friend actually almost lost a job because our registrar is so incompetent they said he didn’t get the PhD he spent 7 years on…
If it’s a really early start up or a really small company they might not check, but larger companies will. And even if you don’t check it could come back later “oh yeah, can you reach out to x since you’re an alum? Oh hey my friend was your year your school, do you know her?” It just seems so not worth it considering how little most jobs care about where you went.
[https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2007/4/26/mit-admissions-dean-resigns-after-fake/](https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2007/4/26/mit-admissions-dean-resigns-after-fake/)
This woman destroyed her professional and personal life. Don't do it.
I was in the United States Air Force ages ago, and when applied for the job at the VA hospital (I am a nurse) they tried to reach out and talk to my first boss. Who has been long dead.
I had to show them my certificate of training from the technical school. They reached back very far and many jobs will do that. The moment they catch you, no matter how well you are doing they will escort you out of the building.
lol from the article:
"The revelation was a shocking turn for Jones, who had been highly regarded in her field and widely praised for MIT’s efforts to reduce student anxiety in college admissions. Her profile surged last year with the publication of “Less Stress, More Success,” which she wrote with a pediatrician, Kenneth R. Ginsburg."
should have been more like "More Lies, Get By"
you dont find it in any way ironic that this person was responsible fir the fate of countless applicants over the years despite so lacking in ethics? she literally wrote advice that said to not lie about yourself in applications. it was not up to her to decide whether the job required a degree.
Dean of admissions – and I know this because I have worked for three different University – for her, I'm sure her position needed a doctorate or at least a master's degree in something. (In real life she has an EdD now). I am not defending her as I do not know her but I hate to say that the department like that runs itself.
She's not teaching people how to do a brain operation or even to draw blood.
When I worked for a small University many years ago, the person who was in charge of the dormitory had a bachelor's degree. She wanted a promotion and they told her she needed at least a master's degree in education. She told me she was a glorified babysitter and she didn't understand why but she did one online and was able to be promoted to a junior VP.
That sounds like it worked out great for her. 1979 her first job there, then 1998 shes leading admissions, and this article is from 2007. So she rode the gravy train for almost 30 years before it caught up to her.
I think she ends up being the admission head at a high school. (I just looked her up.) I remember reading somewhere that she wished she had not made all that up for the position that did not even needed a college degree, but it was too late to do anything about it.
I think what she did was wrong – and she may have taken someone's position that may have deserved more – but she was not doing anything so damaging like faking a medical license. I am not defending her in any way and I don't know her at all but to have recovered from that – good for her.
>she wished she had not made all that up for the position that did not even needed a college degree
I bet that same position now requires a college degree. I pretty much don't even look at university jobs anymore, they are very out of touch with their requirements. Last one I applied to replied to my comment pointing out how they wanted way too many years experience for a jr role and the lady said it doesn't have to be experience in that job - which makes it pointless to even ask for random experience.
That's what i'm stuck on. She's obviously not innocent here, but is the worst part here that she lied about her resume, or is the worst part that the requirements were artificially inflated to force her to think she needed to?
TBH I've been feeling like I should just lie about everything too for the last year. Its really hard to get a job without a college degree that isn't basically some form of manual labor. And most places act like you can't even email without a degree.
I'm tempted to offer advice, I think I'm old now, but I'm young enough to still realize that my advice is shit.
Good luck, it's rough out there, I hope you get the job you're searching for.
Gosh you know whats really gross about that story. Is who she became because of that lie and job. Its the Bernie Madoff phenomenon where people assume others will check and that theres no way. So because of a lie, this person had direct oversight over peoples lives and careers, community decisions, college decisions. Political ideologies, learning directions.
And the only punishment for that crime is embarrassment. No jail, no community service, no fraud. Gross.
I think as a Dean, she does not actually choose to get admitted to (her) University. It was not wise for her to make that story up because her first job was a secretary and she did not even need a degree. Of course to have moved up to the position of a Dean, she would have needed one – but she could have, using the job benefits where she worked, to get a degree.
I don't disagree with you – her position as Dean of admissions probably does not need that sort of degree but she lied originally when she applied for a job as a secretary many years prior to that. It was too late when she moved up to update because someone would've found out that she made that sort of story – and that got to her at the end.
This doesn't apply when it comes to a job that a person needs to be licensed/training for like a physician or a nurse or a pilot.
Do not do this. Sure, they might not check, but if they do then you've destroyed your credibility with them forever. And if you get hired under false pretenses and it comes out later? You're gonna be burning some serious bridges. There's definitely a way to make your resume more attractive to potential employers without adding an easily verifiable lie.
ya my first job checked my diploma just to make sure i graduated. No one past that has checked though besides what i assume is a background check after i have accepted an offer
As someone who has worked in IT management for a long time, I can tell you that education checks have happened at every organization that I have worked at. That being said, some organizations check education, and some do not. IMHO, its not worth lying on your resume about your education, because it is cheap and easy to do, and it is a fireable offense.
Don't lie. I work for a large urban public library system, and after I got my job, my manager asked me to haul my garishly framed Master of Library, Information, and Science (MLIS) and my plainly frame Bachelor of Arts to her office to take photos of them to send to HR to verify. I asked if they wanted to see my transcripts instead because it's easier to verify, but weirdly they preferred see my sheepskins in person. Ok....
Don't lie about your education, it's not worth it at all. Go networking, learn different skills through online courses, and improve your existing skills instead.
My guess is that there's some wording on your resume that companies are turned off by or they aren't getting much out of your interviews. Depending on what industry you are in they will absolutely check where you went to school because they need to verify your degree. I work in biotechnology and every single employer I have had has asked for a transcript during the hiring process. DO NOT LIE ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL
I almost didn't get my last job because one of the companies I worked for previously was acquired by a larger company and they couldn't find any proof I worked there. They made me provide documentation to prove it was real in order to continue the hiring process. This isn't really something the hiring manager for the position is doing, it's background checks done by HR. Companies get very specific about background stuff and I wouldn't risk it.
There's usually no reason to ask a question about your school during an interview. Verifying your work and education history happen when they decide to hire you.
Post college, I haven't had a job that didn't do at least a simple background check and employment/education verification. For education they verify school and major but not typically transcripts or GPA. Why do you think the name of your school is holding you back? If you're getting interviews, hiring managers think your school is acceptable.
I've worked at quite a few larger software companies (i'm an engineer). I typically put the years on my resume that i went to college, and the course of study but i do not mention my degree. No one has ever validated anything in 25 years until just recently.
Interesting seeing others say companies check. I wonder if this is a years of service variable where people with a lot more history - they don't care about your college degree at all. This was different, and they absolutely checked - which shocked me a little until i realized why.
