Believe it or not, 85% of people admit to lying on their resume, and a misrepresentation of your skills or experience can only hurt you, if not immediately, then in the long run. It’s a quick way to burn bridges and hinder your reputation, and I can almost guarantee you will be found out. You may be thinking, “What’s the harm in a slight exaggeration?”, or worse, you may not even realize you’re doing it. We’re here to put your mind at ease so you can confirm your resume does not contain any of these falsifications, and if it does you can go ahead and correct them for future job applications!

Most people lie on their resumes because they lack the skills or experience that are required for the position of interest. They want to help their chances of standing out and are under the assumption that adding a couple more years of experience or amplifying their skills in a certain software will increase their chances of consideration. However, the interviewer will not be so easily fooled. Their objective is to get to the nitty-gritty of your previous work experience to ensure you are the perfect fit for their role. If you are adding a specific skill to your resume, such as Microsoft Excel, you should accompany that skill with a rating (i.e., beginner, intermediate, master). This way, it is clear what your working knowledge of the software is rather than assumed.

If you are currently attending school, it is encouraged to add your targeted degree along with the place of education. However, make sure to also include “anticipated graduation date: (MM/YYYY),” otherwise it may be assumed you are already in possession of that degree. To continue, if you previously attended school, but did not complete the necessary credits towards your degree you again need to make sure that is clearly stated in words such as, “In progress,” and ONLY use those words if you are currently in progress of completing those credits. If you attended school years ago and never finished the necessary credits, and do not have completion in sight, adding that to your resume is lying.

Did you know, the average GPA for a college student is around 3.15, which translates to a B average? If you are going to add your GPA to your resume, which is not deemed necessary unless a 3.7 or higher (which translates to an A average), make sure you don’t fabricate the number. If you are hired for a position, and your lying comes to the surface, you are likely to be terminated.

Changing your dates of employment with a previous employer is lying. You may think that position that lasted for less than 1 year can be hidden by extending the dates of the employment around it, but it can’t. Prior to extending a job offer, your employer will complete a reference check which will approve or deny your dates of employment. If these dates are denied it will certainly raise a cause for concern.

Inflating your title, which would also be approved or denied in a reference check, is a surefire way to NOT get the job. Be confident in your previous experience. If you were not a manager (even if you felt like your duties reflected that of a manager role) you cannot add ‘manager’ to your title. You CAN add bullets under that position that highlight your job responsibilities and your interviewer will get the gist.

Hopefully, you have made it through this list and can happily say your resume does not reflect these misrepresentations. At the end of the day, you want a position that is right for you, and this will only be achieved with 100% honesty.

For further assistance in your job search or your search for qualified candidates, please call (518) 275-4816.

 

 

LATEST READS FROM WALRATH RECRUITING: