Fifty-three percent of employers will verify a prospective employee’s college degree during the job application process, per Zety. That’s why a woman on TikTok warned job hunters not to lie about their college degree on their resumes.
Many job hunters are under the impression that employers do not verify college degrees. Resume editing coach Chelsea (@chelseangd) posed this question in a TikTok: “When was the last time any of you guys had an employer ask for a copy of your college or high school diploma?”
Sam (@wtf_is_a_budget) shares her thoughts on lying about such diplomas in a stitch that was viewed over 36,000 times before being removed from the platform. “Dude, they just do ask for a copy of it because they use a third-party service to verify it usually during your first week of employment,” she says.
According to Indeed, jobs do verify education through a third party or contact the school’s record office.
Sam claims it has happened to her twice.
“It happens behind the scenes without you knowing,” she states. “I only found out about this because I had made an error, like, a typo, switched up a couple of numbers in the constant information for one of my schools.”
“Just because you don’t know that these verifications are happening does not mean they’re not happening,” she continues. “They’re not asking you for a copy. You could fake that. “They’re going straight to the source.”
Sam emphasizes this in the caption, “Yall gotta stop this nonsense Just bc you don’t get asked for a copy doesnt mean they arent verifying your claims.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Sam via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment. Viewers in the comments section shared how employers have checked their education.
“My company even verified my highschool diploma,” one viewer said.
“I’m an engineer & I had to physically bring in my diploma,” a second commented.
Even a viewer who works for employment screening confirmed this. “We call your references, verify education, and call your past employers,” they shared.
Some viewers say their employers never checked
“No employer of mine has ever verified them,” one user stated.
“I didn’t finish college but I did go throughout the years of 2008-2012. I put that on my resume and no one questions it,” a second remarked.
Since only 50% of employers check, according to Zety’s data, it makes sense that Sam’s comments section is divided.
Why do companies do this and others don’t?
If the degree is relevant to the job, the company will likely verify it. “Certain jobs might require specific educational backgrounds and degrees to qualify for employment. In these cases, employers may need to verify the accuracy of school attendance and degrees that candidates present, often as part of a background check,” per ADP.
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