CV whoppers all over social media
His LinkedIN profile and curriculum vitae claimed he obtained a degree from Free State University.
Then he changed his profile to show that the degree was from Birmingham University.
However, the truth was he had no degree at all.
This senior employee at a large engineering consultancy is among a growing number of South Africans falsifying qualifications online – a massive challenge for employment agencies that use Facebook and LinkedIN to recruit new employees.
Experience had shown that a number of people who use these sites to promote themselves, embellished their qualifications or told outright lies.
“Another problem is the so-called degree mills which sell everything from high school certificates to PhD degrees for a few hundred dollars,” said Employers’ Mutual Protection Service chief executive Kirsten Halcrow.
She said EMPS, the country’s oldest background screening company, had last year uncovered the highest level of fraudulent qualifications ever.
“Between six and 10% of the qualifications are unverifiable for various reasons. Matric certificates are a problem in that they are the entry into the job market.
“Very often banks and cellular companies want applicants of all levels to have, at the very least, a matric. Trade certificates and international qualifications are also widely forged,” she said.
source article; http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2015/11/27/CV-whoppers-all-over-social-media