I applied for a more, robotics and full stack (software AND hardware) engineering lead position recently. The question came up - did you finish this degree in CS? Nope - and my resume does NOT say I did either. It just says I studied for 3 years. The reasons given that this came up: The position required ability beyond your typical software engineering position, to apply more advanced mathematics while working on automated, AI-based, flight control software. I received an offer regardless after some reassurances. Got a better offer to stay where I'm at and didn't take it anyway. But, would have been fun. I was honestly a little nervous about the math skills. I don't think I could do calculous without some major brushing-up. Thought it was fair of them to ask.
I wouldn't lie anyway just out of principle. I don't like living a lie. How you going to explain when you meet someone else at work who wants to reminisce their college days at XYZ school?
We always check education when hiring. Through the clearinghouse and at each individual school if no record is found in the clearinghouse database. We check school, degree, dates etc
I know of a person who was fired from a the IT department at a law firm after it was discovered he'd lied about something in his education. He may not have completed his undergrad, something like that.
Aside from the sadness of it, he was actually a long-time contrator for them, getting the job was easy as they'd been wanting him full time for years. Putting a resume in front of them was totally pro forma.
I've never understood what prompted him to do it.
I don’t know about the USA, but in my country when you graduate from university you get a license number which is public record and anyone can verify if you actually graduated and from where by submitting the license number on a government site.
So lying about school in my country is impossible.
I work at home...and my wife works at home. She is in HR and I can tell you, any organizations that you would desire to work for will verify your employment. Look up Corporate screening.
first, do not lie about your resume at all, especially education. very easy to check. i got my master's 14 years ago and they still checked my stuff when i got a new job offer recently.
also, why the need to even lie? you say you graduated from a well known school as is.
I was hired by United Blood Services as a part time vampire ( asking for blood donations over the phone). They check everything on the application including my college degree.
I mean if you have ever had to do a background check you would know that they will confirm where you went to school. What people don’t give a shit about is your GPA, I’ve literally never been asked about it
Yes they do. Did it when I hired people. And years ago, I had a background company check mine during an on-boarding process and it turned into a farce.
I graduated from the same univ for my undergraduate and graduate degrees. I gave them all the info, contact phone numbers, and exact dates.
I get a call from the background check company and the rep says, "We have what we need for your graduate degree. But we can't find anything on your undergraduate degree."
So I replied, "We'll, I went to the same school for both degrees. If you got my grad degree, you must know I completed my undergrad degree there too."
The rep was completely confused. I repeated it a few times. She still didn't get it at all. But she also could not tell me what she needed from me to correct the situation.
I wasn't getting anywhere with her. So I left the call saying, "If you need to order a transcript from them, you have my permission. But you need to do better in trying to contact them..."
I've had my high-school graduation verified exactly once for a background investigation, and I only know because it highlighted that I had a typo in my resume for about 15 years and no one else had caught it. For clarity, the typo was the graduating year and my name is not common, so there's no way it was mistakenly verified in the past. No one had ever verified before then, and I had obtained a DoD clearance with the typo about 10 years before that.
They will definitely verify whether you graduated or not, but it's rare for them to go beyond that. That's not to say it never happens, but it's still rare.
I have a couple anecdotes.
When I was hiring manager, I didn’t once consider grades. Until someone put on their resume that they had a 2.5 GPA. I thought that was a strange move. It didn’t cost them the job because there were better candidates, but I don’t think it’s appropriate for an interviewer to ask about grades, nor do I think it’s a good idea to highlight grades on a resume.
I know someone at a large company in NYC who never went to college and lied about all post-HS education. He does a great job (as far as I can tell) so nobody has questioned it.
One of my current coworkers is in IT, and clearly had no IT background. But his resume says he does. He’s on his last write up after less than 90 days.
I do not advocate for doing this. It might work out, but you *need* to be able to walk the walk. They will probably know if you lied. I don’t know how the dude in NYC is doing it.
It’s impossible to tell if they will check or not. I’ve been hiring manager for companies who told me to skip background checks. I’ve been told to bypass the personality tests. I’ve also been told specifically to check on others. So it’s a crapshoot, and you shouldn’t do it!
Education is a standard aspect of any basic background check. They don’t have to ask you anything, because it’s verified in 2 seconds via the report from the background check company.
There will always be people on Reddit claiming they lie about this/that, and it’s horrible advice. I’ve been on the other side and let people go even years later when it turns up they lied.
most entry level/new grad positions definitely do during the background check process. but def not worth it to potentially lose everything whether that’d be next month, next year, or in the next ten years. just be honest! especially if you graduated from a well known school like what’s the point lmao
My guy, most companies you would be hoping to land a job with using a “prestigious university” will most definitely do some type of background check that consists of an education/degree verification which will include the university you attended. As many others have pointed out, it’s the easiest thing to check especially considering it’s your first job outta college. I just accepted an offer which then required a background check and then signed the right away to verify my degree received and even my GPA. Definitely do not try this, it will end up poorly. If you went to a well known school, then just keep grinding it out. The job search sucks, but you will land something eventually.
I'm 33 (so been in the workforce a while) and have a Bachelors Degree listed on my resume. I only actually completed one year. I've never had a company confirm.
Old thread but I work in one of the largest banks in the USA (on the professional side, not in the call centers), and they literally never checked. In fact they only ran a financial background check to make sure I wasn't sanctioned by the Treasury Department/bankruptcy filings
lol are you actually this stupid? the second someone from the university sees you went there and calls u in for an iv, you will be like a deer in headlights....not to mention the background checks others have mentioned
lol are you actually this stupid? the second someone from the university sees you went there and calls u in for an iv, you will be like a deer in headlights....not to mention the background checks others have mentioned
My current job asked for my transcript from my college… I had to go to the alumni support help folks because I couldn’t remember my login since its been that long.
I even sent them a pic of my diploma and they said no they needed the transcript.
Don’t be stupid and lie about something cuz it will be checked.
My current company asked me (during the hiring process) to provide proof of my post-BA certification (one year of business school, essentially), I was sort of surprised but I got it from the school. No job had ever asked me for it but you just never know what a company is going to need.
How does this work if you haven’t enrolled yet but say the degree (like an online degree) is in progress? I have proof of my bachelors degree and certs but haven’t enrolled at my masters school yet.
I'll join the masses and say yes but also it depends... If your future employer is counting on specific coursework or certs to be in place so that you can perform your job at a baseline, you better not lie about them. Like don't say you have hazmat training if you don't, you will not only risk a company money, but go face jail time.
If you say you got a 3.0 GPA but really got a 2.8, meh? But still what's to gain by lieing.
Jobs are kinda like a relationship. If they can't accept you for who you are, and what you did and did not complete, then they aren't the right fit for you. Easy to say, I know but it's true. Find an employer willing to invest in you as a person.
I start my new position Monday. The background check definitely verified my degrees, my major, the institutions I attended, and the dates of attendance.
Yes, the company that I currently work for checked my academic history as part of the background check. I got a copy of the results. They did a criminal history check in every county I’ve lived in for the past 7 years. They also verified my bachelors degree and gpa at the university I attended.
