Surviving the Fake Resume

How can you recognize the phoney resume? Excellent question. There was a recent debate about the practice of recruiters’ posting fake resumes on job boards in order to assertedly test the waters and evaluate the interests of hiring managers. The recruiter also seemed to admit that this was actually a technique for getting job requisitions. There was an argument that this is an honest practice and carries absolutely no taint because of the research value, potential for building connections, and a “take it or leave it” opportunity.

Many recruiters who saw the admission decried the practice citing the fact that these ruses are a major waste of time. The time to cull a database, read and evaluate, and then do outreach is time that could have been spent on a real person who is legitimately looking for employment and is willing to entertain a potential situation. Even more vexing was the realization that the discussion was drummed up in order to draw attention to an article that was published the next day, to make innuendoes about a start-up business, and to promote the formation of a new discussion group. But those are somewhat tangential issues. Drawing all three together, however, is honesty about what is presented. That was what stirred up the most controversy — honesty, credibility, ethics, trustworthiness, and respect — respect of and value of one’s time.

Gerry Crispin, two years ago, did a circuit of presentations on the Golde Locks resume. This was a phoney applicant. Several people with stellar credentials and backgrounds submitted the same resume to various companies. The candidate information, however, screamed the fact that the resume was not real because of things such as a dubious address, manufactured phone number and email address, and so on. The astounding thing was that so many companies were so detached from their recruiting models that they relied almost entirely on their ATS mechanisms. The companies took so little time actually evaluating what was submitted that their ficticious, perfect Golde Locks got invited to interview! So the question of how to recognize the fake resume while still giving legitimate applicants fair and equitable appraisal and opportunity to interview is problematic. Then the question becomes how far does one go in order to make certain this is a real applicant and not a recruiter on a marketing tear?

Equally important is the way this affects legitimate job seekers. They want their resumes to be taken seriously. They’ve spent hours and days and dollars to produce “the perfect resume.” If it truly is the impeccable document that compares with that submitted by the desperate recruiter, we need to determine what should be done to shine, get noticed, and not get rejected as a phoney. What an enigma.

Potential Answer

There’s one tip off to this. The resume is impeccable. That was the clincher with Golde Locks as well — the resume was perfect — except for the give away flags. Because Golde Locks was so impeccable, she got called in quite a bit. She also got rejected. The important matter, however, is that it seems all of these fake resumes have a commonality — the perfectness of the applicant’s background and skills. It may also be that the job for which they’re applying is also far below their capabilities but I suspect not. An applicant gets called because they’re such a good match for the job as advertised in relation to the announced job description. I believe these phoney resumes are not from over-qualified applicants but for dead-on just right types.

Perhaps this gives the “almost a fit” submissions a running chance. They will more than likely be real people who have diverse experience but not exactly on everything. Thus, it’s worth it to look at the direct experience as well as the lateral. One shouldn’t feel pressured to produce (talking a few minutes to a few hours, not months on end). On the other hand, one should know the job and the job description and actual requirements. There may be several resumes that are just right for what’s sought. Several laterals who also have direct experience may be better fits for the position.

The Perfect Resume

This brings me to counsel the job applicant as well. This should be a red flag. Yes, the resume is supposed to be compelling and bring out your best qualities. It should not be so perfect that it bears the taint of being phoney. Therefore, don’t give up when rejected. It could be that your resume needs some work to make it exceptional and attractive. But it could also be an indication that you’ve let the pendulum swing too far in the other direction. Evaluate your presentation documents carefully.