Would You Lie To Get A Job? (Some May Have To)

When the editors at LinkedIn sent me this Washington Post article on the long-term unemployed, I knew it would be about the high level of hiring discrimination they're experiencing.

What I didn't expect was a staggering study statistic: only 1 out of 10 long-term unemployed tracked in 2008 had jobs in 2012.

Unemployed Professionals Are Like Houses That Can't Sell (Only Worse)

Reading through, you realize just how pervasive the "damaged goods" perception of those that haven't had a job in over a year are up against. It's like a house that has sat on the market too long - people stop looking at it because they assume something must be wrong inside. Eventually, the owner is forced to lower their price to a point it will re-attract interest. Sadly, the unemployed can't do the same. In fact, they often end up unemployed for such a long period of time because their past experience at a higher pay rate makes employers who have lower paying jobs assume they would leave the moment they got more money. Which, let's face it, is true. Everyone wants to be paid as well as they can be. Especially, when they used to make a higher wage.

Solution: Blind Taste Testing?

As people read the article, I'm sure the initial thought is, "Why isn't there a way to enable the long-term unemployed to compete for jobs based on their skills and abilities only?" No resumes or LinkedIn profiles that gave away employment status or dates. A sort of "blind taste test" to let the hiring managers choose a candidate based on their ability to do the job, without them knowing when they worked last.

Easier said then done.

FYI - Myself and some colleagues are working on such a process and we'll keep you posted!

However, since the current hiring process doesn't allow for blind taste testing of candidates, the next thought that popped in my head was a dark one:

How many of them will resort to creating a fake job and references?

Consider this: If you couldn't get a job after an extended period of unemployment, would you resort to lying so you could compete? Would you risk it?

As a career coach and former HR staffer, I can tell you getting caught lying about your work history often doesn't end well. It's grounds for termination, and then you have to explain why you got fired. I've worked with people in this situation and it's no picnic for them. They usually regret the lie when it comes back to haunt them. However, that's only the ones that got caught. I can't estimate how many folks survived the lie and were able to get back on track professionally.

If Lying Isn't The Solution, What Is?

I'd be very curious to hear from readers what they think a person who has been out of work an extended period of time can do to get a job? If there are any people who survived long-term unemployment out there who can share their success story, I'd particularly love to hear that in the comments below as well.

Never Forget, You're A Business-of-One

For those of us working, I hope the article is a stark reminder of how important it is to focus on developing a business-of-one mentality. None of us can ever assume our careers are set. Today, we must keep our professional brand current, engaged, and always focused on the next opportunity. I guarantee if you asked any long-term unemployed individual if they every thought they'd be in the position they're in now, they'd say, "Never in a million years."

If you want to read more of what I've written, check out my articles on Inc.com.

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