Have you ever been tempted to embellish your resume? If you have, you aren’t alone. In a 2017 HireRight report 85% of employers caught lies on applicant’s resumes according an INC.com article. These numbers are sobering. If so, many people are lying are their resumes, why should you choose to be honest?
- Chances are you will be caught. Did you notice that statistic was based off of applicants getting caught? HR professionals and recruiters are very good at sniffing out a lie. These days hiring professionals are forced to be even more thorough in their research to insure honesty. Part of the interviewing process is asking about an applicant’s experience. It doesn’t take long to realize a person is claiming a falsified level of experience. Also, don’t think education credentials won’t be checked. A simple background check will provide your education documentation.
- You could lose your job. In 2014, David Tovar, the VP of corporate communications for Wal-Mart had to resign after it was discovered that he lied about his degree. In 2002, the first woman ever appointed president and chairman of the US Olympic Committee, Sandra Baldwin, was forced to resign for putting false information on her resume. These are just a couple famous examples, but when an indiscretion is found within a resume, that employee will most definitely get fired, no matter how long you have worked for the company.
- It could ruin your reputation. As if losing a job wasn’t bad enough, your reputation could be destroyed. You can bet there is a no hire list floating around in your area of expertise, and you do not want to be put on it. Word of mouth actually means a lot more to a hiring manager or recruiter than your resume. Lying certainly will lose the trust of those colleagues who would be willing to put in a good word for you during the hiring process.
- It is wrong. Not only is it a bad choice, but it can very easily set you up for having to lie even more. One lie usually leads to more. The moral stress of worrying could cost you more than the lie was worth. There have been reports that state the moral stress of lying decreases work performance.
The cost of lying on a resume is much greater than any reward you could get from that lie. The time recruiters and hiring managers actually spend reviewing your resume has seen a significant decrease this decade. According to Career Builder, 39% of hiring managers spend less than a minute initially looking over resumes. So, is it really worth risking so much? In our opinion, honesty is still the best policy.
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