Successful Reference? Welcome to EA.
Next in this series of ‘Recruitment Advice in a Recession’ is prompted by several emails from our readers and this news report by Iain Lee, on the BBC One Show, about lying on a resume/cv. Take a look here for more context: http://tiny.cc/SPCJ6
As the economy struggles free from the grips of recession, unemployment levels are increasingly high across the globe. Finding a job is challenging. Pressures build on people, they have bills to pay, families to support, mortgages to pay. Hence increasingly pressure is building on people to be creative with a resume/cv and embellish achievements or responsibilities held in previous roles. But what are the consequences of getting caught?
Most companies today have ethical guidelines or values which they expect their employees to aspire and live by, (including EA). Common to those values is integrity. Lying on a cv is therefore a breach of those values. “Generally speaking, lying on your CV isn’t a criminal offence,” says Raymond Jeffers, chairman of the Employment Lawyers Association in the UK. “But once you begin obtaining money under false pretences because you have lied on your CV, then that is deception and fraud. It is a very unwise thing to do.”
What sorts of things do people lie about?
- Their age. Taking a few years off hoping this helps them gain interviews
- Their salary. Adding a few thousand to their earnings to boost their starting salary potential
- Their job titles. Becoming a Senior Manager or Director overnight
- Approximations eg equating that a Manager level role in a large company is the same as a Director role in a small start up
- Benefits. The discretionary bonus becomes a guaranteed minimum pay out of x thousand each year
- Company car The Ford Focus becomes an Aston Martin DB7
- Qualifications. Grade inflation eg having all ‘A’Grades. Gaining extra qualifications be it a Degree or Professional Qualifications
- Where you studied Becomes seemingly more prestigous eg Oxford College becomes Oxford University
- Successes. Team successes suddenly become individual successes
- Length of service with en employer. To reduce any gaps in employment, length of service with a company is lengthened
- Gaps in Employment Become gaps for travelling, study leave etc
- Disability. Hiding any disability eg epilepsy from employers in the hope this makes a difference
- Management experience. A team of 3 direct reports becomes 30
- Claiming to have set up an organisation / debating society is a favourite
- Claiming to have spoken at Industry Conferences / Events when they haven’t
- Hobbies. Elaborating hobbies to sound healthy & intelligent. Gym is a favourite, reading high brow books, working for charitable organisations etc
- Reason for leaving previous job.
Some of the above are obviously more serious than others. But all are a breach of the values of honesty and integrity.
Key to any decision about lying / embellishing on a cv is whether a person will get caught. Lying on CVs can be costly, a material falsehood on a CV could well be a fair reason for subsequent dismissal, even if discovered a long time afterwards. What’s more a serious lie in the UK earning someone a job they would not have otherwise obtained is seen as a criminal offence under s.2 of the Fraud Act 2006 -which replaced the traditional offence under the Theft Act of obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception.
One of the most famous examples in the UK is that of Neil Taylor: he produced a bogus degree certificate to secure the £115,000 position as head of the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust in 2003. After admitting the offence of obtaining a pecuniary advantage through deception, he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
The great thing about the games industry is that it is still small and most people know each other. Therefore, companies can seek opinions on applicants from their existing staff who have worked with them in the past. It’s a small world in gaming and everyone knows each other. Interestingly, more and more individuals publicly post their cv’s/resumes online eg on LinkedIn profiles, hence everyone can see what people claim to have achieved. Those ‘team successes ‘claimed as ‘individual successes’ suddenly become more hollow as friends and colleagues read the claims.
Many companies now take up references either directly or work through a Reference Checking agency. A switched on Company can ascertain much of the embellishments/lies listed above. It is never too late to catch someone. Even when starting a job, details can emerge eg lying about your salary will be picked up via the last employer’s pay slip, which when landing in the new companies accountants department hands, will immediately be able to clarify total earnings for the past year, ie that £50,000 being claimed is seen to be in reality £35,000! That £5,000 bonus was actually £500!
In the US most employers now hire specialist companies to carry out checks on potential employees. UK firms are following suit, hiring companies such as www. backgroundchecking.com. The checks vary between overnight checks making sure that temporary staff are who they say they are to an in-depth examination of everything from credit rating and national insurance to directorships and criminal record.
So, our advice is clear. Tell the truth on your cv. However much being out of work is painful or however much you want to impress to get your dream job. Lying on a cv is a form of gross misconduct, carrying instant dismissal. If this happens, a reference from the dismissing employer is free to state this, hence a future career may be wrecked. Hope this advice helps.
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I would really like to be a tester for Xbox/PS3, but i live in South Africa
I don’t see any information about working here?
Regards
Rory
Its my aim to work in your company….. I like to do animation… I completed BE in 2009 …. IS any possibility to work in your company… even you will give low pay also I will work in your company….Plz kindly provide any opportunity for me …
Its my aim to work in your company….. I like to do animation… I completed BE in 2009 …. IS any possibility to work in your company… even you will give low pay also I will work in your company….Plz kindly provide any opportunity for me …
I would really like to be a tester for pc/ds. i live in canada ont mississauga.
i wood really love to help the best way as i can. email me back if u wood like have me as part of your team.
thanks
Danny Waines
i really really really want to work for your company i am doing my graduation right now,expecting to burst into EA i want to be with EA i really really want to be with it.can i be an intern with EA?
I AM MADHUMAHESH FROM INDIA . I COMPLETED MY GRADUATION IN COMPUTER SCIENCE ENGINEERING.
I AM VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN GAMES AND I AM VERY MUCH INTERESTED TO WORK IN YOUR COMPANY AS A TESTER, I WILL WORK WHOLEHEARTEDLY AND PROVE MY TALENT .
i HUMBLE REQUEST YOU TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY IN YOUR COMPANY.
THANKING YOU
I would like to work for EA as a game tester, I’m currently in high school at Vancouver Technical Secondary.
I live in Vancouver, BC, Canada
Please email me if there is an open spot
Thanks alot
Avi Woodward
Hi dude, can i post articles to your blog ? Let me know if you are interested
Hi my name is Christopher Howell. I am currently in school at Westwood College online waiting to be a game development designer.I have a year and a half to go but i will be honor to work for EA. I have ideas that will change the way of gaming forever. Give me a open invitation and we can discuss some future accomplishments.
Email me if there is a open section in Game Development.
Thanks
Hello my name is DeAndre’ Ceasar. I have some college credit but did not graduate. I have had a few jobs but none have lasted 2 long. This may sound unresponsible, but i did not graduate and have been fired from jobs due to my addiction and passion for EA Sports games. I have been playing games since Dr. J vs Larry Bird, and would love to become a part of the EA family as a game tester or wherever u see fit within the family. If u hire me u will be getting not only a hard worker willing to put in countless hours in making sure the games are of the best quality, you will also be hiring one of your most loyal fans.
Please tell me it worked right? I dont wish to sumit it once again if i do not have to! Either the blog glitced out or i am an idiot, the second selection doesnt surprise me lol. thanks in your very good blog!
it was very interesting to read.I want to quote your post in my blog. It can?And you et an account on Twitter?
Hi I am from England and I was wondering how I go about getting an internship or a co-op ? To working for EA games in Vancouver. This would be my dream job because I am a really big sports fan (especially football/soccer) and I am really into art. My aim is to become a games artist and working for EA games I would of achieved my goal and also combined my two favorite hobbies.
Many thanks, Mark
I will visit your blog regularly for some latest Information.
Great info & slick design you gt here.
Long time reader, 1st time commenting.
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