Because it can be paid in tuna and catnip and who cares if it falsifies its academic records, it’s cute!
New Orleans City Business: City investigating resume claims of IT chief
The city of New Orleans is investigating allegations that Anthony Jones, the interim director of the Office of Technology, falsified his academic credentials … “[The New Orleans Metropolitan Crime Commission] received some information that brings into question some of the academic credentials that (Jones) has asserted that he has, said NOMCC director Rafael Goyeneche. We have asked the city to review his application forms and resume to determine if he has the qualifications he alleged when he was given that promotion.
The city is being asked to review one of its own?! Jones will have a PhD from M.I.T. at the end of that investigation. So, how bad was the resume embellishment?
In a 2005 resume on file with the Department of Civil Service, Jones claimed to be six credits away from earning a bachelor of science degree in information systems from Tulane University. His enrollment in Tulane has been questioned and is being investigated.
In an updated 2007 resume, Jones does not list Tulane University under education. Instead, he writes he is scheduled to graduate with a bachelor of science in business management from the University of Phoenix by spring 2008. He has yet to earn that degree, according to the city.
Even as a holder of multiple degrees, I believe that a college degree neither makes a person nor overly qualifies him or her for a job, especially in IT where talent and experience count more than a piece of paper. Several of my friends have degreees in philosophy, economics, linguistics or simply high school and are heads of their IT departments, CIOs and beyond. They’re smart and capable and that’s what got and kept them in their jobs. Who wouldn’t rather have an honest high school grad overseeing their data servers over a dishonest crony? Moral of the story: Jones simply had to have been honest and competent to hold this job and his lack of degree wouldn“t have mattered.
In other news, Oklahoma City unveils public safety wi-fi.
Hell, IT is where I’ve met the most auto-didacts who have advanced themselves. Private company certifications made it possible to get a stamp of approval. Entry level jobs could be had by demonstrating competence. When I was a bit plumber/pc mechanic most of the people I worked with who’d done a two year at the local community college couldn’t figure out which end of the screw driver was sharp. They had absolutely zero problem solving skills, which is what’s most important in a job like that. Best hire I ever made was a guy who went to the state championships in car repair (they had such a thing in Minnesota) while in high school. Give him something broke and he could fix it.
Like my first internet sig said (too) long ago:
— just another english major turned sys admin
Competence is not the issue. The applicant is required to have a degree in order to apply for the position and he lied about it. Lying on an application is never acceptable and for most employers is grounds for dismissal.
from:
http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/lying-on-a-job-application-or-resume.html
Is it Legal for My Employer to Fire Me for Lying on a Job Application or Resume?
An employer has every right to fire an employee for lying on a job application or resume. The employer has hired the employee as well as entered into a contract with the employee based on information provided in the employee¿s application or resume. If some of these facts happen not to be true then the employee has misrepresented himself to employer and the contract can be considered invalid.
Are There Any Other Consequences to Lying on a Job Application or Resume?
Not only can an employee be terminated immediately upon finding false information in an application or resume, but the employee can also be treated unlawfully by the employer and not be able to hold the employer liable. In other words, if an employer wrongfully terminates an employee because of the employee¿s religion or some other non-work related personal factor, the employee may not be able to hold the employer liable if the employee got the job in the first place by lying on a job application or resume. An employer cannot successfully use this defense in every circumstance.
If an employee lied on a job application or resume, the employer must prove in court that the false information provided was a contributing factor in the employee getting the job. In other words, the employer must show that the employee lied about some aspect that would illustrate his capability for performing the required job tasks, and that the employer would have not hired or at least fired the employee had it found out earlier.
What I am saying is that Jones just had to have been honest and competent to hold this job and his lack of degree wouldn’t have mattered.