How To Lie On A Resume

Understand And Be Armed With The Most Common Lies

There are areas commonly lied about on resumes. Some, recruiting managers see right through these lies – meaning you have to expect questioning; some less so.

Salary: A common trick is to combine allowances, bonuses and other occasional payments to get a salary number and present it as your base salary when negotiating. This is often challenged, so you have to decide if you are going to continue with your bluff or explain your rationale honestly when the questions get more heated.

Massaging Qualifications: This is common and increasingly easy to check.;Higher Education Degree Datacheck is an organisation set up to allow recruiters to verify the degree qualifications of potential candidates. They found that around one third of people embellish their academic credentials in the UK; but they can be caught!

Dates: Candidates often either fiddle dates, pretending to be still in work, or skipping over periods of unemployment earlier in their career to give the impression of a seamless career history. This can be discovered at the referencing stage, so make sure you know what sort of references your past employers give before you choose to gloss over too many dates.

Inflating numbers: Cranking up business metrics, test scores or abilities is commonplace. If youre claiming to have single handedly turned around a failing business, or to be fluent in Mandarin, expect the claims to be tested, and have a few choice responses to hand.

If You Are Lying On An Application For A State Or Federal Employer It Could Be Considered A Crime Since It Is Illegal To Lie To A Federal Or State Government Agent

Is it illegal to lie on a resume. A resume is not a legal document so lying on it isnt a criminal offense. Making changes like inflating your university grades or changing previous job titles may seem small but they can be classed as fraud by false representation which carries a maximum 10-year jail sentence. In itself its not illegal or unlawful to lie fib tell untruths etc on a resume.

Facebook likes as a performance reference. Is it Illegal to Lie on a Resume. Yes we all agree that at some point in time we have tweaked our resumes according to the firm or company that we may be applying to according to the goals and interests of the firm.

Here is what can happen if you do get the job. A resume is a marketing document used to advertise oneself to potential employers. A resume is not a legal document.

Lying on a resume is a breach of trust and is seen as a serious character flaw even if it is a small lie such as claiming a degree from Harvard when you really withdrew one semester before graduating. CV lies are illegal. However in a few situations your mistruths can come back to haunt you in major ways.

The Internet is full of memes and stories about people putting all sorts of crazy stuff in their resumes eg. There is no such thing as a white lie in the eyes of an employer. Many employers consider lying in your job application to be fraud.

Infographic Do You Lie On Your Resume

Lying On Your Cv The Facts Top Universities

Infographic Do You Lie On Your Resume

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Stretching The Truth Vs Lying

That being said, people stretch the truth every day on their resumes. Not only do they tend not to get in trouble for this, but a certain amount of stretching the truth is kind of expected by most hiring managers.

However, its very important to distinguish between stretching the truth, which youll probably get away with, and with outright lying, which you almost certainly wont.

Truth-stretches you can probably get away with:

• Start and end dates for positions, as long as youre not off by more than a few months. Most hiring managers are aware of the fact that people dont have the best memories, and wont care if youre off by a month or two here.

• Skills that you can easily pick up, like basic HTML, Excel, or other programs that dont require years of experience to become functional with.

• Irrelevant experience that youre able to sell as being relevant. This is actually a pretty important thing to do in many cases where your previous work experience doesnt directly relate to the job youre currently applying for. You wont have a ton of directly relevant experience, so youll have to get creative with the experience that you do have.

Outright lies you will certainly get fired for at some point:

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Resume Lies: Age Breakdown

Next, we sorted respondents by age group to see whos likeliest to tell real and white lies.

Interestingly, although avoiding age discrimination wasnt cited as a top reason for lying, people aged 55 to 64 are likeliest to tell both real and white lies on resumes. The second-place age group for the propensity for telling both types of lies is 25 to 34. For white lies, 18- to 24-year-olds claim third place for likeliness to tell them. As for real lies, 45- to 54-year-olds come in third.

Can I Use My Mom As A Reference

Hiring managers generally assume your parents cant give an objective view of your work history or how youll behave as an employee, so dont put them down as references. That goes for all family members, as they will most likely think youre pretty great, Banul says. Your familys opinion will always be biased.

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What Constitutes Lying On Your Resume

Lying on your resume comes in three forms: lies of commission, lies of omission, and embellishment.

