10 characters in TV shows who’d absolutely lie on their resume and still get hired

Sayan
Mad Men (Image sourced via AMC+)
Mad Men (Image sourced via AMC+)

Some TV characters never tell the truth on their resume when a job is on the line. They walk in with fake degrees or skills they made up on the spot. They charm the boss and walk out with the job while others wonder how they did it.

They lie because they can and because they think they deserve the job more than anyone who follows the rules. They bluff through questions and give answers that no one checks. They sit in meetings and pretend to know things they don’t. They smile and nod and get away with it.

Watching them never gets old. They remind us that nerve sometimes works better than honesty. They twist facts and rewrite their own past to sound impressive. They fail later in ways that make us laugh, but they always find another scam.

We watch because we like seeing the impossible work out. We know they should fail, but they win anyway. They teach us that confidence can fool almost anyone. They turn an interview into a show and the boss into a fan. They prove a fake résumé can open doors if you tell the lie well enough. Ten characters do this best, and they get hired each time.


10 characters in TV shows who’d absolutely lie on their resume and still get hired

1. Saul Goodman (Better Call Saul / Breaking Bad)

Better Call Saul (Image via Netflix)
Better Call Saul (Image via Netflix)

Saul Goodman turned Jimmy McGill into a lawyer with fake connections who always looked legit on paper. He bragged about big wins he never had. He told criminals he could fix anything and no one ever checked his story. He stayed alive because every lie bought him time.

His fake resume made him the middleman for Walter White’s empire. He kept cartel clients happy and the DEA confused. Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul showed how fake confidence can get real power. Saul’s twisted truth turned boring court filings into the biggest mess on TV.


2. George Costanza (Seinfeld)

Seinfeld (Image via NBC)
Seinfeld (Image via NBC)

George Costanza claimed to be an architect so often that it almost became true in his head. He told a date he was Art Vandelay the importer-exporter. He even tried to work for a fake company to scam unemployment. George lied because he wanted a better life without doing real work.

His fake resumes fell apart in seconds but the fallout was hilarious. Seinfeld used George’s lies to show how far he’d stretch the truth just to avoid responsibility. His nonsense gave the show some of its best jokes about work, status, and pretending to be someone you’re not.


3. Michael Scott (The Office)

The Office (Image via NBC)
The Office (Image via NBC)

Michael Scott told everyone he had a business experience that never existed. He said he trained teams when he just sat around making jokes. He once claimed he had a degree that never showed up in any records. He sold himself as the world’s best boss without doing any real leading.

He kept the Scranton branch alive by luck and charm more than skill. The Office used Michael’s fake claims to turn boring paper sales into chaos. His made-up leadership moments gave the show endless awkward meetings. His lies made him clueless but impossible to hate.


4. Tom Haverford (Parks and Recreation)

Parks and Recreation (Image via NBC)
Parks and Recreation (Image via NBC)

Tom Haverford listed fake companies on his resume so he’d sound like a big deal. He talked about owning nightclubs that flopped in weeks. He bragged about luxury brands that never made money. People hired him because he acted like every pitch would make millions.

His fake hustle turned Pawnee’s tiny Parks Department into his launchpad for bigger scams. Parks and Recreation turned Tom’s tall tales into running jokes about ambition with no plan. His lies made him funny instead of cruel. Watching him hype dead businesses showed how a fake resume keeps dreams alive.


5. Don Draper (Mad Men)

Mad Men (Image via AMC+)
Mad Men (Image via AMC+)

Don Draper stole a dead man’s identity and made it the perfect resume. He used a new name to sell ads that promised perfect lives. He told coworkers he came from nothing but skipped the truth about his stolen past. He pitched ideas by selling himself as the American dream.

Every deal Don closed depended on his lie holding up. Mad Men ran on the secret burning under his expensive suit. His fake name shaped the whole agency and every personal meltdown. Don’s fraud made the bright ad world look hollow from the inside out.


6. Jessica Jones (Jessica Jones)

Jessica Jones (Image via Netflix)
Jessica Jones (Image via Netflix)

Jessica Jones never faked degrees, but she lied about having enough resources to chase down criminals. She promised she could solve cases when she could barely pay her rent. She hid her drinking so clients would trust her word when they shouldn’t have. She bluffed her way into work.

Her small lies made her detective job possible when everything else fell apart. Jessica Jones showed how her fake confidence kept her fighting crooks with worse secrets. Her resume might not look good on paper, but her attitude made her one of the few people criminals feared.


7. Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother)

How I Met Your Mother (Image via CBS)
How I Met Your Mother (Image via CBS)

Barney Stinson made up an entire corporate life that no one ever checked. He claimed he had a secret job that needed a suit but no real work. He used fake titles that confused his friends for years. Although he is revealed to be the fall guy for illegal doings in his company by the end of Season 9, the specifics of his job remained mysterious.

His career was one long lie that kept the gang guessing. How I Met Your Mother used Barney’s fake work life as the show’s best running gag. His nonsense made office politics look like an inside joke. He proved a slick resume can hide total chaos.


8. Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer)

Lucifer (Image via Netflix)
Lucifer (Image via Netflix)

Lucifer Morningstar called himself a consultant for the LAPD with no badge or background check. He told cops he could help solve crimes by reading people’s sins. No one ever asked for paperwork because he looked like he belonged in charge. He made the fake job stick by acting unstoppable.

His fake role opened crime scenes that should have stayed locked. Lucifer used his lie to mix crime drama with devil mischief. The made-up title gave him the freedom to break the rules and test everyone’s limits. His resume was empty but his attitude made him essential.


9. Frank Gallagher (Shameless)

Shameless (Image via Warner Bros. International)
Shameless (Image via Warner Bros. International)

Frank Gallagher lied about jobs just to keep cash flowing for booze. He claimed to have worked at factories that never hired him. He forged injury claims to grab payouts. He told social workers he was trying to get steady work when he never planned to show up.

His scams never lasted, but they kept him alive for another day. Shameless ran on Frank’s fake promises and forged documents. His fake resume moments showed how far he’d go to dodge real work. Every lie ended in disaster, but Frank never cared as long as the bar stayed open.


10. April Ludgate (Parks and Recreation)

Parks and Recreation (Image via NBC)
Parks and Recreation (Image via NBC)

April Ludgate was allocated her first internship because she ended up sleeping through the sign-up. Later, she blamed her sister for not waking her up. As an intern in Pawnee’s Parks Department, no one kept a check on her, and she was clearly disinterested in her job.

Although as the series progressed, she started taking her job a little more seriously. Parks and Recreation used April’s fake backstory to make every promotion look like a prank. She turned a boring desk job into a private joke. Her fake resume moments showed how bluffing can be the best shield against bad bosses.


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Edited by IRMA