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May 01, 2005
Embellished Resumes - A Real Problem
— Written by Sarah Hightower Hill
Take the jobseeker in Alabama who, knowing that his IQ was far above average and that in the course of his life had learned valuable skills allowing him to function at a very high level, embellished his resume by adding a doctorate that he had never earned. And knowing that because he had never graduated from college or earned a degree he was forever kept away from the best jobs and the highest salary. So it seemed only a little white lie to add Phd., to the academic credentials on his resume. After all he could talk the talk and walk the walk in his defense industry specialty.
The gentleman was so wrong – in any high security position a background check will be a priority and he, of course, did not survive his. Now, he may have had a good job for a short time, but because of this indiscretion, could be forever ruined in that industry. Fortunately for him, his employer did recognize his value and decided to keep him on and send him to school. This story has a happy ending but it is certainly the exception rather than the rule.
The truth is, lying on your resume is just plain stupid, and ranks right up there with the other 10 most stupid things people do in their lifetimes. In fact, lying at any time is the single act that gets most people in the most trouble - trouble in work, in relationships, trouble everywhere.
If you have weaknesses in your work history, references, or credentials before you lie about it consider that a skilled resume development specialist can assist you in highlighting what you can do, have done, and will do well for an employer. That same specialist can assist you in ways to overcome other weaknesses on your resume such as age and termination.
All employers are looking for the right person to solve a particular problem. Your job is to convince that employer that you are the right person – most employers know that there are very skilled job seekers out there, not all of them with impeccable credentials, and will be willing to overlook certain weaknesses if everything else is in place.
I had the opportunity to work several years ago with an attorney who was let go from a very high-level state government position because a lie he had told on his application 20 years prior had surfaced. None of us want that kind of skeleton to come back and cost us our jobs.
A job application is a document that may never go away, they can remain on a persons record the entire length of their work life. Make sure that you understand how to fill them out properly. Once again a skilled career specialist can assist you in answering questions on an application in the most positive light without dredging up old issues that you may not want to deal with today. Employers will almost always hold an employee responsible for entries on an application regardless of the circumstances.
The bottom line is don’t lie about your ability, background or credentials, certainly paint the best possible picture of yourself, but don’t go over the line – it just isn’t worth it.
About the author:
Sarah Hightower Hill is CEO of Chandler Hill Partners, the Nation’s leading
career search specialists. For nearly 15 years, Sarah Hightower Hill has been
successful in helping mid- to high-level executives and professionals outperform
the competition.
Her clients have included executives, managers and support personnel, as
well as employees from both public and private sectors across an array
of industries.
Her groundbreaking work in the career development field has resulted in
targeted, solution-oriented services that deliver the most effective and
fastest search cycle times.
Sarah is also the architect and driving force behind Chandler Hill Partners’ community
service program “Find Your Future” -- a two part strategy helping
motivate high school students to stay invested in their education while
helping drop outs to find career opportunities. |
Other articles by Sarah Hightower Hill include:
Some Fees are Worth Every Penny
Non-Competes – To Sign or Not to Sign?
Non-Competes – Should We Or Shouldn’t We? An employer’s perspective
Embellished Resumes - A Real Problem
Body Language Can Make or Break Interviews
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