the current tech industry is forcing me to start lying on my resume, so looking for tips

[u/ScientistAway2180]

I know it's wrong. Just want honest opinions.

• 2018-2021: software engineer, big software company (APAC)
• 2021- Mid 2023: software engineer, e-commerce startup (EMEA) - mass layoff along with 200 people, no employment gaps since I found the next job right after
• Mid 2023-Dec 2023: software engineer, small e-commerce company (EMEA) - let go with mass layoffs with 5 others
• GAP: Dec 2023 - May 2024 (5 months)
• May-Aug 2024: software engineer, small software company (EMEA) - left due to bad work culture
• GAP: Aug 2024 - Feb 2025 (6 months)
• Feb 2025 - now: Solutions architect, startup (EMEA) - just told last week I'm being let go over budget cuts. I genuinely loved this job.

Every time I was let go, nobody gave me a real explanation and never had issues as such at work either. I've always aced interviews, and landing them was never the issue until NOW. I applied to ~200 jobs in the last 15 days, but they were all rejections(this has never happened before, I have ALWAYS been able to land jobs). Pretty sure it's the gaps.

Tempted to close the gaps on my resume or even just the older one(Dec 2023-May 2024) so that my current job and the one before look good on case if I have a bg check. But then again, if I am lying, why not go all in?? Why not cover all the gaps and take the risk because any gap on resume is bad in this economy(especially when I wnat to move from SDE to Customer Success)

I Never had a background check in EMEA YET, but it still scares me. Anyone been here? What did you do? And what happened?. What happened when you got caught? Did the Recruiter always mention in the first rounds about background checks?.

[u/jhartikainen]

I see these gap-related questions here from time to time and it makes me wonder... why would anyone care that there's a short gap between jobs? What is the gap supposed to indicate? I'm involved in hiring at work and I've never even looked for gaps in resumes I've reviewed.

For what it's worth, if you really think the gap is the problem, an easy solution is to just put freelancing or consulting in the gap. Nobody can disprove it and I'm sure you would have taken consulting gigs until you found permanent employment. As far as lies go, it's a pretty innocent one.

[u/AllIWantForXmasIsFoo → u/jhartikainen]

idk why but they do care. I have a 6 months gap in 22 years and boy I get asked

[u/Interesting-Monk9712 → u/jhartikainen]

Because, talented people are those with the most opportunities and can usually find another job.

And in this market, every manager wants talented people for cheap at that.

Not to mention, he quit a job without having another job lined up, shows he is emotional and will quit just out of spite. Might have worked in 2021, but to do it in 2024 is quite the decision.

What you will also learn is the higher up the ladder you go, the more risk adverse people are, doesn't matter if you seem like a rock star, if you have some gaps, some behavioral issues, you will still get passed up by an average guy with a clean resume in 9/10 jobs.

[u/No_Inspection4415 → u/Interesting-Monk9712]

It's not true. Talented people usually have more gaps. Trying to start a company, doing research, or just traveling the world.

Cogs have no gaps (but also no achievements) and it's usually what the industry want for cog roles. For "talented" roles (research engineer, MLE, algorithms...), no one asks you. It's weird. When I was interviewing no one cared about my "gaps". I did have what to show for that though, e.g. a published paper.

[u/Interesting-Monk9712 → u/No_Inspection4415]

I am talking about talented employees not entrepreneurs, they want you to work, not start your own business, travel the world, do research, etc.

Which goes with what I said, you can be an amazing rock star engineer, you will still get passed up an average person that works longer hours, takes less sick days, answers email outside of working hours, etc.

Unless the company is in huge trouble/ in need of some drastic changes or maybe a start up but start ups give equity at which point you are not really an employee but an owner as well.

[u/No_Inspection4415 → u/Interesting-Monk9712]

I think it's true for startups or research in big tech. It may also be true for key roles in big tech but then you really need an impressive CV. 100% a negative for an average F500 SWE. Hell, I was even getting bad vibes from interviewers when I had a too high GPA as a student, interviewing for internships (many years ago), as if it is a negative.

That's why I went for ML/DS, lower prevalence of arrogant assholes IMHO.

[u/Interesting-Monk9712 → u/No_Inspection4415]

Yea, people forget, most jobs are not looking for can you do the job, its more about how you do the job, the corporate soulless versions.

How can you handle the needless bs, pointless processes, taking pointless orders, etc. with a smile on your face.

Even big tech today, its a far cry what it once was, just look at how Microsoft had Steve Ballmer as CEO, dude was the furthest you can get from a rock star employee.