A lie of commission is a false statement. Saying you went to Harvard when you didnt, claiming you have a masters degree when you dont, or saying you can write code when you cant are all lies of commission.

Lies of omission arent lies as much as they are not telling the whole truth. . For example, saying that you went to State U is fine as long as you did. Not graduating from State U is also OK, unless hiring managers assume you received your degree from State U and you never clarify that you did not receive a degree.

Finally, an embellishment is when you overstate your qualifications or accomplishments on your resume. Talking about your leadership abilities is expected. But, saying that you have management experience when that experience is limited to being a camp counselor is crossing a line.

Firm Wise Tweaks On The Resume:

Let me remind you that along with conducting the market research for your job profile, you should also perform an analysis on the firm that you want to join.

First, make a list of all the firms that are offering job positions that you would ideally want to apply for. Then, make notes as to which of these firms you would want to apply for. Assume that there are four firms that are in your priority list.

Now although your resume seems to be set for all of these companies, you should know that each firm has its own goals and ideologies.

Therefore, you should actually possess four versions of your resume that you could apply to each of the firms respectively.

That way, you are bound to connect to the firms thoughts and you might as well stand a chance for an interview. Practically, firms would choose that resume which best applies to their interest.

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How Lying On Your Resume Can Get You In Big Trouble

We should preface this article by saying that not getting caught for lying is a distinct, albeit remote, possibility.

There are people who have lied on their resumes in a major way who have almost certainly never been found out, or at least never experienced any major consequences for their actions.

But heres the thing: the longer you work for a particular place, the higher the chances are that someone will find out youre lying.

And the longer youve lived with that lie, the more severe your consequences are going to become.

Any of the following things has the potential to happen after lying on a resume:

• It might be discovered as early on as during the background check that your employer does on you, at which point youll more than likely be immediately disqualified from any job opening.

• It could come up at any point while youre working with someone, whether through everyday conversations that dont add up, or even just through your own inability to do the kind of work that you should according to your listed experience be capable of doing.

• Even if you end up working at the same place for decades, you might still be found out and fired at some point down the line.

• And if you manage to get a job somewhere else based on experience at a job that you only had because of a lie, you could still get fired for having lied at the first job again, if youre found out.

What Is A Personal Profile Example

I am an enthusiastic, self-motivated, reliable, responsible and hard working person. I am a mature team worker and adaptable to all challenging situations. I am able to work well both in a team environment as well as using own initiative. I am able to work well under pressure and adhere to strict deadlines.

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Be Realistic And Do Your Research

Whatever your reason for massaging your resume – make sure that any half truths you include are realistic, and you have done enough research to allow you to pull them off.The area in which you are planning on lying matters here. If you choose to say you ran a marathon in your hobbies section and get caught out, you might well be able to laugh it off . If you claim to be qualified in a crucial job skill and are not – walking away unscathed is less likely.Dont lay claim to anything completely outlandish. And remember, polishing your resume isnt lying. In fact, it is good practice. Use the right language to describe what you have achieved and present the experience you do have in the right light. This is far better than simply making up a career history you will be hard pressed to live up to.

Caught In A Web Of Lies

When respondents were asked specific questions related to certain sections on their resume, we found that 1 in 3 of truthful respondents do lie on their resume.

What does this mean? People dont think they are lying on their resume, but do deceptively stretch employment dates, add skills they dont have, and boost key achievements from their former positions.

The result?;

56% of people actually lie on their resumewhether they realize it or not.

We asked respondents a series of specific questions related to different parts of a resume to hone in on whether they tell the whole, honest truth, or whether they stretch it to look better on paper.

More than 10% of people who, at first, claimed that they never lied did inadvertently confess:

• Have you ever said youre good at something on your resume that you wouldnt feel comfortable doing when asked?
• Have you ever stretched the dates of a position you worked at?
• Have you ever rounded up your GPA on your resume?
• Have you ever exaggerated your results from previous positions on your resume?

In addition, young people inadvertently confessed to lying more often than older people . This is especially noticeable when it comes to Boomers who have the lowest yes rate for this set of questions.

For most of these questions, professionals from Business and Finance and Software/IT industries have the highest yes rate as well. Education workers are likely to lie the least.

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What To Do If You Lied On Your Resume

There are a few things you should do if youve decided to lie on your resume. These might not save you from losing at work, but they can help limit the damage a bit.

