Re: covering up your PhD credentials?



On Mon, 13 Aug 2007, Russell wrote:

On Aug 13, 4:48 pm, Aging_Recycled_Scientist <bike...@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Some family member suggest I cover up the PhD credentials on my resume
so that I do not appear overqualified. On some other science career
forum that will remain nameless it was suggested to do so could be
construed as fraud and grounds for immediate dismissal. I was a bit
taken aback by this possiblity. Is it indeed fraudulent to include
all the relevant work history information except for that god forsaken
PhD degree?

I've been following that discussion, but have foresworn further
posting in the unnamed forum. :-) But IMO I think it is silly
that leaving something positive (a PhD as opposed to a felony
conviction) off should be considered fraud.

Where this is a problem is if they ask you, specifically, whether you have been convicted (etc) of any crime and you have but you say you have not.

The other very serious issue is if they do one of several background checks (and you can google on that and see that it is a big business, and Choice-Point [one of many that got hacked], among others will come up). The questions are: what does your credit history look like (said to be the number one check they do), your drivers license history, any drug use history, and I've seen application forms where when you sign it you understand that they are going to look (and even for dumb convenience store jobs). A WSJ article I've meant to talk about says there are internet services out there that will look for dirt on you and for people who really need to worry about this, maybe they'd better be aware of this.
I don't know if you could do as well just googling your own name, but I wanted to look up someone not far from where I live and he came up in a public database of citations for doing something without a permit. You might consider this, too.

There is also the sad situation where guys do some shoplifting under one or more instances of bad judgement and the employer gets this on video tape and calls the guy into the office and makes the guy sign a confession then fires the guy but all that goes into a database and they say it stays there for three years, or something, but they will not prove to you in any way that it doesn't stay ther forever. And, if the guy doesn't sign the confession, then they fire the guy and prosecute the guy in court. This was also in a WSJ article many years ago.


Now if they require
you to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth
to get the job, then so be it, but otherwise I basically agree
with Alexy. Of course, potential employers probably disagree
with me. The practical question is what do you say about all
those years while you were in school, etc.?

It is interesting that our society gives so many of us no
upward mobility but then even denies us downward mobility,
except were that mobility is a quantum step to living under
a bridge.

Too many people prefer to ignore those lumps that indicate dirt swept under the rug and pretend that they don't exist or otherwise show no
curiosity about them because they can't face that truth you just
stated in that last paragraph.

Asst professors that get denied tenure have a difficult time if they ask, at the next institution where they apply, why the guy got denied and maybe even make telephone calls to snoop....and get information that you'll never get the chance to cross-examine.

Cheers,
Russell


.

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