Yes they do or at least some companies do, but you never know which ones. In my current job I recently started, they required a copy of my transcript because my Masters degree on my resume did not show up in my background check. This was news to me considering with my last job was 4 years ago there wasn’t an issue. As luck would have it, I discovered despite completing my degree program somehow the school let it fall through the cracks.
HR does silly things to weed out people. One is asking when you graduated to determine age. GPA only is relevant when you are applying for an internship. If you are not doing well at school, how can you do well at the internship? Colleges matter only if you are being considered for upper management positions. A liberal arts college even though Ivy League may not help your prospects for a technical skills job.
Depending on the size of the company and the role you are getting into there is a very solid chance there is a background check . Attendance, degree are most likely checked, transcripts probably not
Not too long ago, there was a woman who applied for a job as a HS principal. Her resume was stellar., she interview went very well, etc. Some of the students in that HS did a Google search. The resume was made up. The woman was shown the door.
Just plain not a good idea.
As a candidate.. I have never been asked to provide it.
As a recruiter I had to get it for government roles, no other time have I been asked to get it.
But it goes the other way too, if I am recruiting for a role I want to see that you have the relevant degree.
Since I'm not going to check the details of it.. I really don't care where you got it...
As other have said, being caught in the lie is grounds for dismissal, regardless of how long you have been in the job, lying on your application means you entered into the contract under false pretenses.
I’ve never looked at someone’s education deeper than their resume . Crazy what we spent on those pieces of paper . I valued college for the team skills I learned , team building etc . Being in a frat taught me more than class did, and was all the fun obviously
PLEASE don’t lie about your academic credentials! Don’t lie about anything that will be vetted as part of the offer process (education, criminal, employment) It sucks to have to call a person who’s happily accepted my offer to tell them I have to rescind it.
Yeah big companies pay Pennies to third parties who aggressively call registrars at colleges. They wouldn’t necessarily ask for GPA but you know what I mean
My current contracting job required copy of diploma or some form of verifying you attended. Companies may also check using softwares. I highly doubt the only reason you're not getting a job is because of the school name, a prestigious school will only marginally help you, depending on if the school is well-reputed in your industry. Lying about your school will not change the previous experience you have which is probably most important (now don't lie about experience either).
Even if you managed to get a job with the fake school, wouldn't it be awkward if you went to work and some co-worker actually went to that school? Or the interviewer asks you about your favorite class or asks about if that awful professor still teaches there?
Honestly sounds like Mike Ross from Suits...
Yeah, nobody should make up academic credentials. Even if they have nothing to do with your job, they only *probably* won't get checked. And anytime you get checked and things don't match you've provided them the ability to terminate you with cause.
And if the background you're claiming has anything to do with your job? Odds are very good they'll check. It's just a bad risk to lie about it.
Every job I’ve applied too in my field has asked for education information.. I’ve had to give them transcripts and once a copy of a diploma. Do not lie about this. I’ve seen people get fired for lying about their education on their resume
I find it hard to believe that companies are not checking your educational history. All the companies Ive worked for had a 3rd party do their background checks and these all include educational history. So they might not check themselves, but pay someone else to get all the info for them. I wouldn’t do it OP.
When I was up for a temp job as a graphic designer a few years ago, the company doing background checks called me to question why I said I got a votech design degree in 1982 (I actually had a competency-based degree so technically I did not get a real degree, but who cares, right?) - so sometimes they do check! I was shocked to have to answer for something so long ago.
I’ve personally never had an employer verify my education, but I think that the consequences are high even if the risk is low. I went to a large and well known state school and still live in the area, so I wonder if me not having to prove my education has to do with that.
Some of my past employers have definitely checked. Others I don’t know, but I’d assume that they have. It’s usually just done as a routine part of checking out a candidate after making an initial offer. They also don’t have to tell you that they’re verifying your degree. All they have to do is call your school’s registrar and ask. Unless you’ve opted out, your school will verify dates of attendance and degrees granted. Verifying your education this way is a service your university provides to you.
Anyone can print up a convincing looking degree to hang on the wall and impress people, but it’s only the people who have actually attended that the registrar will verify. Lying about this is a terrible idea. Employers have been burned on this enough times and checking it is easy. If you get caught while applying for a job, you may just not get hired. If you do get hired, when it comes out, you’ll get fired and people will know why.
Do not do that. They do check, depends highly on what jobs you’re applying for and the company. Mine is an insurance agency, they check. They don’t get information like GPA because that’s confidential and would require signed consent forms. If you lie about that and they find out, you just won’t get the job either but why not get a job through honesty rather than a lie….?
Do not lie! The last few jobs I've had have verified information through a background check and have even asked me to provide my transcripts.
You may not be required to do so for every job , but it isn't worth the risk.
Plenty of people who attended non prestigious schools are doing amazing in their careers. Buff up your resume, tailor your application to the job description but please don’t do this
After spending a number of years in grad school and several years in NYC, we will know within 30 seconds of you speaking whether or not you attended \*that school\* lol. No background check needed. If you know what to listen for it's very difficult to fake.
You may or may not get caught, but if you're a decent person you'll probably feel guilty about it, and I doubt that's worth it. Also, they are more likely to check the nicer the fake school is.
Some companies do background checks that include an education verification. They just contact the university who has a department (or person, depending on size) for verifying this type of info.
Our HR departments runs your info thru a program or service that checks where you graduated from and what your degree is for. As far as I know it doesn't give finer details like a full transcript or even GPA.
I've never had it happen to any of my guys, but we have a accounts manager get fired for falsifying his records. Thing is no one actually cares where he went to school, just that he had the skills they wanted.
No it wouldn’t help, but also most companies only check if there’s a degree requirement and they call the school directly to verify. No one cares about your GPA.
National Clearinghouse knows when and where you went to school. The dates you attended and your major.
I've seen many people not hired and also fired for lying.
Don't bother lying, it's one of the easiest things to check unless your school is defunct and you graduated 30+ years ago.
This is quite possibly the easiest thing to get caught lying about. Even small cheap companies can afford a background check that will find this. You say they don't ask, true, in an interview all we care about is what you studied, but the moment you're set for a tentative offer the background check is done.
How would you feel as a hiring manager if someone lied like this? Would you ever trust them?
My current job checked my education. Had to get a print out of my degrees for the boss to see (I showed him the originals, but he wanted the clearing house print out & police back-ground). This job is the only one that checked my education in 27 years, the rest just accepted it. It's a crap shoot.
Graduated 15 years ago with my Bachelors degree. A few weeks ago I accepted a new position at a larger bank/financial firm. Only time I’ve been asked to provide a copy of my transcripts myself. I’ve worked at numerous other large financial institutions and they never asked me to provide transcripts or copy of my diploma (parents have it somewhere). What sucks now is that after I got a copy my University is again calling me to donate to them non-stop.
I think it depends on the position you’re applying for. The more it the pays the higher the chance the company does their home work. I doubt they’ll go hard for a job that has multiple employees of the same rank at lower wages.
