Job candidate lies about having a partner in an interview for a family-oriented company, she gets the job, then panics about keeping up the lie: ‘They keep asking about my partner’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jan 31, 2026 6:00 PM EST

People lie in resumes and job interviews all the time, but what are they supposed to do after they get the job?

When you are on your job search journey, it's difficult not to be tempted to… improve your resume with credentials and skills you do not necessarily possess. If it helps to get your foot in the door, why not spruce up your experience?

Well, the main reason you shouldn't lie on your resume or during a job interview is that if you end up getting that job, you can never let go of that lie. From the minute you start your new job until the moment you leave for good, you will have to stay true to whatever you wrote on your resume or said in the interview. Getting caught in that lie will not only break the trust between you and your employer, but it might also affect your career forever.

The funny thing about the lie the job candidate in the story below told is that it had nothing to do with her qualifications or experience. After getting rejected for so long, this candidate decided she would say whatever she thought would help her get the job, even if it wasn't true. This led her to lie during an interview with a family-oriented company, saying she was in a committed relationship to make her look more relatable.

For some reason, that worked, and the candidate got the job. However, she now has to pretend she has a partner and keep the lie going with anyone in the company. They keep asking her about her partner, their weekend plans, and so on, and there is no way for her to just admit that the partner is not actually real.

Whether or not it was even appropriate for the company to ask about the candidate's personal life during a job interview is another question some are asking, but it's still too late for that. Now the new hire has to figure out how she can keep working at this company without revealing she lied through her teeth during the interview.

What do you think she should do? Keep scrolling to read the full story and share your thoughts in the comments below.

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  • Female job candidate being interviewed for a job
    via ijeab

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • I lied about having a partner during the interview and I got the job.

    I, (F) lied about having a partner during the interview. I did not think I would get this job and I was doing multiple interviews at once.
    via Revolutionary_Ad4581
  • I had been getting rejected for being truthful and I just decided to not be emotionally attached during the interview and lie through my teeth.
    via Revolutionary_Ad4581
  • The company seemed like a family oriented company and I thought that it would make me relatable.
    via Revolutionary_Ad4581
  • But now I'm feeling guilty and stressed out because they keep asking about weekend plans with my partner and want to know about the partner.
    via Revolutionary_Ad4581
  • I was planning on having a fake break up in June but it seems like a really long time to keep up with the lie.
    via Revolutionary_Ad4581
  • Thanks Update: Thank you for all the suggestions. (Some were really funny haha) I have learnt my lesson and will not lie again.
    via Revolutionary_Ad4581
  • I will try to set up boundaries and to not add onto the lie. Just to clarify, I did not lie about my qualifications or experience.
    via Revolutionary_Ad4581
  • (They did background checks).
    via Revolutionary_Ad4581
  • Job candidate shaking hands after being hired
    via svetikd

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Natural-Current5827 Tell them once you got this job, a relationship was no longer priority for you.
    via Natural-Current5827
  • PHOTO500 "I'm newly single" Offer no more info.
    via PHOTO500
  • Acceptable-You-4813 It was really inappropriate to ask personal questions like that at an interview
    via Acceptable-You-4813
  • principium_est These comments are goofy. You don't need an elaborate plan and a soft launch break up. This isn't reality TV with a script. If you ever get asked at the workplace (a normal small talk question). "I'm single" "Didn't you say you had a boyfriend?" "It didn't work out"
    via principium_est
  • [deleted] Just tell everyone that you don't like sharing much about your private life. That should be fine I guess.
    via [deleted]
  • mister_k1 just tell them you and your partner split, this is what partner in business do when things don't workout. edit: typo
    via mister_k1
  • Peliquin I would suggest that you plant the seeds of a rough breakup now. "We're taking space this weekend. We have some things to work through." "He's on another boys trip, they really enjoy them." Break up around Valentine's Day when he decides that "proposal is a long way off."
    via Peliquin
  • 4everqueen Who on earth talks about having a partner during interviews. And what kind of company dares to ask such questions if that was even asked.
    via 4everqueen
  • thistreestands Tell them it's long distance now then break up in June
    via thistreestands

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workplace-stories employee manager hired job job candidate relationships workplace family company job interview
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