Career coach shares three hilarious things you need to lie about in job interviews

Have you ever lied in a job interview? (stock image)

Have you ever spun the truth in a job interview?

Perhaps you've bragged about one too many A*s at school, or professed fluency in French when your vocabulary barely extends beyond 'Bonjour'.

While this may seem a tad shifty, one career coach jokes that lying before a new job starts can have some hilarious advantages, as long as you tackle it the right way. Kay Bray, dubbed as the 'Corporate Spirit Guide', took to Instagram to share her thoughts - and they've certainly left people baffled.

"Here are three things to lie about when you get a new job," she said, posting to her account @corporatespiritguide. "Number one, you have kids, no matter what. Those doctor's appointments that equals a lot of days off.

"Number two, you have two sets of alive grandparents - it's four funerals that you can attend if you need a day off. And last but certainly not least, you're a team player."

Kay's thoughts come almost five years after two in five Brits lied to take a day off, according to the BBC. This especially included 'pulling a sickie', which was far more common among youngsters than elders.

In 2023, the CIPD also claimed that employees were typically absent for 7.8 days - aside from holiday - rocketing up from the pre-pandemic rate of 5.8 days. Stress is thought to be a major cause of that, with 67% of cases linked to heavy workloads and 37% a result of 'management styles'.

However, Kay's approach to absence seems to have people divided, with some thinking it's hilarious and others branding it 'disrespectful'. One person wrote: "Please don’t use your grandparents if they have passed. I feel that is very disrespectful," as another chimed in: "I would never lie about anyone dying in my family. That seems like bad karma."

Another countered this, adding: "It's annoying how we have to lie about things like that just to catch a break omg."

Meanwhile, someone confessed: "My first job thought I was Jewish so I was always off on Fridays & Saturdays due to sabbath. My manager assumed because of my last name. You better BELIEVE I didn’t say anything."

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