Vault: He lied on his résumé and landed a job at the Pentagon

Summary

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The Bert Show – Vault: He Lied On His Résumé and Landed a Job at the Pentagon

Date: June 3, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode centers around "Brad" (a pseudonym), a recent military veteran who called in seeking advice after embellishing his résumé to land a lucrative contract position at the Pentagon. The hosts and callers dive into the ethics, risks, and realities of résumé "fudging," especially when high-stakes government jobs and security clearances are involved. Throughout, humor, practical advice, and honest confessions flow freely as the team and listeners weigh in on Brad’s situation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Brad’s Predicament

• Brad’s Background: Recently left the military, now applying for a Pentagon contractor position that could more than triple his salary—from ~$20,000 to ~$73,000.
• Résumé Embellishment: Brad adjusted past job titles to better fit this new role but claims not to have lied about education or certifications.
• Security Clearance: The position requires a thorough governmental background check, making the stakes particularly high (01:19).
• Unfamiliar Territory: The new job’s skill requirements exceed Brad’s current experience; he’ll need to quickly adapt if accepted (02:59, 06:14).

2. Host & Callers Grill Brad for Details

• Degree Status: Brad disclosed that his bachelor’s degree is incomplete, but he intends to finish soon (05:06).
• Nature of the Job: Focus is project coordination; Brad emphasizes that no lives are at risk if he underperforms. Checks and balances exist (05:34).
• Parental Support: A significant motivator for Brad is increasing his income to help his aging parents, particularly after his father’s retirement loss during an economic downturn (09:08).

3. Risk Assessment: Security Clearance Expert Weighs In

• Sarah, a Clearance Specialist: She explains that certain resume claims—especially certifications—are routinely verified as part of security clearance, even for lower-level Pentagon contractors (07:58).

• Sarah’s Quote:

  "If it's any type of like a Microsoft certification or any type of like a train-the-trainer certification, we do find those things out. So if that's something that he's fudged on... that will come out." (08:08)

• Brad’s Response: Affirms all certifications and education history were honestly listed and is confident the clearance process will confirm that (08:42).

4. Advice and Moral Quandaries: ‘Go For It!’

• Daniel’s Story: Another veteran shares his strategy of cramming and adapting after overstating his qualifications to secure “six figure” IT jobs. He suggests Brad can do the same if he’s willing to learn fast (09:37).

• Daniel’s Quote:

  "Just whatever they're asking for, you study it... you can, you know, communicate properly with them." (10:07)

• Marty, a Finance Company Owner: Believes most job skills can be taught on the job within two months regardless of résumé embellishments.

• Marty’s Quote:

  "Within two months, you can teach them anything they're supposed to do in a daily activity of their job... learn his job, go home at night, study the notes. He could be better than anybody in there within two months because no one else is going to work and studying." (10:53)

• Hosts’ Perspective: Collectively, they recognize risks are higher at the Pentagon but ultimately echo the encouragement to “go for it,” so long as no critical safety or classified issues are at stake (11:49, 12:23).

5. The Pentagon vs. Banana Republic

• Running joke throughout: They repeatedly joke about the gravity of lying to get a Pentagon job, comparing it to much lower-stakes jobs—“This is not Banana Republic you’re applying for!” (01:39, 11:49).
• Host Bert’s Perspective:

  "When you throw the word Pentagon in there, it just changes things. Like it's like you said, this is not Banana Republic... This is the Pentagon, you know." (11:49)

6. Brad’s Next Steps

• Brad awaits the results of his security clearance, expecting a final answer within a week. If approved, he’ll need to relocate and start his new role within two and a half weeks (12:54).
• Hosts plan to follow up with Brad after a month on the job to see how he’s managing (13:05).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Host Bert (on résumé tricks):

  "I haven't filled out a resume in a while, but I fudge on it too. Who doesn't?" (01:02)

• Brad (on being over his head):

  "I'm gonna be in a brand new field that I don't really know that much about. I'm gonna have to study and everything." (02:59)

• Sarah (on vetting):

  "I actually put people into the Pentagon...and I do have to check certification...we do find those things out." (07:58)

• Daniel (the ‘cram method’):

  "Just whatever they're asking for, you study it... you can, you know, communicate properly with them." (10:07)

• Marty (on learning on the job):

