When speaking to a group of executives, I sometimes ask, “How many of you have lied on your resume at some point in your career?” Most of the audience raises their hand. An online survey recently conducted by AOL Jobs stated that 26.5% of people have either lied in the past or would consider lying on their resume in the future.
While a resume is not considered a legal document, as is the case with a job application, that isn’t a license to lie; so some resort to embellishing the truth.
Most Common Resume Lies
57% exaggerated skill set
55% overstated responsibilities
42% altered dates of employment
34% changed job title
33% lied about academic degree
26% misrepresented the companies they worked for
18% listed awards they never received
Depending on the industry you work in, these lies may or may not be discovered. However, if you’re seeking employment, be aware that companies in these industries are most likely to uncover your secrets:
73% Financial services
71% Leisure and hospitality
63% Information technology
63% Health care
63% Retail
The news is filled with stories of people who have lied about their experience, education, or employers. Here’s what you need to know: a majority of employers have said that a lie on a resume would be an automatic dismissal of a potential candidate. Less than 10% of employers said they would overlook a lie if they liked the candidate. Do you want to take that chance?
Companies have reported that they found more than 50% of resumes and job applications with fictitious information. Resume fraud is costing employers millions of dollars. Just one example contributing to higher hiring costs is the requirement of HR departments to increase the amount of time they spend checking references.
So the onus is on you to reveal the truth on your resume!
[Some information contained in this article was provided by backgroundchecks.org.]
