Massaging your résumé is one thing. Lying about it is another. And hiring a company to vouch for your fake job history seems to be a growth industry. Reporter Aaron Sankin discovered for $150, CareerExcuse.com will verify his “dream” job as an accountant for Thomas, Pickford & Thomas, an Austin, Texas-based equity research firm. If the website isn’t enough, a prospective employer can check Sankin’s credentials with his former supervisor Jack Ford.
The problem: the job, the company and even Jack Ford don’t exist. They’re all bogus–even though that would be hard to figure out if you were thinking of hiring Sankin. As Sankin exposes in his article in The Daily Dot, job alibi companies go to great lengths to help job-seekers fill gaps in their résumés. Blame it on the economy, but these companies work hard even if the job applicant hasn’t. They’ll set up websites, email prospective employers and generally confirm your résumé, true or not. (Sankin made up his fake job history to research his article.)
In this On The Marc Media Google Hangout, Sankin talks with Marc Silverstein about the ethics of the job alibi industry. Sankin reveals there are some things they won’t do. And watch the discussion about whether these companies thrive because employers don’t screen applicants closely enough.