Liar, liar, pants on fire… (common resume lies)

Reprinted courtesy of TheCareerNews.com
NEW YORK, NY — From foolish fibs to full-on fraud, lying on your resume is one of the most common ways that people stretch the truth. The percentage of people who lie to potential employers is substantial, says Sunny Bates, CEO of New York-based executive recruitment firm. She estimates that 40% of all resumes aren’t altogether above board.
One of the most common resume lies involves playing with dates to hide employment gaps. Bogus college degree claims are also prevalent, even though it’s one of the easiest items to check. Another widespread set of tall tales is embellishment of experience and accomplishments. Some job hunters will say they were paid a higher salary at a previous job to get more money. That’s why companies and recruiters are now more commonly asking for a recent pay stub or tax return. Imagine talking your way out of that.

As a matter of fact, almost 40% of human resources professionals surveyed last year by the Society for Human Resource Management reported increased time spent checking references. So think twice before you ship off your next half-baked job application. Even if your moral compass doesn’t keep you from deceit, the fact that human resources is on to the game should. Just remember, whenever you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember what you said.
Article abridged from Forbes.com, and reprinted from TheCareerNews.com. Get the latest breaking News, Tips and Tools for your job search, Free!