The Risky Business of Falsifying Your Resume
The numbers are shocking; according to Accu-Screen,
an employment background screening firm, approximately 43% of all
resumes and job applications contain falsifications. Recent high profile
cases have toppled professionals and senior executives from every
industry. With declines in the labor market, job seekers may become even
more desperate to falsely “bolster” their credentials to compete for
fewer openings.
It is never okay to lie on your resume and falsify
credentials. The most brazen lies are claiming degrees, certifications,
and licenses that you don’t have. But it goes farther than that. What
about creating job titles you never held or stretching your dates to
remove employment gaps? Or, alluding to accomplishments you never earned
or claiming responsibilities that were in your job description that you
never performed?
Resume writing is not an easy task, no matter how
clear cut your credentials and qualifications. It gets tougher when
you’ve worked for organizations that lack established job
classifications, job descriptions, and performance standards.
When writing your resume, it’s helpful to start
with a job announcement that details the desired and preferred
qualifications. This is a helpful guideline to review all your
credentials and draft a document that details how your educational and
work history matches the requirements.
So how do you handle incomplete education? It
depends on the relevance to your career and whether you plan to complete
it. You can list the educational institution, city, and state and
determine what best defines the experience, whether the courses and
credits completed or the years attended. If you are enrolled and on
target to graduate in the future, you can indicate this by stating
“anticipate Bachelor of Science in Spring 2009.”
It goes without saying that you shouldn’t misstate
your employment dates. But it’s okay to use just the years on your
resume as listing the months often adds clutter. When completing your
employment application, make sure you do include your months and that
they’re accurate.
And what about those vague job titles? It’s
important that you don’t fabricate your own. The opening sentence for
each job experience should clearly state your primary responsibilities
and the scope and breadth of your position. It’s here that potential
employers will fully understand how your experience relates to their job
requirements.
It’s always a wise idea to have your resume ready for any opportunity.
The new year is a great time to update your resume and review it
carefully for 100% accuracy.
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this web site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of AuditNet®
