Rant: Generation Y: Please stop lying on your resumes

[bfdd]

lol @ people saying running a WoW guild takes hard work, bullshit. I did that shit years ago with 40 people and it wasn't that hard then, now the shit is for smaller groups and easier? Yeah, anyone playing now doesn't have any organizational skills whatsoever considering PICK UP GROUPS clear content, 5 years ago that was unheard of.

Also, I didn't have it on my resume, but when I interviewed the CTO asked me if I played any video games, shooter or MMO, and if I had ever been a part of any teams. In which case I explained that a few years ago I used to lead a 40 man raid guild that did pretty well.

 

[Wordplay]

I played WoW and know what a time waste it can be. Definitely tell me your a gamer, that's cool. But telling me, you play WoW is equivalent to telling me you have gambling debts.

Why?

Also, it is ok if you didn't go to college. I actually prefer people with real world experience.

The HR people before you do care.

 

[Rage187]

Why?


The HR people before you do care.

Because you become less reliable when new content comes out.

And not really true on the college part. HR is instructed to value experience to years in college.

 

[TridenT]

I bet it's more challenging to run a successful WoW guild full of 14 year olds afflicted with ADD/Aspergers than it is to manage IRL people. Then again, WoW addiction can really affect workplace performance.

I'd imagine this is true too, especially if it's a high-end guild that does lots of very structured raids. Time tables and figuring out who you need and who you don't, etc.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

My experience with working with Gen Y'ers is that they tend to be all or nothing. Either they're straight shooters who work hard, learn fast, and are a real asset or they're total bozos with little in between. The hard workers we have a hard time keeping because they have to keep chasing ever higher salaries than we can pay as they are usually buried in student loans. The burners tend to get themselves fired within the first couple months by doing totally stupid crap that can't be overlooked like losing their driver's licenses to DUI or stealing company equipment or wrecking company trucks doing stupid stuff or surfing porn or parking placarded company trucks in strip joint parking lots or getting in stupid arguments with extremely highly paid subs over stuff they don't even understand* or basically not showing up for anything on time. Fortunately the bad employees reveal themselves quickly enough that we can cut our losses.

On the other end, baby boomers tend to hire baby boomers regardless of qualifications for the job. Since these folks have decades of experience in sucking up and BSing, it takes longer to figure out that they are worthless and even longer for baby boomer managers to figure it out.

Well said.

 

[SaDiZTiKStyLeZ]

I haven't lied during interviews since before I was looking for IT work. Sometimes I feel a little too overconfident with how well the interview is going and speak a little too honestly than what they were looking for. I usually don't realize this until I've shut my mouth.
Sometimes I'll get hit with the hard hitting technical questions immediately, and realize I forgot the details of it even though I had covered it in school flawlessly. That made me realize that even though I had covered it in the past, I should brush up on technical stuff, in addition to practicing on behavior/personality/general interview questions and seeking work. Which makes the job hunt, a job all in itself.

Over the summer while I was refreshing on stuff for net+ cert, I had a phone interview. First thing he asked about, was my first listed technical knowledge on my resume: DNS. Even though I knew I went over it a week or so before, I totally forgot what it was supposed to be. I apologized and explained, then think I kind of recovered by saying that if it's something I will be required to work with I have no problem brushing up on whatever is required for the job. Otherwise I felt I bombed the phone interview.
A week later he forgot he called me already, I smashed out and answered every question without flaw, it was excellent and I was proud of myself. Although I think he realized part way through interview we already spoke. I didn't hear back from him though... Second time he called the starting offer was $15 instead of $12 from the week before, found kind of odd, but bigger would always be better.

 

[SaDiZTiKStyLeZ]

Also in response to the WOW player. Depending on persons luck, connections and such, some wow players have gotten jobs based off their in-game experience: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.04/learn.html
That's still a rare event.

Being former and recovering WOW addict, I'd still scoff at an interviewee if they put that out there up front.

A couple times during interviews, I've gone off topic relating to hobbies and interests, but only if I saw opportunity, and felt that it would also be viewed as a nice addition to my working skill set in some way.

 

[ShawnD1]

You'd think HR would learn to see through the bullshit. The real fools aren't the ones submitting the resumes, but the ones hiring them. There's a massive pool of young talent out there who aren't getting hired mainly because they can't/won't BS and smooth talk their way through interviews.

