CHICAGO — When Lizette Garcia was 17, she felt she had little choice but to lie on her resume to get jobs that would provide enough money to support her son and help her mother. She would embellish it with false details about her education level and the time she had spent at previous jobs. But Garcia needed the money and she was committed to learning the craft required wherever she landed, said the now-32-year-old mother.
Though it was stressful fearing she would get caught, she does not regret padding her resume because, thanks to those jobs at retail stores and banks and in car sales, she was able to support her son and attend college. Now an independent insurance agent, Garcia, of Palatine, values education but strongly believes that some companies fail to recognize the person’s commitment and desire to work that could make them a good candidate for the positions offered.
While Garcia is not exactly proud to have lied, “at least my job did not affect the lives of thousands of people,” she said. Never a political position, she laughed.