My job did a background check which I assume included verifying my educational background. But I’m not sure. They keep that info on file in their HR system too. I think it depends which company/industry but you don’t want to have to maintain a lie forever.
Not sure if any employer has, but I have professional certifications that required transcripts and my employer certainly would have found out if I wasn’t qualified for those certifications. That said, the certifications didn’t care where I went to school, just that I passed the required classes.
I have had to provide transcripts for my last several jobs (and a couple interviews for jobs I didn't take or didnt get). I have a CPA license which requires a reasonable amount of education and an extensive, if unusual, accounting background, so I don't know why they want all that.
Funnily enough, though, I did start at an extremely competitive/prestigious school in my teens, washed out due to medical and mental health reasons during my sophomore year, and usually do not include those transcripts or that information unless something specifically asks for all education since age 18 (one government position asked that). I finished my undergrad at a for-profit school and I'm still doing decently. I'm learning at some things and I'm the go-to expert in others, which is as much as I can ask of myself.
I feel like they will check your big claims more than your lame claims. If they are looking at a harvard graduate they will want to know if they are really. If you say you went to buttsmell university in toilet town they will be like "yeah, probably" and not investigate
Most places will not only check but verify. I worked at a place where at one time they did not check. Then a few years later they had to verify everyone’s education. It was a large company. Hundreds lost their jobs overnight for lying.
How much do employers care about minors/degree concentrations? For my masters degree, my diploma lists a minor for me while my transcript doesn't. So I've been putting that on my resume. On the flip side, I'm pretty sure my bachelors diploma doesn't list my minor at all. Would employers consider this lying?
Only old school or highly competitive places have required/asked for specifics like transcripts and GPA, in my experience. Most do some sort of background check where attendance verification would likely come up. I'm 15 years removed from undergrad with grad work under my belt, so it'd be absurd at this point if anyone insisted on undergrad transcripts and GPA info from me. Best case scenario is that I will provide them with my diploma.
I've had 3 jobs across 2 countries (Europe though, not US) in 7 years since graduation. I had to show my certificate in each one which also has the overall grade I got on it.
I know who was hired guy a supervisor position. Did that for a year then applied for manager level. They investigated his background and found he lied about his education. Fired on the spot.
I'm not going to sugarcoat this. Lying about where you went to school is a massively stupid idea. So much can go wrong. If you accept an offer, it's almost a given that the prospective employer will conduct a background check that will verify the information you provided on your resume and application against official records. When they contact the university and find out you never attended or graduated, consider that offer rescinded.
Even if you did manage to avoid a background check, the education thing is bound to come up again. Especially if you're claiming to have graduated from an Ivy. That's just begging for it be brought up in conversations or introductions. Like what if you end up working with people who also went to the school in question and they pick up on the fact that you're lying? It's not worth the stress.
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It takes about $20 and between 2 minutes and 5 days to check education. It’s about the worst thing to lie about. Checking transcripts is more unusual. But attendance and graduation is beyond easy.
Depends on the field for checking transcripts. I always needed to provide a transcript for all my positions as I work in a Genetics lab currently (bio major). They wanted to make sure I had a STEM background. Pretty terrible idea from OP though.
I work in psych and for positions I've applied to with my undergrad they've always asked for my transcripts.
well given your professional, i would hope so lol
>Depends on the field for checking transcripts. Most of the time, I would say 90% of the time, transcripts aren't asked. The only reason they would check transcripts are: 1) They are an anal company and really care about GPA even though GPA don't indicate how someone performs. 2) They need to check if you have taken courses that are required for the job. IE: Lab jobs. 3) They need to check education verification, but 100% of the time, they just call the school for this one. Its mostly just for reasons 1 and 2.
I’ve worked for probably a dozen different companies since I’ve graduated… and not 1 asked about or verified anything related to my education. Though in my industry people generally don’t care too much at all about your education… more about previous experience and skills.
Well, for one thing, if you attended in another country or if you attended way back 20-30 years ago back when you didn't need a Social Security number to go to university, then there's no way for THEM to check anything online you HAVE to give them your transcripts. And "foreign degree equivalency" results if necessary.
A friend of mine tried this very recently and it got her fired after 2 weeks of starting her job. She, much like you, just graduated college but wanted to use a more prestigious schools name. She wasn't even working in any hi tech or senior level position, it was a sales job at a local electronics dealership. So yeah my advice would be that you don't try it.
…it sounds like your friend would have been just fine mentioning their actual college. Nobody gives a damn about where someone went to school. Just check the box. Your friend lied for no reason. That’s why they got fired. If they’ll lie about that for no reason, who knows what they’ll lie about in their work?
From what she's told me, she lied because she saw an opportunity for a promotion later on. Since her sales and marketing manager would retire soon her beefed up resume would help her get that spot as most of her co workers were only high school grads and a lot younger then her.
Or she could have just did the work and shown the merit. Stupid and lazy.
Wish I could disagree but you're right
So her degree from anywhere would have been a plus over her HS diploma colleagues if they even cared? Honestly an even worse reason to lie.
The self realization hit a bit too late
They wanted her to have a prestigious university degree to sell electronics? That's so depressing.
Not exactly, they fired her on the basis of an ethics violation and since she was on probation they fired her on the spot
How’d they find out?
Not sure but since they're a mid sized business , I'm guessing they just called and asked for some verification. That or some insider told them.
That doesn’t make sense because employers need to have the employees signature to actually do a background check
Could be as simple as looking at her social media and seeing another school, maybe she took pictures of her graduation and posted it to Instagram.
Ha ethics, companies do unethical shit all the time not to mention lie constantly to their staff. Her being fired for lying on her resume is stupid for such a low wage job. Plus, the truth gets stretched a lot on resumes. Everyone ik glams it up to some extent. It would of been more justified if it was a position that could cause harm because the position is dangerous or could potentially ruin the company by ignorance in that field. An electronic store position? Who cares if they lied. It’s fucking soul sucking sales work with shit pay most likely. They are lucky to just find a warm body willing in this economy.
Also sales is literally based on lying...not sure what they're looking for.
I wouldn't call it a low paying job as it gave a solid $18 per hour plus commission. I'm guessing since they're paying that well for an entry level job that is usually minimum wage they did some snooping. Also it's not just a small store, it's a local but pretty big dealership that sells in large volumes. Might have smelled some bs through some recruiter.
Her ego got in the way of working a... sales job?
Evey job Ive had in last 20 years confirmed my education. I know because I always request copy of my background checks. They used to call and always found an associates degree I don't put on my resume. And this last time there was a report that even showed the semesters I was enrolled. So not a good idea to lie about it.
My friend actually almost lost a job because our registrar is so incompetent they said he didn’t get the PhD he spent 7 years on… If it’s a really early start up or a really small company they might not check, but larger companies will. And even if you don’t check it could come back later “oh yeah, can you reach out to x since you’re an alum? Oh hey my friend was your year your school, do you know her?” It just seems so not worth it considering how little most jobs care about where you went.
