Fake CVs and degrees: tough action will remove blight on industry, recruiters say

Jail sentences and big fines planned to stop people using fake qualifications

TEACHER/LECTURER: The average salary in UAE is Dh9,000 with lows of Dh4,000 and highs of Dh21,000. Headteachers earn an average of Dh46,000 with highs of Dh75,000. University staff are typically well paid, with assistant professors and full lecturers earning between Dh20,000 and Dh40,000. AFP

FLIGHT CREW: Salaries for cabin crew and aircraft technicians range from Dh6,000 to Dh23,000. Pilots can usually secure between Dh20,000 to Dh60,000, depending on experience. EPA

FOOD AND DRINK: The average salary for a bartender, waiter or supervisor is Dh4,000 to Dh5,000, rising to Dh7,500 to Dh8,500 for managers. Chefs and head chefs can expect to take home between Dh6,000 to Dh38,000. Hotels often provide staff accommodation. Hollie Adams / Getty Images

ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING: A flooded market with basic accountants often earning Dh5,000 to Dh10,000. Senior auditors can earn Dh30,000 or more. Accountants who move into finance and management can expect significantly higher salaries. Getty Images

CONSTRUCTION: Engineering jobs have been hit hard by a downturn in the sector, but it remains a skilled and respected profession. Junior salaries for site inspectors and engineers begin at a few thousand dirhams, rising to Dh45,000 or more for construction managers. Gulf Talent says salaries in Saudi are higher than the UAE in some roles. Sammy Dallal / The National

NURSES: The true heroes of the pandemic, these professionals worked around the clock to treat patients and save lives. Salaries range between Dh4,000 to Dh14,500 and can be higher for senior nurses in higher-end private hospitals. AFP

HEALTH AND SAFETY: Health and safety has become a key priority. Junior roles in this sector can take home, on average, about Dh5,500 a month. That rises to Dh22,500 for managerial positions. Victor Besa / The National

HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR: Non-medical staff are currently in demand as the role of managing patients, their documents, payment and test results is increasingly crucial. Salaries vary but can be in the same region as nurses. Reem Mohammed / The National

CYBERSECURITY: The threat posed by cybercrime has never been more real, with the sale of financial assets, documents and medical records a lucrative business. Systems analysts and software engineers can earn Dh25,000 or more, rising significantly for those with high-end cybersecurity experience. Unsplash

HR, MARKETING AND FINANCE: Senior roles in these managerial classes vary significantly, but are generally well paid and often come with performance-related bonuses. Gulf Talent lists HR manager and HR business partner salaries at up to Dh42,500. An HR director of a major firm can earn twice that. Getty Images

SALES AND MERCHANDISING: As the economy slowly picks up, the retail sector will be looking to fill key roles again soon. Gulf Talent lists sales staff salaries from Dh1,500 to Dh3,500. A sales merchandiser can take home twice that each month. Paulo Vecina / The National

HOTELS: A duty manager at a hotel can earn anywhere from Dh6,000 to Dh26,000 per month. Front of house staff, including concierge, can take take home between Dh1,500 to Dh9,000. Staff accommodation is typically provided. Sarah Dea / The National

LEGAL: Lawyers and legal advisors can earn between Dh7,500 to Dh37,500. That rises to more than Dh53,000 for legal counsel positions, though the average sits at about Dh20,500. Jeff Topping / The National

OFFICE ADMINISTRATION: Jobseekers for secretarial and receptionist roles can expect salaries ranging from Dh2,500 to Dh8,000. Personal assistants and office managers fare better, from Dh4,500 up to Dh22,500 for higher-end firms. Getty Images

Tougher penalties for people who use fake CVs and degree certificates to land jobs will clean up the job sector, recruiters said.

Job sector experts said they had seen fake university degrees and fabricated certificates in applications in recent years.

On Tuesday, the Federal National Council passed a draft law to punish people who use forged qualifications.

Such applicants could soon face two years in prison and a fine of up to Dh500,000 ($136,000). Under existing laws, someone could be charged with fraud, but such prosecutions are rare and members said there was a need for a specific legislation.

David Mackenzie, managing director of recruitment firm Mackenzie Jones, said the proposed legislation will deter unscrupulous job-seekers trying to gain an advantage over honest applicants.

People using a fake degree mistakenly or unknowingly could be fined up to Dh30,000 and could spend up to three months in jail.

Mr Mackenzie said qualifications are more important than experience and aptitude of candidates in the UAE job market, a practice that pushes many to use fake certificates.

“There is a reason it happens more often here than anywhere else in the world. To become a manager here, you have to have a degree,” Mr Mackenzie said.

“It’s part of the visa requirement and that’s why people feel the need to create fake degrees.

“It’s very much a cultural thing here. A degree is an entry point whereas in other countries, like the UK, degrees are less relevant to employers than experience in the marketplace.”

Mr Mackenzie said the new law will help candidates who are actually qualified to do the job.

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“It’s a blight on our industry and also on those people who have worked long and hard to obtain a degree,” he said.

Dodgy online universities with misleading titles take advantage of gullible students, he said.

“It’s very common for people here to want to study at legitimate universities from other countries,” Mr Mackenzie said.

“Some of these degree courses get a bad name because fake degrees are created with similar sounding names to try and trick people.

“Instead of being issued by Oxford University, for example, it will be called something similar, like Oxford University Campus, to mislead people into thinking it is genuine.”

Mr Mackenzie said he has met candidates who tried using fake degrees to get a job.

But potential employers could be more meticulous and prevent the use of fake degree certificates, he said.

“You can get certificates attested in embassies as well as check out the websites of the university that has issued the degree,” he said.

“You can log in, type in their names and dates to verify their claims.”

He also said bigger companies are better placed because they use advanced software to verify the authenticity of documents.

Companies often outsource reference and background checks to third parties.

Ian Jenkins, head of Middle East and Africa for recruiters Carter Murray, said using forged qualifications was not common in the UAE and less likely in the case of senior professionals.

“Once a candidate has a decade-plus of experience, their degree becomes less important and their experience speaks for itself,” said Mr Jenkins said.

"If a candidate had previously used a fake degree, it would probably become obvious by the time they reach director level and that would stop them rising to a leadership position.

“If anyone is thinking about this or similar deceptions in a hiring process, I would strongly recommend against it as you’re very likely to get caught. It will cost you your job and your reputation."