Okay, so we’ve all heard about job applicants embellishing their CV’s, and the big trouble this can get you in later on. (Alternatively it could land you a job with Alan Sugar.) But have you ever thought that employers may be guilty of this too?

I have just arrived home from yet another interview. This time for a Marketing Assistant job at my university union. Because of my interest in marketing and PR, the title caught my attention, so I read on…

Duties include a full range of marketing, promotions and research opportunities within the Union Society. Previously, Marketing Assistants have carried out surveys, performed promotional distribution, sourced advertising for "The Courier", undertaken "mystery Shopper" exercises and have even been sent to rival venues for sneaky intelligence gathering!
An ideal opportunity to gain knowledge and practical experience in sales and marketing and to have a direct impact on the development of the Union. You must have exemplary verbal communication skills and an outgoing personality, be willing to approach anybody about anything! You must also have a definite "can-do" attitude.

Getting paid for some work experience, sounds good.

Okay, so I was a tad suspicious that some of my duties, should I get the job, may not be terribly exciting, but I thought it was worth a shot… so I applied.

Obviously, I made sure to big-up my appropriate experience and skills (and general keenness.) Communication, team-work, and organisation- they were all in there (with excellent examples of course.)

3 weeks later: I get a phone call offering me an interview, and so for the rest of the day I have an extra spring in my step.

Interview day comes around: First impressions are key; so I wear my smart togs (including heels, tall people get all the jobs apparently,) I do my research, reread the job description, go on their website, have some clever sounding answers prepared in my head. I feel good.

Along comes Mr Interviewer man, I smile, shake his hand, do all the right things. I’m poised in position waiting to impress him with all my great knowledge and experience. After the usual formalities Mr Interviewer man begins with: “We realise that the job description seems pretty varied, but your main duty will be flyering.”

I quickly realise that I must have a “you what” kind of look on my face and change it back to the obligatory smile.

So, this fantastic opportunity to gain “knowledge and practical experience in sales and marketing”, actually involves standing in the pouring rain for 4 hours whist everyone pretends you’re invisible. Being a Marketing Assistant doesn’t sound quite so appealing anymore.

I’d been hooked in by their cunning advert, and I had wasted a little bit of my life. (But, on the bright side I did get some more interview experience.)

And in case you’re wondering, I did get the job.