I try my best to not lie. I guess it depends on the situation, but I’ve learned that in most cases, lies will end up hurting someone when eventually found out. Well, in this last case, not lying ended up hurting my chances of getting a promotion.
Maybe two or three months ago, my boss just casually asked me in passing if I was “on the list” (the ‘staff’ classification promotion list. you can’t even think about a promotion if you’re not on the list, and even if you are on the list, you have to rank in the top 3 ranks to be considered or even apply). I told him I wasn’t yet, but that I’d take the test to get on the list soon. Then a couple of weeks ago, he pulls me into his office and asks again. I told him I hadn’t, and he kind of gets mad and says that I should get on the list ASAP, kind of hinting that there may or may not be a staff position opening up in the near future. He also gives me subtle hints on how to take the test. His words were something like, “you should maximize your chances for success with this opportunity” and saying “you shouldn’t let the exam deter you from being considered for a position, you should let the interview do that”.
Reading between the lines, he was basically telling me to fudge the hell out of the test (lie out my ass) and get as high of a score as possible, so that I could get within the top 3 ranks and be eligible to apply for the promotions. Well, luckily I got 2 shots at this. There are 2 different exams that I can take to get on 2 lists. They’re both in IT and involve doing almost the same stuff. So the first test, I was more or less honest and didn’t fudge anything. I got a 85% and thought that was pretty good, until I looked at everyone else on the list. I ended up in rank 6, since there was some assholes with scores of 110 & 105 (due to veterans and former state workers, who automatically get extra points), and a bunch of lying liars with a score of 100. So for that classification, I gots NO chance. When I told my boss of my score & low rank, he gave me another schpeel on “maximizing” my chances blah, blah, blah. Whatever.
So then I take the 2nd test, thinking in the back of head that I have to fudge it a little to get a better score. So I take the test, and I’m reading the questions, and it turns out that I really didn’t have to fudge anything, that my answers (mostly high ratings) were truthful. I got a 95% but even that’s still a rank 4, because of a-holes with 110, 105, & 100 scores, but at least I’m closer, only 1 rank off. Once they hire all the people out of a certain scoring range (like if they hire all the 110s, 105s, etc.), then the ranks will change and I’ll move up to rank 3, making me eligible.
I can retake each test every 6 months, so I guess I’ll either have to wait till then or wait till they hire people and wait for my rank to go up, whichever comes first. I swear, this testing system is all kinds of shady, and I can’t do anything about it. I gotta play it like everyone else, which means sooner or later I’m going to have set my pants on fire if I want to ever move on up.
