Lying on resumes

[iciedu]

CNBC says that millennials are most likely to lie in resumes: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/12/mill...heres-why.html while Monster Career Advice outlines some of the most common lies: https://www.monster.com/career-advic...-lies-hot-jobs.

The below video discusses the pitfalls of lying in resumes. What are the dangers of lying on a resume both to others and oneself?

[Gerhard]

Lying on ones resume can get one into a lot of trouble. Maybe in the past when background checks were not that intensive, one can pass of any false entry on their resumes. But with platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, etc... headhunters can easily do a quick background check without even having to sweat. Better be a unskilled applicant who aces the interview rather than put too many flowery information to prop up a resume and get busted in the end.

[Bjun]

I agree and I also thought employers do a thorough background check before hiring someone. But as one survey I've read shows that 80% of those who lied on their resume didn't get caught nor faced negative consequences, it's not surprising that more and more people are doing it (https://www.theladders.com/career-ad...-their-resumes). Because of the steep competition, a lot of people sometimes exaggerate their qualifications and skills. Maybe employers found out about it but decided to let it go. I think it's a question of integrity at this point.

[mjmnl]

With the ever-competitive labor market that we have now, lying in one's resume is inevitable. There are a lot of ways your prospective employer can check your profile. Especially now that we have different public platforms that they can easily check. If that is your dream company and you got caught red-handed, sorry to say but you have to wave goodbye to the chances of being hired. Also, it will bring greater risk and problem in the future once you're hired if you were able to get through the intensive background checks that we have now.

A better way to improve your profile is to include new skills and knowledge by actually getting yourself enrolled now. Or practice different activities like photoshop or video editing by watching youtube or other online tutorials. Or you can just be honest. As mentioned in the article attached, 84% of employers said they would consider a candidate who lacked the required job experience.

[Bjun]

Both articles are very good read; the video didn't play though.

I can't really say that I'm surprised to see that millennials are the most likely to lie on their resumes. A lot of job requires prior job experience, which they may not have having just completed their studies. Although quite in demand, competition for jobs like programming is quite steep, so everyone definitely wants to stand out when looking for a job.

It is true though that spotting a lie or an exaggeration or omission on a resume is easier now. From experience, employers will always do a background check and it's so much faster to verify information now than ever before. It's easier to be honest about your work experience, education background and competencies than having future employers find out about your lies (worse if they find out after hiring you).

As Alfred Noble said, "A clean reputation is more important than a clean shirt. Unlike reputation, the shirt can be washed."

[GladysMae]

I have also encountered someone who lied on her resume and doctored her certificate. Of course, it was goodbye for her.

Lying here and there on the resume. Falsifying credentials. It escalates. What is next?

[mjmnl]

I think that's one of the worst effects of lying in the resume. All the effort and time that you gave to your job will be put into waste when you get caught red-handed. You thought you got away from the truth but there it is haunting your future career. Based on experience, there are ways to improve your profile without putting false credentials. Internships or volunteering experience can be added to your professional experiences if you have just finished your studies. Or get another diploma or certificate by enrolling yourself to online schools so that there's no need to obtain student loans.

[Bjun]

kdy I find it scary to falsify documents as it could be grounds for a lawsuit. I read somewhere that some companies require that copies of the transcript or diploma be send directly from the university and not from the applicant. This alone assures that the documents they get are authentic and may eliminate the need for an educational background check.

[Lou]

Competition is stiff nowadays. But, in my opinion, lying in your resume is never an option. Honesty is what sets you apart from others. Your honesty speaks a lot about you as a person. Furthermore, telling the truth is easier than lying. When you lie, you have to weave an intricate scenario in your brain which takes up a lot of your effort and energy. Whereas, when you tell the truth, there is no need to think as it comes out spontaneously.

Plus, no matter what the interviewer asks about your resume, you will be able to answer with confidence as everything you have written there is the truth. Isn't that better than lying?

[Kamille]

I agree. As today's job market is really competitive, lying on their resumes improve your chances of getting hired. However, the risks of lying are not worth the benefits. Lies can get out of hand and its easy to be consistent when you're being honest. If you ever get the job, the stress of you getting caught will eventually affect your work. If you can lie about some things on your resume, who knows what else you can lie about? Remember that a good work relationship is built on trust. Hiring managers appreciate honesty and lying is a serious character flaw. Its hard to "fake it til you make it" long enough without getting found out.

