Facing a Tough Choice: Should I Risk Using a Fake Certificate for a Crucial Job Opportunity?

Hi, I know it is very rude of me to do this. I am an Indian. I lost my Mom at the age of seven, and my dad remarried. I have passed my 2nd Pu, but later on, when I was in my 2nd year, my dad got me married to an uneducated boy who didn't let me continue my education. After 18 months of marriage, I lost my husband in an accident. Four months later, I started working. Now I have a 4-year-old child. I'm earning only Rs. 6000, but it is not enough. I have 4 years of experience in customer services and counseling in educational institutes. Recently, I got a new job where they are ready to pay me Rs. 11000 per month. It's a complete patient coordination job in a hospital. Graduation is a must, and they have asked me to submit a photocopy of my graduation certificate. I have no choice but to provide a fake one. What should I do? Can a company take legal action if they find out? Please help; this job is very important to me.

Hi Sansim,

Just give them a fake one. If you tell them the truth, they will fire you, and even if you provide false information, there is still a chance they will verify and terminate you. So, take a risk and give them the fake details. In this selfish world, no one will listen to your truth. Just go ahead.

Dear,

First thing is that you made a mistake by telling them that you are gratis. However, there is a solution for the said matter: you can confess your mistake and tell the truth to your management.

Second thing is that you can continue your studies from where you left off. Remember, nothing is impossible in the world.

If you consider the suggestions of others, I wish you good luck.

Hi Sansim,

As a HR professional, I always wonder whether there is any relation between educational qualification and successful job performance. The way a task is performed has changed, but not the mindset of HR people and companies.

In your case, patient coordination requires a lot of empathy. So, if you ask me, the organization must test this competency among the candidates. Now, I fail to understand how a graduate (with no empathy) can be a better bet than an undergraduate (with tons of empathy). This is the problem with almost all organizations. They are simply trying to follow the grand old tradition.

So, ask yourself only one question: "whether I possess empathy or not." If the answer to this question is yes, then go on and submit a fake certificate. But if you do not possess empathy, then do not submit a fake certificate as you will never succeed in this job.

As far as the legal side is concerned, the employer can terminate your services at any time if he finds out about your fake certificate. You cannot challenge.

My advice is to perform your tasks so well that even if your employer finds out about your fake certificate, he will think twice before dismissing you.

Last but not least, never post this type of question in a popular forum like citehr. Who knows, your employer may be reading this!

All the best.

Dear Sansim,

It is very unfortunate whatever has happened in your life. Don't get disturbed. You can go ahead and join, but meanwhile, there are universities that allow you to sit for exams in one sitting and clear the graduation course, or a 3-year course, through distance education. Until you pass the degree exams, you have to maintain a low profile and try to manage. Please don't go Satyavadi's way and get humiliated.

Suggestion providers - Please understand her present condition (no mother, father remarried, no husband), what else can she do?

All the best, go ahead with full confidence.

Dear Sansim,

It's very easy to lie and submit a fake certificate, but think about your future. You will not have peace of mind. Whenever you get a call from management, automatically you will feel scared... i.e. who...did they know that I have submitted a fake certificate? After all, you cannot have a satisfying job, so it's better if you tell them the truth and be confident while doing so. Make them feel that even though you are not a graduate, you are fit for the job.

Good luck, yaar.

Hi, you are an Indian woman. Don't worry about these petty problems here. No one has enough time to spend their useful time on your certificate verification. I also work in the HR team, and we never go for the verification of certificates. However, you should be aware that your performance should be very good. After that, there is no possibility of any doubt. Never share this information in the workplace. Join your organization, enjoy your job confidently, and believe in the policy of "Don't worry when you see problems. Enjoy every problem as a new challenge."

Best of luck.

Regards,
Surjeet Gujjar

Dear Sansim,

Nowadays, background checks are gaining popularity. Today, if you take up a job by submitting a fake certificate, they may accept it without checking. At any point in time, if your future potential employers conduct a background check, you may be deprived of various opportunities. Are you ready to go through the frustration at that time?

I agree with the Super moderator that if you tell them the truth, you may not get this job, but things will work out for the better in the future. On the other hand, to hide this one fact, you may have to lie a thousand times in the future.