  "Within two months, you can teach them anything they're supposed to do in a daily activity of their job...he could be better than anybody in there within two months." (10:53)

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Important Timestamps

• 01:02 — Brad introduces his situation; stakes of lying for Pentagon job.
• 02:59 - 03:55 — Brad’s resume strategies, salary jump, and anxieties.
• 05:06 — Brad explains his degree status and interview experience.
• 07:58 — Sarah (Clearance Specialist) discusses the risks of resume misrepresentation for clearance.
• 09:37 - 10:07 — Daniel’s story about adapting quickly after "cramming" for new roles.
• 10:53 - 11:46 — Marty offers managerial perspective: you can train anyone in two months.
• 12:54 — Brad expects his final clearance decision by next week; rapid timeline for relocation.
• 13:05 — Plan to follow up on Brad’s real-world experience “if [he] makes it a month!”

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Episode Takeaways

• Résumé embellishment is common—even among hosts—but carries extra risk at places like the Pentagon.
• Security clearance will verify key credentials, especially certifications and degrees.
• Many jobs’ practical skills can be quickly learned if you’re motivated and honest about your limitations regarding critical qualifications.
• Honest intentions (like helping family) drive tough career moves, but transparency about your true qualifications is vital at high-security jobs.
• Community encouragement can boost confidence but doesn’t eliminate real-world consequences if credentials are falsified.
• The Bert Show keeps it real and relatable—balancing frank discussion about career shortcuts with heartfelt humor and real talk about life priorities.

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Transcript

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[Host Bert]

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[Host Bert]

And he's obviously a little reluctant to talk about this, but I think he's looking for a little advice. He needs to be on the voice disguiser. And his real name's not Brad, but like a whole bunch of you guys. And I haven't filled out a resume in a while, but I fudge on it too. Who doesn't?

[Caller Daniel]

Oh, yeah, exactly.

[Sarah (Clearance Expert)]

A little bit.

[Caller Daniel]

Who hasn't embellished what they're doing?

[Host Bert]

And he has an opportunity to triple his salary. The problem here is the stakes are really high because it's an application and a job with the Pentagon.

[Caller Marty]

Just sort of a big deal.

[Host Bert]

Yeah, pretty big.

[Caller Marty]

It's more than like a department store job.

[Host Bert]

Hey, Brad.

[Brad (Job Applicant)]

Hey. Hey.

[Host Bert]

How are you doing?

[Brad (Job Applicant)]

Good, how are you?

[Host Bert]

As Wendy said, this is not Banana Republic that you're applying for here. This is. This is the Pentagon.

[Brad (Job Applicant)]

Very, very true.

[Host Bert]

So this is pretty serious stuff. I want to be as vague as you want to be because I don't want to get you in trouble. And I know you're calling for some advice. So why don't you give the details and we'll ask questions and if you're comfortable answering them, then we'll go for it.

[Brad (Job Applicant)]

Okay, wonderful. The deal is I was in the military and one of my friends has been on with this company. It's actually a contract group that Works for Department of Defense and it does require security clearance and everything else. However this job is, takes me beyond what my current skill level is. And so on the resume what I've done was took a copy of the job description and matched it up with exactly what they were looking for and stuff like that. Had been working on getting on with the company since back in April and they finally flew me up for an interview and I over that weekend, in between Thursday and Monday, they spent a little over $2,000 on me, put me in a four star hotel, stuff I'm really not used to getting or being treated like this. Also requires a security clearance. So just to clarify one thing, this is as far as the resume goes, that was one thing to get hired. Now security clearance of course is going to be conducted by the government, so it's going to be extensive and everything on my background and stuff like that. So right now what, what is weighing is the security clearance, which I don't see anything to hold me back from that. Once that goes through, then the company is going to want me up within two and a half weeks and once I get approved, as long as everything goes through, then I got to move up within two and a half weeks and I'm gonna be in a brand new field that I don't really know that much about. I'm gonna have to study and everything. But it's gonna take me from currently making right, right around 20,000 up to a sign down for about 73,000.

[Caller Daniel]

Wow.

[Host Bert]

So that's a major jump right there. How much of a departure is this gonna be like how much of an education are you destined to fail in this job? I guess is what I'm asking. Do you have any experience in the job that you've got?

