Career Advice: Stick To The Truth In Your Resume

No doubt about it. These are tough times. Jobs are challenging to come by and to hold. It is not surprising, then, that job seekers may well be tempted to pad their resumes. That is, be less than truthful about their abilities, knowledge, even their references. 

Don’t, don’t do it stick to the facts. There might appear to be rewards to lying on your resume in the short term, but in the longer view it threatens ultimate career rewards.  

Even though only 8 percent of applicants admit to fibbing about their career path in their resumes according to a survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com, almost half of hiring managers surveyed say they have caught candidates lying on their resumes.

Those who make hiring decisions are a lot more apt than ever prior to to check references. The smart applicants get the approval of references and make certain they will be positive before including them in their resumes and covering letters.

Human resources people are better equipped and a lot more alert than ever to spot transgressions such as grossly inflating accomplishments, positions and salary to the extent they don’t jibe with age and education/training becoming inaccurate about dates to cover gaps in a career path overstating compensation.

At the very same time, they are flooded with a growing number of applications for a shrinking number of openings, so they have less time to review resumes…occasionally only minutes for every. As a result, even the hint of lies and exaggerations is sufficient to consign an application to the trashcan. Practically six out of ten in the survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com said they automatically dismissed the application.

Even if a dishonest resume leads to a job, the reality that it exists will be a source of anxiety and distraction. Worse case, it can still come back to haunt you if the truth comes out, as is most likely at present or in the future. Overstating encounter can also lead to failure by putting an applicant in a job he can’t deal with.

Hiring managers expect applicants to put the best face on their resumes and covering letters. At the exact same time, they demand facts to support claims. This leaves a lot of chance to make the case for finding hired with a concise resume that reflects an understanding of the employer’s requirements and showing a convincing story of how one’s qualifications serve those needs.

“The vast majority of people facing career modifications are immensely far better qualified than their self-written resumes”, says Bryan Newman, Certified Professional Resume Writer.

“…a successful resume (tells) the reader what you have accomplished that makes you a far better candidate for the job than others in the field. Recruiters look for candidates whose resumes are crafted around a solid list of career achievements.”

By the way, the reality is that some employers may well lie also, promising opportunities and rewards they can’t deliver. (But that doesn’t excuse your falsifying your career path.)  Check them out just before spending time and effort in producing applications.