When “Helping” Becomes Lying: The Ethical Dilemma in Recruitment You Can’t Ignore
- Oct 17
- 2 min read
Ethical Recruitment Dilemma: What would you do if your recruiter wrote your cover letter for a Federal Government role with skills you don’t have?
You’re unemployed.
So when a recruiter contacts you about a Federal Government role, you’re genuinely excited.
The recruiter’s profile says they’re based in Canberra, but the call sounds like it’s coming through a VOIP line.
Still - they sound professional and they move fast.
They ask for your résumé, confirm your Baseline clearance, and say they’ll represent you.
You hand over your details, and within a day, you get the message:
✅ “You’ve been put forward for the role.”
✅ “Your interview’s been confirmed.”
Everything seems to be going beautifully…
Until the morning of the interview.
You receive an email from the recruiter with a cover letter they’ve prepared “to help you stand out.”
You open it and your heart sinks.
It’s AI-generated, full of technical skills and experience that you don’t have.
You call them immediately.
They explain, almost casually -
“We do this for all our candidates. It helps you get through the first hurdle. Just Google those skills before your interview. You'll be fine”
Now you’re standing at an ethical crossroads.
Do you…
(a) Go along with it - after all, you didn’t ask them to lie.
(b) Withdraw quietly and protect your integrity.
(c) Notify the client that a recruiter has misrepresented you - possibly committing fraud in a Federal Government recruitment process - and most likely sacrifice your opportunity to land the gig.
Because once your name is on that letter, you’re accountable for every word of it.
And when integrity is compromised, no job is worth the price.
This isn’t a hypothetical. It’s happening right now - quietly, frequently and under the radar.
So, what would you do?
Would you chase the opportunity…or protect your reputation?
What would you do?
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