1. Withdraw your applicationBy simply leaving the recruiting process, you can avoid damaging your reputation.

2. Tell the truthIt may seem difficult to do and will almost certainly prevent you from getting the job. However, being open and honest with the hiring manager can calm some of the more negative effects of lying on your resume.

3. Make sure you dont get caughtThis is the least recommended option of the 3. If, however, you are too far away, this may seem like your only option. Remember, however, that if you do get caught, the consequences will be severe.

In any case, a CV with lies is more damaging than useful. It will have to be updated and replaced by a more precise and representative document.

ResumeCoach can help you create your new truthful document in no time. With easy-to-use section blocks and optimized templates, you can produce a resume that hires you without stretching the truth.

Ways Employers Discover Resume Lies

1. Your Alma Mater Cant Confirm You Graduated

Claiming to be a Harvard graduate when you really have a degree from a no-name state school is one of the;worst things you can lie about;on your resume, according to hiring managers surveyed by;Hloom.

And while some employers will take you at your word when you say you went to a fancy school, others will check on your educational background by calling the school directly or using a service, such as the;National Student Clearinghouse.

Sometimes, its interested third parties who clue an employer into a lie, such as the;student journalists;at a Kansas high school who discovered their new principal had inflated her educational credentials.

2. You Cant Pass a Skills Test

Its easy to say youre proficient in everything, from conversational French to coding, on your resume. But proving you have those skills is another thing entirely. Employers realize how simple it is for people to exaggerate their skillset, so dont be surprised if youre asked to demonstrate your talents.

An;interviewer might ask you a question;in the language you claim to be fluent in or give you an on-the-spot quiz. Failing such a basic test is a sure sign that youve either stretched the truth or overestimated your abilities, both of which are likely to take you out of the running for a job.

3. Dates Dont Add Up

4. Your Resume and Cover Letter Dont Match

5. Your Job Titles Are Too Good To Be True

6. Youre Vague about Your Skills and Experience

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Can You Go To Jail For Lying On Resume

Lying on your resume can land you in jail, get you fired, or leave you without legal recourse against an employer.

Besides, Can I fake a reference?

Fake references are illegal if youre caught. Directly lying is incredibly unethical, and if caught, you could be fired or face legal trouble. Companies rarely sue for lying, but the people you named on your reference list have every right to.

As well as Can I fake work experience? Yes, however you must tweak your resume only a bit since some companies really do a background check with their possible employees in the months that they are still under probation. But, if it is not necessary do not resort to putting fake working experience on your resume.

Furthermore What happens if you get caught lying on your resume?

If youre caught lying before youre hired, you wont get a job offer. If the organization discovers you lied after youve been put on the payroll, you can be fired. Lying on your resume can also impact your future employment. It can be harder to get hired when you have a termination for cause in your work history.

Can you lie about employment history?

Yes, you can lie about your employment history. You can also get caught out and be fired for doing so even prosecuted if you have committed some fraud. Employers may well ask you for a reference from an employer if it is specifically related to the role they have engaged you for.

Resume Lies: Employment Status Breakdown

We asked respondents to come clean about whether theyve told real and white lies on a resume. Then we broke down the results by employment status. Overall, people told far fewer real lies than white ones. Unemployed people are likeliest to lie: 46.9% of those seeking work have told white lies, while 14.3% of those not seeking work have told real lies.

Both people employed for wages and self-employed people told a surprising number of white lies. Behind only unemployed individuals, self-employed people rank high for likelihood of telling real lies. Overall, military personnel are least likely to tell lies , followed by people unable to work.

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Should You Put Icons On Your Resume

Resume icons can be a great addition if youre applying for a creative position. Some resumes, especially for jobs that require a traditional approach, wont benefit from icons. When used right, icons can make your resume more appealing and showcase your skills. Use icons in moderation, only to strengthen the content.

Seeing That Dates Don’t Add Up

One of the most common ways job seekers lie is by fudging their employment dates. If someone worked at a company for only four months, from November 2012 to February 2013, they may omit the exact months on their resume and simply write “2012 to 2013” to give the impression that they worked there for a much longer period of time.

While this manipulation sounds like a smart idea , resorting to flat-out faking start and end employment dates will get your application thrown out if caught. A question like, “Exactly how many months did you work at ?” or a simple phone call to your past employer is all they need to find out about your tendency to be deceptive.

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