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Annie Hayes

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The Couch?! Interview revelations – from whoppers to fibs

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Reflections

The Couch?! Team are investigating what makes us fib when being interviewed for a job we desperately want. What is it about interview scenarios that make people act out of character?

The occasional bluff is a natural human reaction to this high pressured situation but how far should you go? A survey carried out earlier on in the year by Office Angels suggests that our white lies also extend to the work place with an astonishing 96% of UK office workers admitting to fibbing when confronted with a tricky situation at work rather than facing the consequences.

So you guessed it this week we want to hear about your interview fibs. We have devised an ‘interview fibs’ top 10 to get you going. Perhaps the interview scenario has the opposite affect on you? Do you start confessing things your potential new employer just shouldn’t know? Does the interview make you reveal everything? Post your fibs/amusing anecdotes at the bottom of this article.

Top ten interview/CV fibs
1. I left the company due to relocation (Reality – you got really bored of your job so you just didn’t turn up one day and didn’t go back!)

2. I took a sabbatical to India to complete an ethnographic study. (Reality – you went on holiday with a mate)

3. Yes of course I can drive (you are still having lessons but you are sure you will pass your test the sixth time round)

4. I managed the department. (Reality – you let the cleaning lady in the morning if your boss wasn’t there)

5. My boss and I had a strong working relationship (Reality – you couldn’t stand him! This is why you left)

6. I was a regular team player (Reality – you got hammered with them once but spent most of the time avoiding them after an incident at the office party)

7. I don’t believe in relationships at work I find it extremely unprofessional (Reality – you had an ‘indiscretion’ with a colleague which didn’t turn out well and have been teased ever since)

8. I made a decision that this was the career path I have chosen (Reality – this is the only job you got an interview for – the rejection count is 35)

9. I sing in a choir (Reality – I got drunk one night and ended up making a fool of myself at the local karaoke bar)

10 . Your reply to ‘any other questions’ is ‘What is the development prospects for this role’? (Reality: you couldn’t careless about development but really want to know more about the salary and ask whether there’s any chance you can get an advance)

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Annie Hayes

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