[Brad (Job Applicant)]

I do because a lot of it is pretty much coordinating the activities and everything within this job. As far as my education level goes, I've got almost enough to have my bachelor's degree complete. As soon as I went up and I interviewed, I went through five interviews, I was offered the job, went ahead and signed up with them, pending the background check. Then I went to their Christmas party. I met everybody the very next day. And most of the people have master's degrees, very few have bachelor's degrees. And with this they're expecting me to have my bachelor's done very shortly, which I can work on once I get up there. And it's probably going to take me more than two classes going up there. So it's probably going to take me about two more semesters. To get that died.

[Caller Marty]

Did you let them know that you don't have a bachelor's degree, or do they know that?

[Brad (Job Applicant)]

Yes, yes, I did let them know that the bachelor's degree is not complete at this time. But, you know, I do have full intentions of completing that and then pursuing my master's degree after that.

[Host Bert]

Is this the kind of job where you would be putting other people's lives and stuff at risk? I mean, there are so many different jobs at the Pentagon. I mean, there, it's literally its own city. But the job that you have, are you putting anybody at risk?

[Brad (Job Applicant)]

No, the job that I have would not be directly involving the troops or the US Citizens or anything like that. And there's going to be a bunch of checks and balances. My thing is pretty much ever seeing a project that has multiple aspects or categories moving at one time. And my thing is to oversee that and pretty much act as the center link and the glue to keep the project together.

[Caller Daniel]

So you're like the project coordinator. What kind of skills is it going to require from you that you don't have?

[Brad (Job Applicant)]

Actually, the biggest thing is going to, you know, begin to know the terminology and stuff like that as far as performance of the job. I know that I can do that as far as supervising the project and coordinating the project. But the biggest thing is, you know, they speak a total different language up there. I've already been coached on some of my writing skills need to be adjusted, especially dealing with people with their masters and stuff like that. Just various things like that. So I would be giving out everything here in Atlanta to go up in pursuit of possibly. Well, not possibly, but, you know, more money.

[Host Bert]

Do you have in. You have family and a house and kids?

[Brad (Job Applicant)]

No. So I would be moving on my own in pursuit of making more money, not only for myself, but also to help my parents.

[Lady Luck]

So.

[Caller Daniel]

Okay.

[Host Bert]

Okay.

[Caller Marty]

Is there anything on your resume that you blatantly lied about that would be informational?

[Brad (Job Applicant)]

Now, the breakdown of the current jobs that I did, all that remained the same. The only thing that I changed on it was the title headings. As far as job title, instead of the current job that I'm in, you know, changing it to operations officer or assistant operations officer, different things like that.

[Host Bert]

Okay. All right. You asked for advice, and plenty is coming in. 404, 741Q100. Hey, Sarah. Good morning.

[Sarah (Clearance Expert)]

Good morning.

[Host Bert]

How are you?

[Sarah (Clearance Expert)]

I'm doing well. How are y'?

[Caller Marty]

All?

[Host Bert]

Good. So we've got Brad here, who are. Has fudged a whole bunch on his resume, and he's supposed to take this job at the Pentagon that is really over his head, and he's not even sure that he should go through with it now.

[Sarah (Clearance Expert)]

Right. And I wanted to comment. I actually put people into the Pentagon, and I'm actually the person who. One of the levels of clearance is actually a public trust, and that's like your lower level type of clearance. And within that, I do have to check certification. So I don't know what aspect he's talking about in regards to, like, project management or project coordination. But if it's any type of, like a Microsoft certification or any type of, like a train the trainer certification, we do find those things out. So if that's something that he's fudged on on his resume, that will come out.

[Caller Daniel]

Brad doesn't sound like that.

[Host Bert]

Is there any risk there for you?

[Brad (Job Applicant)]

No, because the certifications as listed on my resume are there. The. Pretty much the only thing that was changed was job titles in which I failed. But all my certifications, education, everything. On the background check, I was 100% honest. And everything's been listed. The background check.

[Host Bert]

How dependent are your parents right now on your current income?

[Brad (Job Applicant)]

On the current income. I'm pretty much helping them because Dan lost a lot when the economy went down as far as retirement. And so they're getting older. And I'm just trying to help them go ahead and pay off their house and, you know, get steady on their feet in case something should ever happen to them because dad's the only person working.

[Caller Daniel]

That's sweet. You're a good guy.

[Host Bert]

Hey, Daniel. Good Morning. You're on Q100.

