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> So, need to fill in dates on a resume. So, if have years in grad school and some more years in a Ph.D.-only slot as a prof, then how to account for that time on the resume? If put in the truth, then won't get hired. If just leave a gap, then won't get hired. If fill in the gap with the jobs before and/or after the gap or something else, then that's resume fraud.

If you put in a job or experience you didn't have, or lie about the dates, sure.

>Likely if just omit the Ph.D. in the section on "education", then that's resume fraud much the same as claiming a degree don't actually have.

This is the part I take issue with. Me? I leave off the "education" section entirely, as a high school diploma from a not very good high school with a poor GPA isn't going to help me any. It takes up space in that valuable first two pages, and doesn't convey anything that helps me.

But still, you /did/ get your BS, right? Putting that on your resume is no lie. if you put your BS on your resume, then have a five-year gap before your next job, I don't see how that's fraud, I mean if it's true that the PhD really isn't relevant to the job, for all the boss cares, you could have been making paper airplanes for that time, or reading about Napoleon.

From what I've seen? resume gaps are /terrible/ if they are current; e.g. if you have been unemployed for the last five years? yeah, you're gonna have to work for someone like me for a few years.

But if you were unemployed for five years, but were employed in the field for five years after that, and now you are looking for a new job? the big blank spot from way back when is not a big deal anymore, because the more recent five years shows that you are able to do the job.



I started looking in 1993 when I was a researcher in artificial intelligence at IBM's Watson lab. Before that I'd been an MBA prof; before that, in grad school getting my MS and Ph.D.; before that Director of Operations Research at FedEx.

In 1993-4-5, sent 1000+ resume copies, just simple, perfectly formatted, factually written, perfect writing and spelling, heard back only a very few times, got only a few interviews and no offers. I did nothing, but Nothing wrong. Nothing. I sent resumes to tech headhunters -- nothing.

All I wanted was a job, just a job, only a job. I would have swept floors. I just wanted a job. Did I mention that all I wanted was just a job? I didn't want to be unemployed. I did want to be able to pay for food, clothing, shelter, etc. I didn't want to dig into my savings and inheritance. I just, just, just wanted a job. But, I was 100%, absolutely, positively, totally, permanently unemployable at anything above minimum wage. That was 20 years ago. Now I am doing a startup. I've been a serious burden to my brother's family. All I wanted was a job. I could never get one.

My conclusion: Even in a STEM field, a Ph.D. is resume poison, worse than a felony conviction. You are just not wanted. It's as if you are hated.

Again, the problem was nothing about my personality, etc. E.g., before my Ph.D. in a two week period I sent a few resume copies, went on 7 interviews, and got 5 offers. No problem. After my Ph.D.? Stuck in academics or something very close and otherwise hated.




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