Despite the plethora of jobs that are supposedly available today, getting employment is a very competitive business. Getting a job is a job all on its own.
To get in the door of your employer’s establishment, you need to have a great CV or resume. It has been discovered that a good number of job seekers lie on their CVs. This is not an entirely new phenomenon. The problem is that background checks have become more and more popular these days. Lying on your resume is harder to get away with, and it isn’t something you should even contemplate doing, to begin with.
There is a lot of advice out there for job seekers when it comes to what goes on their resumes. Many experts tell you that you need to tailor your resume to that particular job that you are going in for. Career experts want you to hype up some of your qualities in a way that makes your resume highly attractive to employers. Your ability to do this well means you are great at promoting yourself, and may just increase your chances of getting that job. But how far can you stretch the truth without damaging your reputation and chances of getting hired?
Regardless of the job industry or the occupation, lying on your resume is a huge risk. Some employers do not care if you have exaggerated the truth or not: a lie is a lie. If you get discovered during a background check, your reputation will be in shambles.
The Usual Suspects: Popular Lies on Resumes
Many resume writers have some common areas they fudge up a bit. The most popular culprits are:
- Job titles
- Technical skills
- Dates of employment
- Education
It is way easier to check out your details using the Internet. While these are the most popular areas to lie about on your resume, they are also the easiest to verify. Some companies even go as far as to contact former co-workers of yours on social media, such as LinkedIn, to check out your claims. It doesn’t matter if the firm you worked for has closed shop or was bought out by a larger firm. Finding out the truth of your claims is easy using social networks and platforms on the Internet.
Dare to Tell the Truth?
It is very rare that you would get a job by fibbing on your resume, and that lie won’t come back to bite you. Anything can happen that will require you to have a background check. You may apply for a promotion, or the HR department will carry out an audit and flush you out. High profile people have lost their jobs from lying on their resumes. A good example? Yahoo’s CEO Scott Thompson.
Just Stick with What the Facts
- Volunteering and being self-employed are things that should be reflected on your resume. These still show that you engaged in productive activity, even if you weren’t getting paid.
- If you had a specific job title in your office but took on other responsibilities that weren’t part of your job description, you should put that on your resume. For instance, I interned at a non-profit organization as a Project Assistant. I also did internet research for the overall boss, conducted interviews, transcribed tapes, and did library research. I also performed all the duties of an office assistant. On my resume, then, I am a Project and Research Assistant.
- Lying about your skills is a no-no. If you don’t have a particular skill, work on acquiring that skill. You can then tell your prospective bosses that you are working on getting that skill.
Exaggerating and lying are two different things when comes to your resume. I rather not have the job than to live in fear for the rest of my days in the company, no matter the benefits or the salary.
What about you? Come and share your thoughts with us right in the comments below.
MiddleMe 
We cannot hide our lying in resume writing or interview replying. Lies are controlled by the amygdala system of brain while truth is expressed by the prefrontal cortex of brain.
We have control over truth but we can’t stop lies in our behavior.
Sometimes we feel pleasure in expressing lies. This is the working mechanism of brain. Thank you.
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Thank you for sharing this with us!
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I would never lie or even exaggerate in an application or resume. Doing so isn’t worth it. Maybe we should all just start including thumbnail snapshots of ourselves on our reumes/cover letters/applications. Kally, your pic here makes you appear so wholesome and honest that I would never be able to turn you away!
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Awww… I think it might be thumbnail snapshots are so tiny, everyone can look amazing in it. Haha.
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we all know this, but its good to be reminded…
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Thank you, dear!
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Yes, always stick to the facts. And don’t forget your future boss could be on social media too. As much fun it is to party, a photo being drunk, will not help either 😉
XxX
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Good add on advice, Patty! I’ve seen too much drunken resume photos that I couldn’t unseen.
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Thank you.. It’s awesome article Kally! One lie will lead to more.. What happens if you get the job and you have to continue to pretend to have this skill even though you don’t? Lying on the resume is never a good idea, it’ll engage in a more serious problem like losing the job and damaging the reputation. You are right Kally; Just stick with what the Facts!
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Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts.
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Better to tell it like it is, no matter how much you want the job, then lie and have to explain later.
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Very true. Thank you for sharing that with us.
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Very well written. I have personally seen this happening. A lot of youngsters do this. A very neat compilation of how people fudge their résumés which is so much like digging one’s own grave!!
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Thank you for your comment. I’m sure it’s a spiraling way down the moment you lied.
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There is a difference between lying, and embellishment. So long as the base truths are there, and you are willing to learn . . . that works for me. Outright lies do come back to haunt because nobody can remember them all, the lies I mean. Trump doesn’t remember his lies from second to second.
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Thank you so much for your comment and sharing with us. Lies is a big no no for a lot of things.
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Excellent post. I’ve been on both sides–the job seeker and the employer 💜. I’ve been self-employed now for almost 8 years, but I never forget where I came from and what it’s like on the employee side, either. I’d like to share my viewpoint… 💜. I agree very much with this whole post! Lying is very easy to find out, and if they lie when they’re supposed to be putting their best foot forward, it makes me wonder what else they are lying or would lie about 😦. The main thing is, if one has to lie to get the job, not only will it likely be discovered (which is grounds for termination in most companies), but the job and the person may not be the right fit anyway (!) 💓. I’m looking to make sure that the person I choose is 1) going to be a good fit for us, and 2) that we’re going to be a good fit for them! Because ultimately, it *is* important to me that they’re happy with me, because I want them to stay! 😊. Not only is it expensive to replace somebody, but the people I serve in my field are a lot more comfortable if they see the same person in the office year after year instead of somebody new all the time 👍🏼. Employers need to realize that employees are human, and vice versa. And everyone deserves a situation that works in their best interest and works well for all. Everything you wrote is right on! 💚💙
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