According to the Monster Future of Work survey, 66% of employers agreed that candidates exaggerate skills and competencies on their resumes. In a survey of 400 applicants and 400 hiring managers, Checkster found a whopping 78% of applicants stretch the truth about themselves.
Whether you’re telling a little white lie or a blatant fabrication, getting caught could amount to career sabotage, especially since today’s technology and social media environments make it easier to get caught.
Finding a job is challenging enough and when your competition is cheating with resume lies, it can make standing out even tougher. There are four common lies that experts report will cost you the job.
The first lie to never tell on your resume is the plumping up of your achievements. Enhancing your capabilities to meet the job requirements list sets you up for potential disaster when you start the role.
Another common deceit is to cover up employment gaps. If you took time off to raise a family, care for a loved one, go back to school, or take on an independent project, explain your circumstances in your cover letter and be sure to stress how committed you are to finding a job you can grow with.
No. 3 is an education embellishment. If you dropped out of university, do not state that you have a degree. If you achieved a B.A. do not state that you have a master’s. Instead of exaggerating your academic credentials, think about what you can add to your resume to demonstrate your education.
The fourth lie is faking skills or technical abilities. It’s too easy to be called out on this one and the same goes for saying you can speak a foreign language when you can’t.
While you might think there’s nothing you can do about a resume you’ve lied on, this is not necessarily the case. Depending on the situation, you may be able to correct the record. You can either withdraw your application or ask to submit a new resume. Or try telling the truth and coming clean.