"Victim of Circumstance"

Dear Boston Victim:

First of all, beware of the recruiter who gave you that advice! I've read many books for job seekers which give this same advice, and my head always spins when I think of the hornet's nest of trouble you could be getting yourself into.

It is standard for companies to have candidates for jobs fill out and sign an application form. The application almost always says something to the effect that "I certify that answers given herein are true and complete to the best of my knowledge. In the event of employment, I understand that false or misleading information given in my application, resume or interview may result in discharge."

In some fields employers can forgive inaccuracies in a person's background when it is later discovered. In an audit position, however, this is seldom the case. Auditors are supposed to operate on a higher plane of responsibility and ethics than other employees. The generally accepted thinking is that if an auditor will lie on his employment application, how much can this auditor's judgment and sense of ethics be trusted?

I know of an actual situation where an IS auditor got fired from a job where he had worked for two years because it was discovered that he had omitted from his application a job he had held for only three weeks. The new employer had the same outside CPA firm as the company which had briefly employed the auditor. The manager from the CPA firm recognized the auditor during a company visit and greeted him in the hallway. The audit director noticed this and asked the CPA how he knew the IS auditor. The story of the brief employment came out and the IS auditor was fired within the hour for not being totally honest.

My basic rule of thumb is that if you have chosen to be a part of the audit profession, you have chosen to uphold the highest ethics and standards of honesty. Otherwise you have no right to be an auditor.

Back to your basic dilemma, short of lying and misleading, what should you do to increase your chances of getting hired? The real issue here isn't getting hired that decision will be based on your qualifications, experience, skills and ability to perform a job. The real issue here, however, is how to get an initial interview. Many employers won't give you a chance to interview if they think you have been a job hopper. Many books recommend developing a functional resume which describes accomplishments and skills rather than focusing on the chronology of employment with specific companies. Unfortunately, for some employers this kind of resume has become a dead giveaway of a candidate trying to hide a poor employment history. It is still probably a more effective marketing tool than a conventional resume would be, given the situation.

If you are invited in for an interview based on a resume which doesn't show all the dates of employment, what should you do during the actual interview sessions and when filling out the employment application? Be honest, scrupulously honest. Don't say anything which isn't exactly truthful. Also, be prepared to volunteer the circumstances of your various job changes. You need to emphasize how important you realize it is for you to secure long term, stable employment. Your sincerity and determination may make just the difference to get you the job offer.

If you are not given the job offer, don't stop there. Write a thank-you letter for having been given the opportunity to interview with that company. You may just get a follow-up call in the future. If your rapport with the hiring authority was good, you may also feel comfortable calling and asking him or her for advice on increasing your interviewing skills. He or she may be willing to give you some valid tips or even a referral to someone else who is hiring.