You may post your CV on this forum; maybe someone will be able to help you. Someone once told me, "If you are in a fix, think about how the decision will impact your life 5 years from now and act accordingly."

However, if you decide to take up this job by submitting a fake certificate, I would suggest you complete your graduation through correspondence along with your job.

All the best! Sia.

Hi,

Don't do this. It is unprofessional to submit fake certificates to get a job. If the company finds out that you have submitted fake certificates, they can take legal action against you for doing so. Instead, try to complete your education and apply for jobs.

It is sad to see HR professionals giving advice on submitting fake certificates. These days, most companies conduct background verifications, which include verifying certificates as well. If you haven't completed your education, be upfront and explain the circumstances. You should also consider completing your education. It is never too late to do so.

One of my esteemed colleagues has said something to the effect that qualifications have no real value. If education had no value, then people wouldn't pursue it. Education adds tremendous value to our lives; it broadens our horizons, changes our thinking capacity, our mindset, and enables us to look at situations from various viewpoints. So, saying qualifications and jobs don't go hand in hand is wrong. Qualifications are important as they help us understand the role we are expected to perform better and also understand what the role is all about.

So, samsin, be brave and tell your company the circumstances leading to your discontinuation of education and how you are willing to make up for the lost time. I am sure your company will be sympathetic to your situation and give you a chance to prove yourself.

All the best.

Hi,

It's an unfortunate sequence of events that you have been through, but perhaps it was the destiny of God. However, what you are intending to do is completely wrong. If the organization discovers that you have submitted fake documents at any point, they can terminate your services, which would be a very negative outcome.

As a suggestion to resolve your problem, you could speak with the Manager-HR or any other competent authority in your prospective organization. Clearly explain your situation and request a waiver in their hiring norms. This approach will ensure that your association with the organization is fair and stress-free.

Please do not submit any fake documents.

All the Best.

Dear,

We all understand your concern. For others who don't understand, only one question for them: "If youngsters in call centers can do this for their pocket money, why can't this guy do it for his living?"

Dude, you need to check first on what level the hospital is functioning. If it is on the lower level, definitely you can do it; otherwise, you will be in big-time trouble.

Dear, at no cost should you submit a fake certificate. I know at this moment you might be tempted to do so. But, dear, you have to look at it from a long-term perspective. You may get this job by submitting a fake certificate, but what if they conduct a background verification and fire you on grounds of cheating? Isn't that going to be more humiliating?

Secondly, the hardships that you have gone through are too much for a single person to take up. But, remember not to self-pity as it will only make you feel miserable. Instead, develop the courage, tell the truth to the management, and face it. Be confident and believe in yourself. Do not lose hope but keep trying for a job where they are ready to recruit you despite you not being a graduate.

Hi Sansim,

First of all, accept my heartfelt sympathy for all that has happened to you. I can understand what you have been through and how important it is for you to get a decent job. But dear daughter, I would advise you not to submit a fake document anywhere, anytime. It will leave you in a mental turmoil which may even be worse than you are going through. What if you are fired, and it becomes known around? You may not be able to get any job again.

Please be honest, tell your prospective employers about it, and above all, pray to God to help you out. I am sure it will work out for your betterment.

All the best,
Kawaljit

Dear Sansim,

I don't think you are making a mistake by giving a fake certificate. Because nobody in this world is without ever cheating someone. The main thing is you are making good use of it. Why should you worry? God is great. Believe in Him. Good luck :-)

I would like to answer the question asked by Richa. I am the person who said that there is no one-to-one relation between qualification and job performance. I never said qualification is of no use. Yes, it is of no use if it fails to produce the desired competencies. Our present educational system fails on this count. It gives us qualifications but no or little competencies.

Let me give you one example. An illiterate AKBAR was a better administrator than our HIGHLY QUALIFIED IAS OFFICERS. So do not confuse qualification with performance.

It is because of this rigid/illogical selection policy that most companies are not able to find proper talent. They are throwing DIAMONDS INTO DUSTBIN assuming that they are mere GLASS (because they do not have the qualifications as mentioned in JD). So what I am advocating is an open approach to selection.

Goleman mentioned in his book how the insurance company MetLife had rejected some candidates because they do not have the required qualifications as mentioned in the job description. But Goleman knew that they would succeed. So he persuaded MetLife people to take them. And what happened after 2 years. These diamonds who were thrown into the dustbin appeared as top insurance advisors.