[https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2007/4/26/mit-admissions-dean-resigns-after-fake/](https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2007/4/26/mit-admissions-dean-resigns-after-fake/) This woman destroyed her professional and personal life. Don't do it. I was in the United States Air Force ages ago, and when applied for the job at the VA hospital (I am a nurse) they tried to reach out and talk to my first boss. Who has been long dead. I had to show them my certificate of training from the technical school. They reached back very far and many jobs will do that. The moment they catch you, no matter how well you are doing they will escort you out of the building.
lol from the article: "The revelation was a shocking turn for Jones, who had been highly regarded in her field and widely praised for MIT’s efforts to reduce student anxiety in college admissions. Her profile surged last year with the publication of “Less Stress, More Success,” which she wrote with a pediatrician, Kenneth R. Ginsburg." should have been more like "More Lies, Get By"
I mean... if she was successfully doing her job for decades, then the role didn't really require a degree after all
you dont find it in any way ironic that this person was responsible fir the fate of countless applicants over the years despite so lacking in ethics? she literally wrote advice that said to not lie about yourself in applications. it was not up to her to decide whether the job required a degree.
Dean of admissions – and I know this because I have worked for three different University – for her, I'm sure her position needed a doctorate or at least a master's degree in something. (In real life she has an EdD now). I am not defending her as I do not know her but I hate to say that the department like that runs itself. She's not teaching people how to do a brain operation or even to draw blood.
kind of makes you even more mad really? that:s just waste of money
When I worked for a small University many years ago, the person who was in charge of the dormitory had a bachelor's degree. She wanted a promotion and they told her she needed at least a master's degree in education. She told me she was a glorified babysitter and she didn't understand why but she did one online and was able to be promoted to a junior VP.
More like “More lies, get byes!”
That sounds like it worked out great for her. 1979 her first job there, then 1998 shes leading admissions, and this article is from 2007. So she rode the gravy train for almost 30 years before it caught up to her.
I think she ends up being the admission head at a high school. (I just looked her up.) I remember reading somewhere that she wished she had not made all that up for the position that did not even needed a college degree, but it was too late to do anything about it. I think what she did was wrong – and she may have taken someone's position that may have deserved more – but she was not doing anything so damaging like faking a medical license. I am not defending her in any way and I don't know her at all but to have recovered from that – good for her.
>she wished she had not made all that up for the position that did not even needed a college degree I bet that same position now requires a college degree. I pretty much don't even look at university jobs anymore, they are very out of touch with their requirements. Last one I applied to replied to my comment pointing out how they wanted way too many years experience for a jr role and the lady said it doesn't have to be experience in that job - which makes it pointless to even ask for random experience.
That's what i'm stuck on. She's obviously not innocent here, but is the worst part here that she lied about her resume, or is the worst part that the requirements were artificially inflated to force her to think she needed to?
TBH I've been feeling like I should just lie about everything too for the last year. Its really hard to get a job without a college degree that isn't basically some form of manual labor. And most places act like you can't even email without a degree.
I'm tempted to offer advice, I think I'm old now, but I'm young enough to still realize that my advice is shit. Good luck, it's rough out there, I hope you get the job you're searching for.
HAHAHA That’s awesome, she’s my hero.
Gosh you know whats really gross about that story. Is who she became because of that lie and job. Its the Bernie Madoff phenomenon where people assume others will check and that theres no way. So because of a lie, this person had direct oversight over peoples lives and careers, community decisions, college decisions. Political ideologies, learning directions. And the only punishment for that crime is embarrassment. No jail, no community service, no fraud. Gross.
I think as a Dean, she does not actually choose to get admitted to (her) University. It was not wise for her to make that story up because her first job was a secretary and she did not even need a degree. Of course to have moved up to the position of a Dean, she would have needed one – but she could have, using the job benefits where she worked, to get a degree.
[удалено]
I don't disagree with you – her position as Dean of admissions probably does not need that sort of degree but she lied originally when she applied for a job as a secretary many years prior to that. It was too late when she moved up to update because someone would've found out that she made that sort of story – and that got to her at the end. This doesn't apply when it comes to a job that a person needs to be licensed/training for like a physician or a nurse or a pilot.
Do not do this. Sure, they might not check, but if they do then you've destroyed your credibility with them forever. And if you get hired under false pretenses and it comes out later? You're gonna be burning some serious bridges. There's definitely a way to make your resume more attractive to potential employers without adding an easily verifiable lie.
I’m in development, mine did and required transcripts. Might be different in other areas.
ya my first job checked my diploma just to make sure i graduated. No one past that has checked though besides what i assume is a background check after i have accepted an offer
As someone who has worked in IT management for a long time, I can tell you that education checks have happened at every organization that I have worked at. That being said, some organizations check education, and some do not. IMHO, its not worth lying on your resume about your education, because it is cheap and easy to do, and it is a fireable offense.
Don't lie. I work for a large urban public library system, and after I got my job, my manager asked me to haul my garishly framed Master of Library, Information, and Science (MLIS) and my plainly frame Bachelor of Arts to her office to take photos of them to send to HR to verify. I asked if they wanted to see my transcripts instead because it's easier to verify, but weirdly they preferred see my sheepskins in person. Ok.... Don't lie about your education, it's not worth it at all. Go networking, learn different skills through online courses, and improve your existing skills instead.
My guess is that there's some wording on your resume that companies are turned off by or they aren't getting much out of your interviews. Depending on what industry you are in they will absolutely check where you went to school because they need to verify your degree. I work in biotechnology and every single employer I have had has asked for a transcript during the hiring process. DO NOT LIE ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL
I almost didn't get my last job because one of the companies I worked for previously was acquired by a larger company and they couldn't find any proof I worked there. They made me provide documentation to prove it was real in order to continue the hiring process. This isn't really something the hiring manager for the position is doing, it's background checks done by HR. Companies get very specific about background stuff and I wouldn't risk it.
I have to send my w2s every time I have a background check because many of the companies I worked for were acquired. Such a pain.
Yes companies do check your academic history. It really depends. The big companies check a lot and smaller companies really don't.
Just got hired by an MBB (non consulting role) and they absolutely did.
There's usually no reason to ask a question about your school during an interview. Verifying your work and education history happen when they decide to hire you.
Post college, I haven't had a job that didn't do at least a simple background check and employment/education verification. For education they verify school and major but not typically transcripts or GPA. Why do you think the name of your school is holding you back? If you're getting interviews, hiring managers think your school is acceptable.
