Career Expert Warns Workers To Lie About 5 Specific Things During A Job Interview

Have a job interview approaching and need some advice? Look no further than Career Coach Anna Papalia, an “interview expert” who says that lying can actually help in a job interview if you know what to lie about.

The interview process is tricky, and it can be hard to know how to handle these complex chats. Instead of covering exactly what you should say during a job interview, Papalia advised in a video what you should absolutely not say or do during an interview if you want to land the job.

Here are the 5 things you should lie about during an interview, according to an interview expert:

1. Where you see yourself in five years

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"Nobody wants to hear you say that you see yourself in grad school or getting married and having babies," Papalia said, even if it is the truth. Employers want to know how much you truly want this job and that you can see it as part of your future. "What we want to hear you say is, 'I see myself here at this organization,'" she added.

An employer also often wants to find out if you're ambitious. Do you have clear-cut, realistic goals, and how motivated are you to achieve them? This can help the interviewer determine if your values align with those of the company and how you might perform as an employee.

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2. Why you’re looking for a job

Even if your reasoning for wanting a new job is due to your hatred of your previous job, you might want to refrain from disclosing that information to your potential future company. “Say something like, ‘I’ve outgrown my position, and I’m looking for a new challenge,” Papalia advised. 

According to executive search specialist Leah Stevens, "You may feel your reasons for leaving are righteous and justified; however, the rule is simple — Resist the urge and NEVER badmouth a previous employer.  Why?  Simply put, it raises too many questions and leaves a negative impression.  The interviewer may even feel like you may have been part of the problem." 

Don't bring up the negatives; focus on the positives. An interviewer will likely prefer someone who looks on the bright side, or can at least make it seem that way to a stranger.

3. Your feelings about your current boss and co-workers

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“I don’t care if you work for the worst, most micromanage-y boss in the world. We don’t want to hear you talk about that in an interview,” she said. “Especially if you’re being interviewed by someone who might be your prospective boss.”  Employers want to know that they’re hiring someone who can get the job done, regardless of how they feel toward those they are surrounded by.

Your professionalism, emotional intelligence, and discretion are all being put into the spotlight. It's okay to briefly acknowledge differences or challenges that you had with others, but you can easily spin it into a winning statement. Talk about what you learned or how you grew from the situation.

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4. Your hobbies

Even if it’s true, you might not want to tell your interviewer that you spend all of your free time watching Netflix when you’re not working. “Please pick hobbies that sound professional and interesting,” Papalia encouraged. Listing hobbies that say something about your personal or professional life will help you stand out among applicants.

Additionally, the interviewer may be checking to see if you'll be a good personality and culture fit within the team. Even if your hobbies aren't super relatable, show some enthusiasm about them! Perhaps you can even teach the interviewer a thing or two.

5. Your job description and title

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In this case, it is appropriate to slightly embellish your resume and job duties to make you appear more impressive and more likely to get hired. “You can embellish it a bit, especially if you have been working above and beyond your job description and you haven’t been getting paid for it,” Papalia said. 

Use this opportunity to give some context to what's listed on your resume. Bring up your relevant and transferable skills from your previous experience, and explain how they could apply to the job you want.

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Megan Quinn is a writer with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in Creative Writing. She covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on justice in the workplace, personal relationships, parenting debates, and the human experience.