This. Most of the talented guys won't get a second look because they are filtered out by HR interviews.

The stereotype of nerds and intelligent science people being weird is a well known stereotype. Do you know why? Because it's incredibly accurate. Really bright people who understand math and computers as well as you understand English (or other language) are going to be weird. That's just the way it is. Those people tend not to do well in HR interviews. The HR person is asking retarded questions like "name a time you thought or felt that a conflict between you or another could not be easily resolved through verbal or nonverbal communication". A hardcore science nerd that thinks in assembly language has no clue wtf was asked. Is that even a real question? Pass. They fail the HR interview and you never hear from them again.

The guys OP gets in his office are the ones who passed the HR screening. They did it because they are good at lying, or they can answer questions that are inherently nonsensical. Is anyone the least bit surprised when people who are good at lying and making shit up go into the OP's office to lie and make shit up?

Really smart technical people are like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgloGWshcj0

 

[Wordplay]

Because you become less reliable when new content comes out.

Couldn't that be said with any game?

 

[gophins72]

Really smart technical people are like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgloGWshcj0

that was very funny, lol

 

[frostedflakes]

This is probably why my resume looks so weak, lol. I know anything on it is fair game during the interview, so I'm not going to put something down unless I feel pretty confident in my skills and knowledge on the subject. Or if I don't have much knowledge or experience with something, just put "familiar with x" or something like that. But then that probably puts me at a disadvantage compared to other applicants that tend to exaggerate a bit in their resume. :hmm:

 

[Sluggo]

guarenteed contract till 2012

then 99weeks of obama unemployment,

By 2012 they will probably be giving out 208 weeks of unemployment.

 

[ShawnD1]

This is probably why my resume looks so weak, lol. I know anything on it is fair game during the interview, so I'm not going to put something down unless I feel pretty confident in my skills and knowledge on the subject. Or if I don't have much knowledge or experience with something, just put "familiar with x" or something like that. But then that probably puts me at a disadvantage compared to other applicants that tend to exaggerate a bit in their resume. :hmm:

I think the catch is to give yourself credit for shit you're supposed to do. For example, right now I'm involved in the expansion of my city's train system. Instead of stating that I have experience doing what I do, I should include that it's a multibillion dollar expansion and I'm working with hundreds of people on this. When I say I'm working with hundreds of people I mean I make some crappy little drawing and hundreds of people I've never seen before review it before it goes into the final specifications. It's not a lie as much as it is a very twisted and fucked up version of what really happened.

Instead of saying you lead a world of warcraft guild, say you spend your spare time helping mentally handicapped people coordinate group activities involving classic fantasy scenarios. Being a gold farmer = "experienced with commodity trading and future markets"

 

[MovingTarget]

thats what interviews are for

QFMFT. A resume is merely a guide. Only an interview can tell you whether a person is worth hiring.

 

[Rage187]

Instead of saying you lead a world of warcraft guild, say you spend your spare time helping mentally handicapped people coordinate group activities involving classic fantasy scenarios. Being a gold farmer = "experienced with commodity trading and future markets"

You sir, have the job. Seriously, if I asked what either of those things were on someone's resume and they gave those answers. Bam, top of the list.



As an aside. When we do catch you lying on a resume, we write LIED in capital letters and keep them on file. I work for a company with thousands of employees and offices all over the world. You don't want to be remembered as a liar by anyone, especially anyone who works or may work for industry giants.


And one more thing. Some of the positions I interview people for, require you taking a proficiency test. Google.com is not an answer to a technical question. I totally get you can find the answer to anything online, but that also means you are useless without Internet access.

 

[TraumaRN]

My experience with working with Gen Y'ers is that they tend to be all or nothing. Either they're straight shooters who work hard, learn fast, and are a real asset or they're total bozos with little in between. The hard workers we have a hard time keeping because they have to keep chasing ever higher salaries than we can pay as they are usually buried in student loans. The burners tend to get themselves fired within the first couple months by doing totally stupid crap that can't be overlooked like losing their driver's licenses to DUI or stealing company equipment or wrecking company trucks doing stupid stuff or surfing porn or parking placarded company trucks in strip joint parking lots or getting in stupid arguments with extremely highly paid subs over stuff they don't even understand* or basically not showing up for anything on time. Fortunately the bad employees reveal themselves quickly enough that we can cut our losses.