[Caller Daniel]

Hey, how are you doing, Bert?

[Host Bert]

Okay. How are you?

[Caller Daniel]

Good. Yeah. Actually, I had done this when I got out of the military and put that I for some jobs right around six figures that I had worked with different protocols in the IT field and done different things in the IT field. And I got these jobs. And what I did was prior to going into the job, I just studied what they asked for and got and being able to adapt to the knowledge, and I was able to have success with these jobs. And I've done that with, like two jobs on different contracts, actually.

So you just crammed for the test?

Yeah, exactly. Just whatever they're asking for, you study it, you know, and if as long as, you know, you have some sort of background in that field, it should be no problem learning it, you know, so you get to there, you can, you know, you know, communicate properly with them.

[Host Bert]

So get your foot in the door. And then make things happen once you get there. But you say, go ahead and take it.

[Caller Daniel]

Yeah, absolutely, Absolutely. I've had a lot of success with it and, you know, not that I try to, you know, mislead any job, but, you know, you read what they want and you've done part of it, but you haven't done some of the stuff they require. But, you know, you can do it. So you just study for it, you know, and then when you get there, it's all, you know, relative.

[Brad (Job Applicant)]

So.

[Host Bert]

Thank you.

[Caller Marty]

I can completely agree.

[Caller Daniel]

I think so, too.

[Caller Marty]

He didn't lie about any of the important stuff. He was up front, honest. The background check, it was cleared. He's fine.

[Host Bert]

Hey, Marty, good Morning. You're on Q100.

[Caller Marty]

Hey, what's up, y'?

[Brad (Job Applicant)]

All?

[Host Bert]

What's happening?

[Caller Marty]

Well, I own a finance company and you can come in with all the credentials you want and I could pull somebody right off the street and within two months you can teach them anything they're supposed to do in a daily activity of their job. It doesn't have anything to do with what you did before. A couple skills on typing, couple skills on word processing and Microsoft, and you can nudge the person. Besides, you learn. What if you can pick up your job in two months, you can do your job forever. So all this I'm so scared about. What am I going to do? How am I going to do it? What am I? He goes in and he asks a billion questions, write down all the notes, take very, very good notes, learn his job, go home at night, study the notes. He could be better than anybody in there within two months because no one else is going to work and studying. Nobody studies at work. You just pick up what you do while you go along.

[Host Bert]

So you're saying go for it.

[Brad (Job Applicant)]

Also go for it.

[Host Bert]

I think when you throw the word Pentagon in there, it just changes things. Like it's like you said, this is not Banana Republic. This is not Old Navy we're talking about. It's not Q100 we're talking about. This is the Pentagon, you know.

[Caller Daniel]

Right.

[Host Bert]

And it just feels like the stakes are so high, but there are there literally thousands of jobs at the Pentagon, from very high class, you know, very high classification to secretarial stuff.

[Caller Daniel]

And is everybody at the Pentagon government? Didn't you say something earlier this morning about not necessarily it being government?

[Host Bert]

He said he's contracted out. Right. So you're not military, you're gonna be contracted.

[Brad (Job Applicant)]

Right. There's contract.

[Host Bert]

But everybody that steps foot in there has to get Security clearance, of course, which is what he's getting. But most are calling up saying, go for it, man. I mean, you don't have family. It's not like you're moving your entire family up to D.C. right? And they're saying, go for it.

[Caller Daniel]

Just don't try to sneak into a White House dinner.

[Host Bert]

That may be the easiest thing that

[Caller Daniel]

you actually can do.

They're getting a little tighter on that these days.

[Brad (Job Applicant)]

I'll uphold the respect of the state of Georgia. I won't sneak in.

[Host Bert]

Okay, when are you supposed to make this move?

[Brad (Job Applicant)]

I find out the final answer by the end of this week or first of next week, and then at that point it'll be within two and a half weeks after that. They want me at my desk up there working.

[Host Bert]

Well, we got to catch up with you before you take the job and then like a month into it. Yeah, if you make it a month.

[Caller Daniel]

If you still treading water, right?

[Host Bert]

Yeah, if you even make it a month. All right, Brad, thanks a lot, man.

[Brad (Job Applicant)]

Okay, thank you.

[Host Bert]

Talk to you later. Bye.

[Sarah (Clearance Expert)]

Bye.

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