In my life, I have learned a lot from people who do not have much qualification. (In fact, in my MBA days, I wanted to do my internship project with a PAN SHOP OWNER. But my institute did not approve it).

"It is sad to see HR professionals giving advice of submitting fake certificates. These days most of the companies do a background verification which includes verification of the certificates too. If you haven't completed your education, be upfront and explain the circumstances. You should also think about completing your education. It is never too late to complete your education.

One of my esteemed colleagues has said something to the effect that qualifications have no real value. If education had no value, then people wouldn't pursue education. Education adds tremendous value to our lives, it broadens our horizons, our thinking capacity changes our mindset and enables us to look at situations from various viewpoints. So saying qualifications and job don't go hand in hand is wrong. Qualifications are important, as they help us understand the role we are expected to perform better and also to understand what the role is all about.

So samsin, be brave and tell your company the circumstances leading to your discontinuation of education and how you are willing to make up for the lost time. I am sure your company will be sympathetic to your situation and give you a chance to prove yourself.

All the best."

It would be highly unprofessional and unethical of us if we, as HR professionals, guided an individual on a path which none of us as recruiters and managers look favorably upon. The lady in question has been through a lot, agreed. But wouldn't it be prudent on her part to talk to the managers concerned and explain her predicament? Also, she mentions that the employers are happy with her abilities and skills for the job. Imagine what it would be if they find out the reality maybe a couple of months down the line. Wouldn't her reputation be tarnished?

I am disappointed.

Dear Sansim,

No one is perfect in this world. You know you are taking a risk for a good cause to support your family. Family comes first, and it's everyone's right to work for a living. As far as I know, for a private job, you don't have to worry. Make sure you are not applying to any financial company. If you have cleared the interview, that means you are eligible for that job. Don't jeopardize your career in the name of a certificate. I have seen people who are worth less than a housekeeper holding an Engineering degree and big positions.

When you are taking a risk, ensure that you dedicate your best to the company and be gentle with your coworkers. Management should think twice before firing you. There are many study centers that charge very little and can help you clear exams. Make sure to find one.

Certificates are the only means for a company to filter candidates for interviews. Frankly speaking, I am using only 1%-2% of what I have learned in my 25 years of education. The average life expectancy nowadays is around 50-60 years. So, I have spent 25 years learning how to live my next 25 years. Life is the real school. Keep the ball rolling, and only then will you grow. Risk is everywhere, even while crossing the road. We should not block our minds with these so-called certificates sold by educational institutes. Nowadays, education is a business. I see people who have only completed the 3rd standard running engineering colleges. It pains every parent to pay 60,000 for pre-nursery, all to see good numbers on a mark sheet.

I wish you all the best for your future, and please ensure that your child receives a good education. Whatever I have told you is applicable to you as we can't change the past.

All the people who suggested not to submit a fake certificate, are they true to themselves? How many of us follow traffic lights at 2:00 am? None. At least, how many people got their driving license without paying a bribe? Sin is a sin, and we should be ready to reap its fruits. I give more importance to human values than these certificates.

Dear Sansim,

I am an HR professional, so I will never suggest such things. However, as you don't have any other options, I think you must proceed. By submitting a fake certificate, you won't harm anyone personally. Just make sure to prove yourself. In the meantime, focus on your studies and try to graduate as soon as possible.

All the best, and everything will work out. God will help you. Don't worry.

Regards,
Mangesh

Dear Sansim,

I would like to draft a warning letter regarding a CHEATED MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. He changed the medical certificates by extending the date of sick leave from 13th March 2010 to 15th March 2010. Could you please help me draft a formal letter?

Thank you.

I completely empathize with your situation and congratulate you for putting up a brave front against all the odds of your life. My sincere suggestion to you at this point in time would be to be honest with your current employer. I know that's not easily done, but PLEASE LOOK AT THE LONG-TERM EFFECT of this. In case they come to know about the facts, it might not only lead to termination but will also affect your career in the long run. Your reputation as an employee would be at stake.

Maybe you can look for the right opportunity to disclose this to your employer (perhaps after you win over their confidence with your honesty and dedication)... maybe at that time you can tell them how badly you needed the job.

ALL MY BEST WISHES TO YOU!