This Trump official created a fake Time cover to score the job
Many people may have embellished their successes to score a job, but few have created fake magazine covers.
However, according to an NBC News investigation, an official in US President Donald Trump’s administration allegedly did just that.
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Deputy assistant secretary in the State Department’s Bureau of Conflict and Stability Operations Mina Chang made out that a seven-week course at Harvard was a Harvard education, allegedly invented a role for herself on a United Nations Panel, and created a fake Time cover with her face on it.
A Time magazine spokesperson told NBC that the cover was “not authentic”.
Chang also said she had addressed Republican and Democrat national conventions, and her alleged experience only aroused suspicions when she was considered for a major promotion that would have seen her in charge of a US$1 billion budget.
The revelations come as concerns about the vetting process within the Trump administration grow.
Ronny Jackson was line to be the head of the Department of Veterans Affairs last year when it was discovered that he had allegedly been drinking on the job while operating as a doctor.
And Trump campaign volunteer Taylor Weyeneth was also fired last year after it was found he had scored a senior job in the government’s drug policy office without having any relevant experience.
But the president has defended his administration’s vetting process.
“If you take a look at it, the vetting process for the White House is very good,” he said earlier this year, after another official was removed over questionable qualifications.
“But you're part of the vetting process, you know? I give out a name to the press, and they vet for me. We save a lot of money that way.”
Why you shouldn’t lie on your resume
According to the managing director of Hays in Australia and New Zealand, Nick Deligiannis, it’s never worth lying on a resume.
“There have been a few rare instances where we have caught people out, and one untruth revealed casts doubt on everything else the candidate says,” Deligiannis said.
“We have a thorough screening process in place to check a candidate’s background prior to putting them forward for roles,” he explained.
“This is essential because organisations need to employ the most suitable candidate, capable of performing the duties and responsibilities of the role.”
He said recruiters will check information and also seek samples to confirm skills, and ask questions to determine if the candidate has the necessary behavioural traits.
Recruitment firm Robert Half director Nicole Gorton echoes his words.
“While a jobseeker might not always have the implicit intention to deceive prospective employers, bending the truth on a resume, or in a job interview is a dangerous path to take,” she said.
“Even minor embellishments have consequences that can come back to haunt professionals throughout their career.
“If they’re successful in securing the job, and get caught later, it will most likely result in termination, damage the candidate’s reputation, and eliminate the option of obtaining a positive reference for future employment.”
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