‘Fake it til you make it’: Guy cures impostor syndrome after lying on his resume, Googling his way to success, and becoming a coding wizard by accident

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer
Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Apr 23, 2025 11:30 AM EDT

Inside every confident employee is a total impostor. Following the rule of the chicken and the egg, nobody really knows how to do a job until they do the job, right? Truthfully, I've lied on a few resumes in the past and in getting the job (through a confident and charismatic interview, of course), and with a ton of extra side work on Google, I've managed my way through my fair share of troublesome work conundrums without a lick of experience. 

Similarly, the tech guy in this next story was actually not a computer guru at all. After lying on his resume, he somehow landed a job as an advanced coder for a company. We've all been there in the job searching frenzy, throwing out our resumes to any company that will read it. But to this guy's surprise, he was hired.

Keep scrolling to read how this imposter cured his impostor syndrome by completely teaching himself to code, one Google search at a time! Perhaps all it takes to become a coding wizard is to code your heart out. 

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    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • I once lied on my CV. I got the job and got promoted. I lied on my CV and somehow convinced the world I was a coding wizard. Now I'm stuck in a
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  • never-ending cycle of Google searches and caffeine-fueled coding sessions. This is when I regret it and I do, indeed.
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  • My browser history is a treasure trove of "how to fix syntax errors" and "what does this error message mean?"
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  • I learned to code on the job, which is just a fancy way of saying I'm making it up as I go along. My colleagues think I'm a genius, but really, I'm just good at hiding my panic.
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  • When they ask me to explain my code, I launch into a confident- sounding jargon-filled monologue, hoping they'll get lost in the technical mumbo-jumbo.
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  • The best part? I got a promotion and a raise, which basically translates to "we're paying you more to keep pretending you're good at this."
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  • Buck_Slamchest As a contrast, I once lied on my CV. I got the job and was fired 24 hours later :)
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  • dariogx10 Pretending or not, you are doing your job and deserve this promotion
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  • CompleteFinding 66... So did your job not have a technical round in the interview where they checked if you can actually code. This is why faking CVs to the extent you did doesn't usually work out in tech.
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  • Surfnazi77 Fake it till you make it
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  • Shadowpetail This is actually wild bc like... ur living proof that most ppl are just wingin it anyway. the fact that u pulled it off and even
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  • got promoted means u clearly adapt fast af. but i get the burnout from constantly feelin like u gotta keep up the act. u def gotta start building real
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  • confidence now tho or u gonna spiral from stress. learn as u go but also start owning the skills u picked up, u earned that title even if it started wa lil lie.
    via Shadowpetail
  • dylansavage Take your imposter syndrome and turn it into infiltrator syndrome. 'Haha these fools don't even realise I have no idea what I'm doing.'
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  • Unusual-Lawyer-68... Here that's how it's working in the government. No one is coding, they all use google. Their thinking is "Why would you waste time creating it when it was already done before."
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  • Competitive_You4182 That's a skill too, which I lack! If you can manage things who cares?!
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  • Aggravating-Bug9276 If you are doing all the required work, who cares about it? You got the promotion because you are meeting your targets.
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  • rionaster ⚫ i'm tempted to lie on my CV for jobs when i move. like there are jobs in my field that i can take but i need to get out of manufacturing for my health
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  • (found out i have a genetic disorder this year that is simply put just going to get worse.) i just don't even know what to try and get into where lying won't be that big of a
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  • deal and it's something i can pick up easily. i mean i do learn pretty well and all but still. idk. it's just hard because i never had the chance to go to college or trade school.
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  • glad you landed yourself something good and have seemed to make the most of it. sounds like you picked it up better than you probably think if
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  • your coworkers think you're a wizard. i always liked programming as a hobby but it seemed too mentally stressful a job for me personally.
    via rionaster

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