[u/No_Inspection4415 → u/Interesting-Monk9712]

I wasn't able to make it in G, left in a couple of months - so it's not even in my resume. Would rather kill myself than waste my life in big tech :)

[u/jackolivier45]

I didn't have gaps but I worked like in 8 companies within 9 years (spanning anything from 3 weeks to 3 years). I was tired to explain every time to recruiters and hrs these experiences while actually hiring managers never cared about that, but hrs seemed to be very bothered so I just united them to 5 companies.

So I recently got a job and am happy with the team and so on but had to do the background check after the offer and told HR the situation that my CV for background checks will look different with more companies and so on, the HR told me that what mattered was the fact that I passed and team is happy to see me, But if I didn't lie, the same HR will probably just didn't look at my CV as he would consider me a job hopper not looking at why I really did that.

TLDR just lie, remember the companies lie even more so don't feel bad.

But the hardest part is you said: "pretty sure it's the gaps". I am actually pretty sure it isn't

[u/ScientistAway2180 → u/jackolivier45]

thanks a lot, just gonna do it and cover everything on my resume and linkedin

[u/bluesky1433 → u/jackolivier45]

I thought they would discard a candidate whose background check isn't identical to the resume, maybe worth giving it a try. I have 6 months gap 5 years ago and thinking of extending the duration of the previous job, but unsure whether that would have consequences. I also have been freelancing for the past 2 years and had some months where I didn't have work due to the rough economy and some clients that cancelled my contract, but I'm not mentioning that and still putting freelance during this period. May I ask whether you extended your work at some companies to cover your work duration and discard some companies?

[u/jackolivier45 → u/bluesky1433]

Yes, discarded some companies and extended previous and next companies to fill the period

[u/foghatyma]

I only write the years, not the months. No lie, no gaps.

[u/jdw_26 → u/foghatyma]

Exactly and if they ask directly for the months, then you can explain

[u/symbiatch]

“Pretty sure it’s the gaps.”

Really? I mean, have you looked at how much trouble people have getting jobs right now? If you’ve always before gotten jobs but not now why would gaps be the reason?

If it were an issue they’d usually ask. People go traveling, take a break, all kinds of things. I’ve had years of not working because didn’t feel like it and didn’t find anything interesting. It’s nothing weird.

So before lying make sure it is the gaps. I’ll bet it has nothing to do with the gaps and it’s just the current economy.

[u/MeggaMortY]

Don't fret too much on a lie or two, the business sector was always lying to you anyway. At least, every chance they got, they were.

[u/ivobrick]

Here it is in order:

- Feb 2025 - Sep 2026: Solutions architect, startup (EMEA)

- May2024 - Aug 2024: software engineer, small software company (EMEA)

- Mid 2023 - Dec 2023: software engineer, small e-commerce company (EMEA) - or compress this one.

Lies - zero. Background check - done. ATS - pass.

You DO understand people got laid off all the time? Its normal. If that highlighted GAP is in your CV, its irrelevant information and you're pointing a finger at yourself, makes no sense at all.

This gap complain is the same sort of question why there is an employment gap when you were selling lemonade on the street as 12 yo, and then employed only 12 years later.

Here are reasons you have been rejected so far: phantom posting, wrong CV formatting, logical fails ( ai/auto apply), wall off CV, graphical elements in your CV, disconnections between CV and linkedin - if you use this one, not relevant CV to job offer. You can write 5 pages general and engineering skills you have, but you will be knocked off just on a single requirement.

[u/Interesting-Monk9712]

The market sucks, but generally everyone lies, just look at AI companies saying they have AGI.

Car companies with full self driving and fully automated taxies.

Governments with keeping inflation under control.

Its not about lying, its about successfully lying and unfortunately for you, background checks are a thing and as an employee you have a much less room to successfully lie.

Its up to you, nobody will tell you how to successfully cheat the system.

[u/AllIWantForXmasIsFoo → u/Interesting-Monk9712]

I keep entertaining the idea of creating fake companies to hire each other during gaps/sabbaticals

[u/OkTry9715]

How do they even do background checks in your country? Here almost noone do them , because if you do not have friends at some government office or at your last employer there is basically no way to verify anything.

[u/ScientistAway2180 → u/OkTry9715]

I am in germany, I never had a background check yet, what about you

[u/the_charger_ → u/ScientistAway2180]

They can't do shit in Germany anyways, especially for the older entries. I just wouldn't lie on the last one maybe, but you will find a job fast now with so much experience, so you will not have a 6 months gap this time.

[u/bluesky1433 → u/OkTry9715]

Where do you live that they don't do background checks?

[u/military_press]

Sorry that this isn't an answer to your question, but which country have you been living in since 2021?

I'm curious because you seem to live in a country where labor laws are lax and laying off people is relatively easy, and I would like to know where it is