Techie lands dream job by faking coding skills. Reddit post sparks debate on ethics in tech

A Redditor recently recounted how a small fabrication launched their unexpected career in the tech world. Despite lacking any formal background, they boldly described themselves as a "coding expert" on their résumé.

According to their story, they managed to land a job and even secured a promotion. However, they soon realised they were stuck in what they called "an endless loop of frantic Googling and coffee-driven coding marathons."

In a post that has since gone viral, the individual opened up about the constant stress they now face. "I picked up coding skills on the fly, which is just a polished way of admitting I'm improvising most of the time," they revealed. "Everyone at work thinks I'm brilliant, but honestly, I'm just exceptionally skilled at masking my anxiety."

To survive, they explained, they rely heavily on technical buzzwords whenever someone asks them to clarify their work. "I launch into speeches packed with complex-sounding jargon," the Redditor confessed, adding that sounding confident often gets them through situations where they feel out of their depth.

Surprisingly, this approach seems to be working better than expected. "I received a promotion and a salary bump, which basically means: 'Here’s more money to keep pretending you're amazing at this'," they quipped.

The post sparked widespread discussion online. Many users sympathised, admitting that they, too, had learned to code while on the job. Others, however, were less understanding.

One commenter shared a memory from twenty years ago about fabricating job experience. "I once said I had worked somewhere for six months when I had only spent a single day there. HR found out, and they literally escorted me out. Still think it's hilarious," they wrote.

Another participant weighed in, offering a nuanced perspective. "Lying about skills is risky, but exaggerating a little? That’s fair play. Just avoid lying about things that can be easily verified, like job history," they advised.

One user elaborated further: "Falsifying your work history or education is always a bad idea. Enhancing your skill set on paper? That's reasonable. Remember: employers usually only verify what’s listed on the official application. They can’t accurately measure your skills — that’s what interviews are for."

Though the Reddit story prompted plenty of laughs and virtual applause, it also sparked important conversations about integrity, the intense demands of professional life, and how far sheer confidence can carry someone in a competitive industry.