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The Truth Behind the (Resume) Lies
August 07, 2008
Forty-nine percent of hiring managers report finding a lie on applicants' resumes, according to a CareerBuilder.com survey
By Avi Nimmer
Pop Quiz: What do the following people have in common: George O'Leary, former head football coach of Notre Dame; Marilee Jones, ex-dean of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Sandra Baldwin, past president of the United States Olympic Committee?
A) They all held prestigious jobs
B) They all no longer work in their aforementioned positions
C) They were all fired from their jobs because it was discovered that each of them lied on their resume
And the answer is…all of the above.
Resume fabrication is becoming a serious and all-too-common phenomenon, with nearly half (49%) of hiring managers reporting they have caught an applicant lying on a resume, according to a recent CareerBuilder.com report. Of the 3,100 managers surveyed, 57% report dismissing the lying applicant on-the-spot, while another 36% continued to consider the potential employee, but did not hire him. A small, and surprising, 6% of managers hired the employee despite catching the lie.
All Lies Are Not Created Equal
Jennifer Grasz, a CareerBuilder.com spokesperson, attributes the hiring of some fabricators to the "white lie" nature of their minor embellishments or inaccuracies—such as incorrect dates of employment. "There are some issues that employers are more apt to have a conversation [with the applicant] and clarify the discrepancy," says Grasz. But more serious offenses and violations of truthfulness, however, such as making up job positions and past experiences, will often lead managers to "not even bother with that candidate."
The most common lies found on resumes include "embellished responsibilities (38%), skill sets (18%), dates of employment (12%), academic degree (10%), companies worked for (7%) and job title (5%)," according to the survey.
The survey also divulges some of the more notable lies managers have caught in their careers, which include: claiming to have been a member of the Kennedy family; submitting sample works that the manager himself had written; claiming to have served in the army prior to date of birth; and inventing a school that did not exist.
Stand Out From the Crowd (Truthfully)
Whether people are motivated to lie on their resumes out of desperation or confidence they won't get caught, the goal is still the same: Make your resume outshine the competition. While claiming to have received a Purple Heart in battle certainly would distinguish you from the masses, the risks associated with lying are too great, as it can come back to haunt you at any time in your professional career.
Rather than misrepresent yourself, there are a number of honest ways to improve your resume appearance and chances of being hired. "One of the best ways to stand out is to put a career summary at the top [of your resume]," says Grasz. Being that 43% of managers report spending no more than one minute looking at a resume, according to the survey, having a career summary "…catches employer attention. It shows them, 'Here's my background, and here are my major accomplishments,'" says Grasz.
Also, since many managers use electronic scanners to scan through resumes and rank candidates based on keyword searches, it is important to "make applications and resumes relevant to the employer," says Grasz. Some of the most common keywords/terms employers search for when electronically scanning a resume include: "problem-solving and decision-making skills (50%); oral and written communications (44%); customer service or retention (34%); and performance and productivity improvement (32%)," according to the survey.
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