[Indelible_Mark]

It would be foolish to lie on one's resume. Even social media accounts are getting 'reviewed' for the vetting. Who lies on their social media accounts? Confused maybe but never to lie. Embellished, puffed up, even blown out of proportion just to get a 'hit' with the AI and resume analytics will get caught -sooner now than later-Why lie when you can build a resume that will be recognized. Here's how from Forbes.com https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathyca.../#343bb0406ea7

[JerryYan]

Resume analytics is more commonly used than we realize. Good read from forbes! It also helps for us to continuously improve on resume building with the current trends as it is the way to ensure recognition through the evolution of hiring.

[jcoppi29]

Lying in resumes, as equivocally it has been stated above, is indubitably a crisis that is yet to unfold -- as it was caught late, like most systemic problems. I think, other than just cutting its branches by calling it out for what it is -- an injustice -- a key step in its prevention would be understanding the circumstances that let its root grow on fertile soil. It began somewhere, and to prevent it from spreading, we might as well tackle how to prevent it from re-occurring again.

I think some of its root causes would be the following, or a mix of one or more of the following:
1. Poverty - poverty generally triggers an intense and craven survival instinct in human beings to the point of dehumanizing others in order to get ahead or "to survive". The job market journey for an individual under the spell of desperation and the survival instinct is something they will so willingly blend, even if it costs another person a job.

2. A corrupted job market -- as hard as it may sound, even if some job markets are doing great filtering their applicants, a lot of other job markets don't really impose on the basis of meritocracy or credentialism, rather, social connections, politics and more. A lot of BPO situations do these, and I think is also widely observed but not intervened within poorer countries. How does this relate to the problem? Simple. A corrupt job market signals to people that they should play the game by all means necessary, it can also serve as an enabling signal that skills aren't important, when you can lie your way up the ladder with connections politically instead.

3. Victim mentality - most millennials, people ranging from mid 20's to 30 somethings, have that teenage ideology of overcoming the "system", some get over it, some become the opposite, and some stick with it. The idea that they're being oppressed and herded by a tyrannic hierarchy oftentimes becomes an excuse to do bad decisions, including lying. Then again, the sense of being oppressed in some job markets is still valid, considering there are unchecked job market tyrannies out there. Question is, where to solve it from -- from the pathologically victim-minded sort, or from the hierarchy that led to its manifestation?

4. The lack of consequences - heck, some people even boast that they've lied in their resume and got away with it, and they didn't get fired to easily nor dealt with consequence. Generally, humans avoid behaviors that have painful consequences -- the lack of consequence, therefore, as it applies in most behavioral situational problems, an act of enabling malevolence.

[Skye]

What do we mean by lying though? Will exaggeration be called lying? When can we say that it is lying or it is just "highlighting and shading?" Is omitting a certain skill or work stint lying if this skill or experience is not relevant to what you are applying for?

[Skye]

Thank you, kdy. I read on another thread someone does not find anything wrong with a hyperbole'd cv. There is nothing wrong with being hired based on value-creation. I guess it is all it is a creation. No substance to back it up.

I do agree with you about highlighting. But do you really have to disclose everything?

[kdy]

Skye I don't think that everything should be disclosed. But again, if the information would have an impact on the decision making, then it should be disclosed. Let's say that you are currently studying, but the job requires undivided attention. What do you think would have been appropriate in this scenario? Would you disclose that you are studying, or not?

[Indelible_Mark]

I think its the hiring party's priority to ensure that interviews are effective. Its a stage of screening with a goal of hiring talent -not starting a witch hunt. The importance and relevance of information before any of it is disclosed varies relative to the parties involved not to mention that an applicant will likely be unaware of the hiring companies' priorities let alone specific hiring criteria. Because relevance is relative there is no way that an applicant can begin to guess what needs to be disclosed during an interview.

[JerryYan]

Lying in resumes is more common than we realize. Some could even do it unintentionally by overly highlighting their skill sets or experiences. Some also do it out of need, considering how job seeking becomes even more competitive each year. I believe it is also how these resumes are followed through in interviews or by the quality of work and output after hiring that will measure one's ability.