On the other end, baby boomers tend to hire baby boomers regardless of qualifications for the job. Since these folks have decades of experience in sucking up and BSing, it takes longer to figure out that they are worthless and even longer for baby boomer managers to figure it out.


*Clue for newbies: When your company is paying for a heavy lift helicopter at $2500-$3000/hr do not engage the pilot in non-essential discussions while the rotor is turning.

As a Gen Y guy I can say you hit the nail right on the head with my generation. I worked really hard to get where I am right now and more then a couple other Gen Y people at my job I just want to punch in the face repeatedly. They lie/cheat/stretch the truth just to win favor and/or not get in trouble. On the flip side I've always been a hard worker and am blessed with my current job as it's much much easier then my last and I'm so thankful for that. But I just wish my boss would hire more of the all type people then the nothing type people no matter what generation they are from.

 

[AdamK47]

You have a Generation Y persona as your avatar. Now you, sir, get outta here!

 

[soccerballtux]

If you say you design webpages, be prepared to show pages you have designed.
If you say you type 100 WPM, you will get a typing test just for my amusement.
If you say you code, great get ready to code during the interview.
If you bring code samples, don't look like a deer in the headlights when I wipe the comments out of your code and ask you what the code is written to do.

I don't know what it is with this generation, but outright lying on resumes and looking surprised when you get called to the mat; it's ridiculous.

Oh yeah, I don't care about your GPA. And running a guild in WoW is not something you should put as a "skill".

Also, don't ask me if I play fantasy football. I don't and I now know what you will be doing most of your day if hired.

/rant

yawn, just be happy you've got a massive pool of applicants thanks to the recession.

edit: also, GenX, quit complaining about how you raised us. Karma, dude, it's come around.

 

[Rage187]

You have a Generation Y persona as your avatar. Now you, sir, get outta here!

You see Spartan. I see space marine in front of the American flag.

 

[soccerballtux]

yawn, just be happy you've got a massive pool of applicants thanks to the recession.

edit: also, GenX, quit complaining about how you raised us. Karma, dude, it's come around.

why should they tell the truth if it won't get the hired? I mean, it's not like we taught them to believe there's a God or anything, haha what a stupid idea [tongue in cheek].

 

[Rage187]

yawn, just be happy you've got a massive pool of applicants thanks to the recession.

It's gotten tougher. Like panning for gold. Prior to the recession, you could pick out the golden nuggets my moving the pan around. Now you have all this sand in the pan that sticks to everything and ain't worth your time.

 

[CRXican]

I would be successful in all of the positions I've applied for but I never get an interview.

Perhaps I should start lying just to at least get to talk to a human being.

Fuck HR.

 

[soccerballtux]

It's gotten tougher. Like panning for gold. Prior to the recession, you could pick out the golden nuggets my moving the pan around. Now you have all this sand in the pan that sticks to everything and ain't worth your time.

What happened to training your employees anyways?

 

[soccerballtux]

I would be successful in all of the positions I've applied for but I never get an interview.

Perhaps I should start lying just to at least get to talk to a human being.

Fuck HR.

pretty much.

 

[sourceninja]

And one more thing. Some of the positions I interview people for, require you taking a proficiency test. Google.com is not an answer to a technical question. I totally get you can find the answer to anything online, but that also means you are useless without Internet access.

It is possible to NOT have internet access? *Shudder*

In all seriousness I did get a job because I answered google.com.

I was asked what I would do if I did not know the answer to something. I half joking replied "How can I not know the answer. I'm an expert at using google!" Everyone laughed and then I explained briefly how I like to research subjects.

I was told later that when they were looking back at applicants, my joke answer is what reminded them how well I 'meshed' with the group and got me the next interview.

On a side note, I find myself working out of my depth all the time. I'm constantly perusing new technology and if I didn't have internet access there would be a good quarter of my job I'd probably be unable to do. I'm a meticulous note taker and one of the first things I convinced my current employer to do was create a documentation wiki. Without the notes I've placed in that wiki or without google I'd be up a creek all the time. Even in my day to day development work I usually have a api reference page open or a window with search results on some kind of design method I'm considering.

All that said, I understand what you are saying. If it was a core job skill (say like configuring apache for someone running a web server) and you needed google to even begin to explain it then you are in some big trouble.