Why Resume Embellishments Won’t Cut It Anymore
Posted February 20th, 2015
Lying on a resume is never OK, but embellishing here and there is standard practice, right? It may have once been, but as the recruitment process has become ever more competitive and ever more technological, employers have more incentive than ever to see through your embellishments.
Career Builder recently conducted a survey of HR professionals in which 58 percent reported that they had caught a lie on a candidate’s resume. The same survey showed that the amount of time spent scrutinizing resumes is on the rise, and 51 percent of the participants said they would immediately disqualify a candidate who lied on their resume.
The survey underscores just how important it is to be perfectly accurate with every detail on your resume. To help you clean up the embellishments, we made of list of the areas where they most commonly appear.
Skill Set
It’s easy enough for an employer to confirm your credentials with licensing boards, speak to a few past employers, and get a pretty accurate picture of your skill set. You may have been learning new skills in your own time, but if you can’t demonstrate those in a professional context, it’s better to leave them off your resume.
Education
This is one of the easiest credentials to confirm, and one that candidates inflate all the time. Simply put, only list the degrees that you completed in full, with the complete approval of the college or university, and only list them according to the exact title they were awarded under.
Dates of Employment
It’s easy to fudge the dates in order to cover up extended periods of unemployment, but it’s also easy to figure out the truth. You can bet that anytime a potential employer contacts a past employer they will verify your exact dates of employment.
Self Employment
If you have picked up freelance work while looking for a job, that’s great, and impressive to employers. But you need to be able to prove it by providing references and work samples. If your freelance jobs have been sporadic and underwhelming, it’s best not to mention them at all.
Job Title
It’s always tempting to inflate an ordinary, unimpressive job title into something that sounds cutting edge and full of responsibility, but the recruiter will see right through it. If your goal is to demonstrate that you have skills and potential beyond what you past job titles imply, use the cover letter or interview to explain that instead of embellishing your resume.
Even if you are perfectly honest, there are ways to frame your resume and state your credentials that make you stand out. Access additional resources to help you connect with hiring managers by contacting Bayside Solutions.