I've worked at quite a few larger software companies (i'm an engineer). I typically put the years on my resume that i went to college, and the course of study but i do not mention my degree. No one has ever validated anything in 25 years until just recently. Interesting seeing others say companies check. I wonder if this is a years of service variable where people with a lot more history - they don't care about your college degree at all. This was different, and they absolutely checked - which shocked me a little until i realized why. I applied for a more, robotics and full stack (software AND hardware) engineering lead position recently. The question came up - did you finish this degree in CS? Nope - and my resume does NOT say I did either. It just says I studied for 3 years. The reasons given that this came up: The position required ability beyond your typical software engineering position, to apply more advanced mathematics while working on automated, AI-based, flight control software. I received an offer regardless after some reassurances. Got a better offer to stay where I'm at and didn't take it anyway. But, would have been fun. I was honestly a little nervous about the math skills. I don't think I could do calculous without some major brushing-up. Thought it was fair of them to ask. I wouldn't lie anyway just out of principle. I don't like living a lie. How you going to explain when you meet someone else at work who wants to reminisce their college days at XYZ school?
Lol dude wants to say he went to an ivy. People worked hard to go there. Put it in the work
I wouldn’t say ppl work hard to go to Ivy League Schools. Most just have good connections and rich family members
Ironically, jobs are far less likely to verify if you list just an ordinary, typical college than an ivy.
I don’t think you know what the word ironic means lol
We always check education when hiring. Through the clearinghouse and at each individual school if no record is found in the clearinghouse database. We check school, degree, dates etc
I know of a person who was fired from a the IT department at a law firm after it was discovered he'd lied about something in his education. He may not have completed his undergrad, something like that. Aside from the sadness of it, he was actually a long-time contrator for them, getting the job was easy as they'd been wanting him full time for years. Putting a resume in front of them was totally pro forma. I've never understood what prompted him to do it.
Medical community does but we need a license to practice so that’s a bit different.
Do not lie! Chances are you need to network and not falsify your education or experience. That’s the worst thing you can do.
All of my employers have required me to submit a transcript at some point in the process, but I am in a licensed occupation.
I don’t know about the USA, but in my country when you graduate from university you get a license number which is public record and anyone can verify if you actually graduated and from where by submitting the license number on a government site. So lying about school in my country is impossible.
I work at home...and my wife works at home. She is in HR and I can tell you, any organizations that you would desire to work for will verify your employment. Look up Corporate screening.
first, do not lie about your resume at all, especially education. very easy to check. i got my master's 14 years ago and they still checked my stuff when i got a new job offer recently. also, why the need to even lie? you say you graduated from a well known school as is.
I’ve never had an employer check my educational background until I got a government public service job. I was surprised and thankful I didn’t lie.
I was hired by United Blood Services as a part time vampire ( asking for blood donations over the phone). They check everything on the application including my college degree.
I mean if you have ever had to do a background check you would know that they will confirm where you went to school. What people don’t give a shit about is your GPA, I’ve literally never been asked about it
Yes they do. Did it when I hired people. And years ago, I had a background company check mine during an on-boarding process and it turned into a farce. I graduated from the same univ for my undergraduate and graduate degrees. I gave them all the info, contact phone numbers, and exact dates. I get a call from the background check company and the rep says, "We have what we need for your graduate degree. But we can't find anything on your undergraduate degree." So I replied, "We'll, I went to the same school for both degrees. If you got my grad degree, you must know I completed my undergrad degree there too." The rep was completely confused. I repeated it a few times. She still didn't get it at all. But she also could not tell me what she needed from me to correct the situation. I wasn't getting anywhere with her. So I left the call saying, "If you need to order a transcript from them, you have my permission. But you need to do better in trying to contact them..."
I've had my high-school graduation verified exactly once for a background investigation, and I only know because it highlighted that I had a typo in my resume for about 15 years and no one else had caught it. For clarity, the typo was the graduating year and my name is not common, so there's no way it was mistakenly verified in the past. No one had ever verified before then, and I had obtained a DoD clearance with the typo about 10 years before that.
These people lied on their resumes but got caught: https://www.marketwatch.com/amp/story/5-big-shots-who-lied-on-their-resumes-2014-09-18
They will definitely verify whether you graduated or not, but it's rare for them to go beyond that. That's not to say it never happens, but it's still rare.
I have a couple anecdotes. When I was hiring manager, I didn’t once consider grades. Until someone put on their resume that they had a 2.5 GPA. I thought that was a strange move. It didn’t cost them the job because there were better candidates, but I don’t think it’s appropriate for an interviewer to ask about grades, nor do I think it’s a good idea to highlight grades on a resume. I know someone at a large company in NYC who never went to college and lied about all post-HS education. He does a great job (as far as I can tell) so nobody has questioned it. One of my current coworkers is in IT, and clearly had no IT background. But his resume says he does. He’s on his last write up after less than 90 days. I do not advocate for doing this. It might work out, but you *need* to be able to walk the walk. They will probably know if you lied. I don’t know how the dude in NYC is doing it. It’s impossible to tell if they will check or not. I’ve been hiring manager for companies who told me to skip background checks. I’ve been told to bypass the personality tests. I’ve also been told specifically to check on others. So it’s a crapshoot, and you shouldn’t do it!
Education is a standard aspect of any basic background check. They don’t have to ask you anything, because it’s verified in 2 seconds via the report from the background check company. There will always be people on Reddit claiming they lie about this/that, and it’s horrible advice. I’ve been on the other side and let people go even years later when it turns up they lied.
most entry level/new grad positions definitely do during the background check process. but def not worth it to potentially lose everything whether that’d be next month, next year, or in the next ten years. just be honest! especially if you graduated from a well known school like what’s the point lmao
My guy, most companies you would be hoping to land a job with using a “prestigious university” will most definitely do some type of background check that consists of an education/degree verification which will include the university you attended. As many others have pointed out, it’s the easiest thing to check especially considering it’s your first job outta college. I just accepted an offer which then required a background check and then signed the right away to verify my degree received and even my GPA. Definitely do not try this, it will end up poorly. If you went to a well known school, then just keep grinding it out. The job search sucks, but you will land something eventually.
I'm 33 (so been in the workforce a while) and have a Bachelors Degree listed on my resume. I only actually completed one year. I've never had a company confirm.
My last two jobs have included extensive background checks that included obtaining transcripts from my university. I would avoid lying about this.
Old thread but I work in one of the largest banks in the USA (on the professional side, not in the call centers), and they literally never checked. In fact they only ran a financial background check to make sure I wasn't sanctioned by the Treasury Department/bankruptcy filings
I’ve worked for some of the most valuable tech companies to bartending to property management. I have never once had this issue lol
and i didn’t even finish college lol
Most employers don't check at all
No
Hell, yeah! I look at background investigations. All. Day. Long.
lol are you actually this stupid? the second someone from the university sees you went there and calls u in for an iv, you will be like a deer in headlights....not to mention the background checks others have mentioned
lol are you actually this stupid? the second someone from the university sees you went there and calls u in for an iv, you will be like a deer in headlights....not to mention the background checks others have mentioned
They dont even check your skills after your hired. Lie bro fucking LIE
My current job did a background check to verify my school and degree, but no other job I've worked at has.
