Should You Lie on Your Resume?

Survey Says

Some studies estimate that as many as one-third of all job seekers provide false or exaggerated information on their resumes, ranging from innocent omissions to blatant lies. Other studies estimate that resume lying occurs much more often. One such study indicates that men lie on their resumes more than women.

The most common resume lie is about education. Other common resume lies include:

• Stretching dates to cover employment gaps
• Enhancing job titles
• Embellishing job duties and achievements
• Inventing employers

If others are doing it, then why shouldn't you?

Who would know anyway?

Maybe no one. That's one of the reasons resume lying is a common practice. Some employers conduct background and reference checks, some don't. Maybe it'll come out when you're asked specific questions during your interview, maybe it won't.

But the word about resume fraud is spreading and employers are wising up. What if an employer does check up on you? Maybe you won't get busted right away, but what about later? Can you take the pressure of knowing that you lied? Are you willing to suffer exposure, embarrassment, humiliation, and maybe even getting fired?

Resumes are not legal documents, so there's not much an employer can do if you lie on your resume, except decline to hire you if you get caught. But if you lie on your resume, then you'll have to follow suit on your job application or risk immediate exposure.

Job applications are legal documents. If it comes out later that you lied on your job application, then your employer legally has the right to fire you, even if you've performed well on the job.

Then it begins to snowball; you'll likely have to lie to your next employer, about getting fired for lying to your previous employer. If you get busted for that too, then you're trapped inside a rapidly growing snowball of deceit.

Ask yourself if it's worth it.