Resume Impossible: Food Lies! - And the Reprieve

Lying on your resume will be discovered and the larger the lie and the more famous or talented or intelligent you seem to present in a high- end job, the more likely you will be discovered in your lies. People, including supervisors and bosses, can become jealous and that state heightens suspicions about one's credentials and professional experiences. If you receive promotions, raises, praise, attention, and awards, you will likely be investigated.

Food Network's wonder-working food engineer ala Star Trek™'s Montgomery Scott was Robert Irvine. He could prepare a dinner for 1,000 with a sous chef, some volunteers and no food in the pantry. He learned these skills in Her Majesty's Royal Navy and learned them well. He was right out of the film Under Siege and looked like it.

However, he felt that this was not "good enough" for the "wealthy Americans" that he felt had so much money to burn. He felt below them or perhaps above them. He believed since Americans had wealth and power that he would need to lie to impress them. Thus, he followed bad advice and lied on his resume.

After two years, it caught up with him.

Chef Irvine was informed that his contract will not be renewed for Dinner: Impossible, a fine food show that teaches the viewer how to get things done and make them beautiful as well as tasty. His worst lie was to bring up the dead who could not testify (an old resume trick) -- He wrote that he had worked on the wedding cake of Princess Diana: an English fruitcake over 360 pounds. It had ornate and intricate side panels telling the history of the Royal Windsors/Spencers in icing. How delicious.

Chef went on to say that he'd been knighted by the Queen and owned a Scottish castle, had cooked for presidents and royalty around the globe and was a good friend still with Prince Charles. He admitted lying because he though America would not accept a sailor who could cook. We accepted Steven Segal as such, and he may not be even ABLE to cook!

Chef Robert Irvine will likely gather funds from investors that find him interesting and able to succeed because of bad press, and open up a chain of restaurants. Admitting his mistakes, he can still work and support himself. He may even become successful. That's the real America.

Being a fine sailor who can cook is indeed good enough. He proved he could cook a Dinner Impossible. Now he must prove his integrity.

Moral: Do not lie on your resume, because it is not necessary. Research your future employer and understand the corporate culture, before you apply for the job. Show that you can do the job better than they expect, because you have drive, integrity and know-how. You're a fast learner, you can take direction. You can do it, without false embellishments on your resume. Believe in yourself.

Unfortunately for adults that attempt to train their children in right and wrong and for career coaches that advise their clients to practice resume integrity and solid work ethics, Moral One above did not hold past the limp mediocrity felt to be achieved by Iron Chef Michael Symon for his short go at the cleavers on Dinner: Impossible.

Food Network was unhappy with the results of the new chef on the popular show. This likely had to do with veiwership decline and lowered revenue derived from sponsors. FN execs felt that something must change to keep the show alive.

Chef Robert Irvine received a reprieve in the form of hosting six additional episodes of Dinner: Impossible beginning broadcast on the air in April 2009.

Moral Two: When faced with possible failure, some bosses re-hire workers previously fired for duplicity and lack of integrity. The workers that have maintained integrity and productivity on their jobs are thereby punished by leadership inconsistency and resultant failure for integrity and good ethics to be rewarded. Morale declines.