I do lie on my resume. I write that I have a master in engineering which is also true except for never doing the thesis. At the interview I tell the interviewer straight up as the first thing that I lied and don't have a formal degree but it was a necessity to get the interview in the first place. I then tell them that I completely understand if they want to turn me away and I apologize.
I have never been turned away. No one have ever really questioned why. I am very skilled at what I do and the rest of my resume reflects that. I am far better than most people I met who program with or without a degree in my field.
Never having finish my degree makes this a necessary evil for me - I wish I could go back (life at this point does not allow me to).
However I feel no remorse for lying and frankly it's the loss of the company if they assess my entire character based on this.
If you clarify it as the first thing you do in the interview I'd expect most people to not consider this lying, but as a safeguard against silly HR/recruiting.
Some countries have a "master without dissertation". It doesn't technically exist here either, but you could just put that...
Once he's in the interview? Of course nobody does that, it's too confrontational. He might not have gotten hired because of it but there's no way to know.
On my resume I list my BS-ECE and then masters _classes_ in AI, Supercomputing, and Robotics. When (usually) asked why I didn't complete the degree I then give 'em the reason, which is valid enough that it generates conversation.
I have never been turned away. No one have ever really questioned why. I am very skilled at what I do and the rest of my resume reflects that. I am far better than most people I met who program with or without a degree in my field.
Never having finish my degree makes this a necessary evil for me - I wish I could go back (life at this point does not allow me to).
However I feel no remorse for lying and frankly it's the loss of the company if they assess my entire character based on this.