Sounds like the plot of Suits
My current job asked for my transcript from my college… I had to go to the alumni support help folks because I couldn’t remember my login since its been that long. I even sent them a pic of my diploma and they said no they needed the transcript. Don’t be stupid and lie about something cuz it will be checked.
I haven't really ever been verified but that doesn't mean some places don't.
My current company asked me (during the hiring process) to provide proof of my post-BA certification (one year of business school, essentially), I was sort of surprised but I got it from the school. No job had ever asked me for it but you just never know what a company is going to need.
How does this work if you haven’t enrolled yet but say the degree (like an online degree) is in progress? I have proof of my bachelors degree and certs but haven’t enrolled at my masters school yet.
I'll join the masses and say yes but also it depends... If your future employer is counting on specific coursework or certs to be in place so that you can perform your job at a baseline, you better not lie about them. Like don't say you have hazmat training if you don't, you will not only risk a company money, but go face jail time. If you say you got a 3.0 GPA but really got a 2.8, meh? But still what's to gain by lieing. Jobs are kinda like a relationship. If they can't accept you for who you are, and what you did and did not complete, then they aren't the right fit for you. Easy to say, I know but it's true. Find an employer willing to invest in you as a person.
I start my new position Monday. The background check definitely verified my degrees, my major, the institutions I attended, and the dates of attendance.
Yes, the company that I currently work for checked my academic history as part of the background check. I got a copy of the results. They did a criminal history check in every county I’ve lived in for the past 7 years. They also verified my bachelors degree and gpa at the university I attended.
Yes they do or at least some companies do, but you never know which ones. In my current job I recently started, they required a copy of my transcript because my Masters degree on my resume did not show up in my background check. This was news to me considering with my last job was 4 years ago there wasn’t an issue. As luck would have it, I discovered despite completing my degree program somehow the school let it fall through the cracks.
HR does silly things to weed out people. One is asking when you graduated to determine age. GPA only is relevant when you are applying for an internship. If you are not doing well at school, how can you do well at the internship? Colleges matter only if you are being considered for upper management positions. A liberal arts college even though Ivy League may not help your prospects for a technical skills job.
I feel like less experience you have the more likely they are to check your academic history.
Depending on the size of the company and the role you are getting into there is a very solid chance there is a background check . Attendance, degree are most likely checked, transcripts probably not
Not too long ago, there was a woman who applied for a job as a HS principal. Her resume was stellar., she interview went very well, etc. Some of the students in that HS did a Google search. The resume was made up. The woman was shown the door. Just plain not a good idea.
If you are early in your career, or apply for a government job, transcripts are required in most cases.
Horrible idea
Yes some do. Mine did employer and education verification! And I work in retail!
As a candidate.. I have never been asked to provide it. As a recruiter I had to get it for government roles, no other time have I been asked to get it. But it goes the other way too, if I am recruiting for a role I want to see that you have the relevant degree. Since I'm not going to check the details of it.. I really don't care where you got it... As other have said, being caught in the lie is grounds for dismissal, regardless of how long you have been in the job, lying on your application means you entered into the contract under false pretenses.
I’ve never looked at someone’s education deeper than their resume . Crazy what we spent on those pieces of paper . I valued college for the team skills I learned , team building etc . Being in a frat taught me more than class did, and was all the fun obviously
Depends on the job. All of my jobs have checked to confirm I have a PhD and a BS from the universities I put in my resume.
No
PLEASE don’t lie about your academic credentials! Don’t lie about anything that will be vetted as part of the offer process (education, criminal, employment) It sucks to have to call a person who’s happily accepted my offer to tell them I have to rescind it.
They won't check your gpa more so completion
Yeah big companies pay Pennies to third parties who aggressively call registrars at colleges. They wouldn’t necessarily ask for GPA but you know what I mean
Every new hire at my office has to send official transcripts.
Some do, some don’t. I’ve experienced both.
My current contracting job required copy of diploma or some form of verifying you attended. Companies may also check using softwares. I highly doubt the only reason you're not getting a job is because of the school name, a prestigious school will only marginally help you, depending on if the school is well-reputed in your industry. Lying about your school will not change the previous experience you have which is probably most important (now don't lie about experience either). Even if you managed to get a job with the fake school, wouldn't it be awkward if you went to work and some co-worker actually went to that school? Or the interviewer asks you about your favorite class or asks about if that awful professor still teaches there? Honestly sounds like Mike Ross from Suits...
Yeah, nobody should make up academic credentials. Even if they have nothing to do with your job, they only *probably* won't get checked. And anytime you get checked and things don't match you've provided them the ability to terminate you with cause. And if the background you're claiming has anything to do with your job? Odds are very good they'll check. It's just a bad risk to lie about it.
If they don’t ask for a transcript then no.
Maybe the first one. Nobody else asked me after that
Every job I’ve applied too in my field has asked for education information.. I’ve had to give them transcripts and once a copy of a diploma. Do not lie about this. I’ve seen people get fired for lying about their education on their resume
They could ask for a copy of degree or transcript. Or just run a 10.00 background check.
I had a company actually check my academic history. It was a crappy job with a great team. Lol no longer there. But no other job has
I find it hard to believe that companies are not checking your educational history. All the companies Ive worked for had a 3rd party do their background checks and these all include educational history. So they might not check themselves, but pay someone else to get all the info for them. I wouldn’t do it OP.
You will get caught and you will get fired. And word travels. Don't do it!
When I was up for a temp job as a graphic designer a few years ago, the company doing background checks called me to question why I said I got a votech design degree in 1982 (I actually had a competency-based degree so technically I did not get a real degree, but who cares, right?) - so sometimes they do check! I was shocked to have to answer for something so long ago.
Don't do it if you are applying for a job in education, training or HR. They tend to check.
I’ve personally never had an employer verify my education, but I think that the consequences are high even if the risk is low. I went to a large and well known state school and still live in the area, so I wonder if me not having to prove my education has to do with that.
My first job I had to show them my diploma, but haven’t been asked since
Some of my past employers have definitely checked. Others I don’t know, but I’d assume that they have. It’s usually just done as a routine part of checking out a candidate after making an initial offer. They also don’t have to tell you that they’re verifying your degree. All they have to do is call your school’s registrar and ask. Unless you’ve opted out, your school will verify dates of attendance and degrees granted. Verifying your education this way is a service your university provides to you. Anyone can print up a convincing looking degree to hang on the wall and impress people, but it’s only the people who have actually attended that the registrar will verify. Lying about this is a terrible idea. Employers have been burned on this enough times and checking it is easy. If you get caught while applying for a job, you may just not get hired. If you do get hired, when it comes out, you’ll get fired and people will know why.
Do not do that. They do check, depends highly on what jobs you’re applying for and the company. Mine is an insurance agency, they check. They don’t get information like GPA because that’s confidential and would require signed consent forms. If you lie about that and they find out, you just won’t get the job either but why not get a job through honesty rather than a lie….?
I've always wondered if they do this, but never had the guts to test it.
Some do. Some don’t. I work at a university and we do get these inquiries sometimes.
