Your resume matters! It’s the first piece of information a potential employer has about you, so you want to make an excellent first impression. An accurate, honest resume is essential for reasons we’ll explain. Unfortunately, in their eagerness to get a dream job, many applicants sometimes embellish or exaggerate their resumes—usually either in their job history or level of education. They worry their experience and accomplishments won’t be enough to put them ahead of the competition. Because of this anxiety, they take the chance of not being entirely truthful. But it’s a big mistake to do this, and it may cause you a lot of grief later on.
A recruiter can easily expose those minor discrepancies. When that happens, you risk losing any chance of being hired. Or worse, you could later be fired from the job you misrepresented yourself to get! Keep reading to discover three reasons to avoid lying on a resume.
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Why is it Important to Tell the Truth on a Resume?
Employers perform background checks.
Most employers complete thorough candidate screening, including a sweep of your references. Whether it’s a gap in your work history or a specific project you claim to have worked on, these facts are easy for employers to verify when they call a former supervisor. Even if they only discover a slight discrepancy, you’ve jeopardized your credibility and reliability, and potential employers will start to wonder if there’s something more significant you’ve been dishonest about.
It will be obvious when you start work.
Even if no one discovered you lying on a resume during the candidate assessment, it may catch up with you once you begin working in your new position. Your boss may fire you if you can’t demonstrate the abilities you claim to have on your resume. Your new supervisors and co-workers will have expectations of you that you won’t be able to meet. This failure will be more evident than if you had just asked for help learning how to tackle a new task. Whether they uncover your lie or are disappointed with your poor performance, this is not a good first impression.
You’re cheating yourself.
Maintaining a lie or “faking it” on the job is exhausting and stressful. You’ll have a much more enjoyable experience at a new position with a clean slate where you can focus entirely on taking in your new surroundings, mastering your new tasks and responsibilities, and getting to know your co-workers. You shouldn’t also have to worry about keeping your story straight or covering up your weaknesses! Creating an honest resume is better for your mental health.
What are the potential consequences of being dishonest on your resume? If a recruiter or potential employer catches you lying on a resume, it may cost you a great career opportunity. But it might not end there. They might mention your dishonesty to others if they have a network of fellow recruiters or other business owners. If you are looking for other job opportunities in the same industry or location, lying on a resume could get you a bad reputation, hurting your future career prospects.
How to Create An Effective, Honest Resume
Instead of succumbing to the urge to exaggerate your resume, stand out by sharing your unique qualities and experiences. Even if you have little on-the-job experience in the company’s industry, consider other ways to show interest. Resume writing is an art form where you must creatively craft your life story to suit the position and the organization you’re applying to.
- Highlight your strongest attributes, experiences, and skills first.
- Mention your non-work related experience, such as volunteering or certifications you’ve earned.
- Accurately discuss your educational pursuits.
- Include any hobbies and interests that may relate to the position.
- List professional and personal references who can attest to your work ethic and character.
An honest resume is always the best option. Whether an inconsistency comes out in the interview process or after you’ve started your job, you don’t want these embellishments or misrepresentations coming back to haunt you.
CulverCareers Supports Job Seekers During The Entire Hiring Process
At CulverCareers, we help job seekers like you with job application advice and help them write effective resumes to land their dream jobs.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your job search journey with a recruiting partner, submit your application with CulverCareers today, and let us help you find a fulfilling career.
Ty Culver is the Client Development Director of CulverCareers focusing on talent acquisition and workforce solutions with a wide variety of local, national and global clients.
Ty has been working in various aspects of the industry for over 10 years and developed deep expertise in Executive Search, Executive Benefit and Talent Acquisition Programs along the way. He has a range of experience from SMB to Enterprise clients and hyper specific executive searches to high volume recruiting with companies in a dynamic state of flux.
Today, Ty leads a talented team of Talent Acquisition Specialists, Executive Recruiters and Client Success Managers at one of the most respected Recruiting Firms in the Nation, CulverCareers. While leadership is a key aspect of his role, Ty still enjoys working with clients on recruiting strategies, executive benefit solutions and workforce solutions to help clients build a holistic approach to talent acquisition and talent retention.