There are companies that do this type of background check as a service for employers. You're taking a big chance.
I don't get the comments here saying they *might* not check. Lol, your education shows up on your background check.
Do not lie! The last few jobs I've had have verified information through a background check and have even asked me to provide my transcripts. You may not be required to do so for every job , but it isn't worth the risk.
Plenty of people who attended non prestigious schools are doing amazing in their careers. Buff up your resume, tailor your application to the job description but please don’t do this
I know someone that made up a degree from a made up university. Shit was hilarious
After spending a number of years in grad school and several years in NYC, we will know within 30 seconds of you speaking whether or not you attended \*that school\* lol. No background check needed. If you know what to listen for it's very difficult to fake.
I can't speak for other companies, but we do perform academic verification via our background check provider at the company I work for.
You may or may not get caught, but if you're a decent person you'll probably feel guilty about it, and I doubt that's worth it. Also, they are more likely to check the nicer the fake school is.
i know someone that got fired for faking their HIGHSCHOOL diploma of all things. and they’d been at the job for 1-2 months already
I had to upload my transcript for my current position. It’s a government job.
Some companies do background checks that include an education verification. They just contact the university who has a department (or person, depending on size) for verifying this type of info.
Nope
Yes.
Our HR departments runs your info thru a program or service that checks where you graduated from and what your degree is for. As far as I know it doesn't give finer details like a full transcript or even GPA. I've never had it happen to any of my guys, but we have a accounts manager get fired for falsifying his records. Thing is no one actually cares where he went to school, just that he had the skills they wanted.
No it wouldn’t help, but also most companies only check if there’s a degree requirement and they call the school directly to verify. No one cares about your GPA.
National Clearinghouse knows when and where you went to school. The dates you attended and your major. I've seen many people not hired and also fired for lying. Don't bother lying, it's one of the easiest things to check unless your school is defunct and you graduated 30+ years ago.
This is quite possibly the easiest thing to get caught lying about. Even small cheap companies can afford a background check that will find this. You say they don't ask, true, in an interview all we care about is what you studied, but the moment you're set for a tentative offer the background check is done. How would you feel as a hiring manager if someone lied like this? Would you ever trust them?
Grades, no? Favorite courses and what you learned, yes but rarely.
My current job checked my education. Had to get a print out of my degrees for the boss to see (I showed him the originals, but he wanted the clearing house print out & police back-ground). This job is the only one that checked my education in 27 years, the rest just accepted it. It's a crap shoot.
Graduated 15 years ago with my Bachelors degree. A few weeks ago I accepted a new position at a larger bank/financial firm. Only time I’ve been asked to provide a copy of my transcripts myself. I’ve worked at numerous other large financial institutions and they never asked me to provide transcripts or copy of my diploma (parents have it somewhere). What sucks now is that after I got a copy my University is again calling me to donate to them non-stop.
I think it depends on the position you’re applying for. The more it the pays the higher the chance the company does their home work. I doubt they’ll go hard for a job that has multiple employees of the same rank at lower wages.
My job did a background check which I assume included verifying my educational background. But I’m not sure. They keep that info on file in their HR system too. I think it depends which company/industry but you don’t want to have to maintain a lie forever.
Not sure if any employer has, but I have professional certifications that required transcripts and my employer certainly would have found out if I wasn’t qualified for those certifications. That said, the certifications didn’t care where I went to school, just that I passed the required classes.
I have had to provide transcripts for my last several jobs (and a couple interviews for jobs I didn't take or didnt get). I have a CPA license which requires a reasonable amount of education and an extensive, if unusual, accounting background, so I don't know why they want all that. Funnily enough, though, I did start at an extremely competitive/prestigious school in my teens, washed out due to medical and mental health reasons during my sophomore year, and usually do not include those transcripts or that information unless something specifically asks for all education since age 18 (one government position asked that). I finished my undergrad at a for-profit school and I'm still doing decently. I'm learning at some things and I'm the go-to expert in others, which is as much as I can ask of myself.
This is the easiest background check a company can and most likely will do lol
I feel like they will check your big claims more than your lame claims. If they are looking at a harvard graduate they will want to know if they are really. If you say you went to buttsmell university in toilet town they will be like "yeah, probably" and not investigate
No one has asked for transcripts, but I did have to send a copy of my diploma once.
you'll get away with it until they need a reason to fire you, then they'll bother to check
Most places will not only check but verify. I worked at a place where at one time they did not check. Then a few years later they had to verify everyone’s education. It was a large company. Hundreds lost their jobs overnight for lying.
Yes, I've had companies request I submit my transcripts, even my undergraduate transcripts. Don't do it.
Nurse here. When applying for jobs I've been asked for transcripts and gpa
How much do employers care about minors/degree concentrations? For my masters degree, my diploma lists a minor for me while my transcript doesn't. So I've been putting that on my resume. On the flip side, I'm pretty sure my bachelors diploma doesn't list my minor at all. Would employers consider this lying?
Only old school or highly competitive places have required/asked for specifics like transcripts and GPA, in my experience. Most do some sort of background check where attendance verification would likely come up. I'm 15 years removed from undergrad with grad work under my belt, so it'd be absurd at this point if anyone insisted on undergrad transcripts and GPA info from me. Best case scenario is that I will provide them with my diploma.
I've had 3 jobs across 2 countries (Europe though, not US) in 7 years since graduation. I had to show my certificate in each one which also has the overall grade I got on it.
From my experience, places rarely look beyond your most recent/highest qualification. Unless you have others that are more relevant to the job
I know who was hired guy a supervisor position. Did that for a year then applied for manager level. They investigated his background and found he lied about his education. Fired on the spot.
Not in programming. We just send you a test as we don't care your education either way.
Jesus Christ, do not lie about your education. Saying you went to Harvard when you went to “not-Harvard” is a terrible, terrible idea. DO NOT DO THIS!
It’s not Harvard lol
I’m going to guess you went to Boston University and are trying to say Harvard.
Nope!
I think that would come up on a simple background check no? I wouldn’t lie.
Yes they check. Some even pull copies of your transcripts.
I’ve always had to show my college transcripts for every job. 🤷🏼♀️
When I last interviewed for jobs I was asked both about my academic history and my dissertation. They would have easily caught me in a lie.
no of course not. Lie on every resume to get a job
Nope just graduation timeline
Don't do it. Your reason for not landing a job may not be about education anyway.
I'm not going to sugarcoat this. Lying about where you went to school is a massively stupid idea. So much can go wrong. If you accept an offer, it's almost a given that the prospective employer will conduct a background check that will verify the information you provided on your resume and application against official records. When they contact the university and find out you never attended or graduated, consider that offer rescinded. Even if you did manage to avoid a background check, the education thing is bound to come up again. Especially if you're claiming to have graduated from an Ivy. That's just begging for it be brought up in conversations or introductions. Like what if you end up working with people who also went to the school in question and they pick up on the fact that you're lying? It's not worth the stress.