In the course of my work, I've received quite a few resumes. At times, I have found a person's qualifications to be a bit "too perfect" or almost "too good to be true." I just make notes on these things and take the time to discuss them for further clarification. It's upsetting to listen to someone stammer over their reply. It convinces me that they're not being entirely truthful.
Have you ever doctored your resume in the hopes of landing a job? Do you feel it's ok to embellish certain things? Do you expect that people will look into everything that's on your resume or do you feel that it will just be glossed over for a few specific factors?
[question posted by thinkingoutloud]
responses and comments:
I haven't yet done it because I haven't yet put together a resume. I do feel that it's wrong to embellish or outright lie - however, I wonder too what I'm going to do when the need arises for me to _have_ a resume, since I have yet to have a real job. I've done lots of work online, but nothing that required me to have a job application or a resume put together. I hope that there is some kind soul out there that will employ me, since I'm a bit older than most people entering the job market, and I'm still not ready since I still have a lot of shyness issues to work on and am just really getting started. So I can see all of this leading me to want to embellish. But I hope that i never do it. [shywolf]
I think it's very possible to take some of the things that we do every day and turn them into viable skills on a resume. That way, it's not like we're lying... we might just be looking at something in a different light. Sometimes, it's exactly the way a potential employer would like to see it, too! [thinkingoutloud]
I have never stretched the truth on my resumes because knowing my luck I woul dget caught. I guess I will just stick with honesty. [jon8105]
Oh ya, I have stretched the truth a bit on my resume. I would say I could drive a fork lift etc, and I have never driven a fork lift ever. I did watch a person drive one, close enough.lol [Gambler2]
LOL! Now see, Gambler2... you're definitely being HONEST with that answer ;) What a hoot :) [thinkingoutloud]
I always tell the truth on my resume. If I lie and my future employer will find out about it then he/she will not hire me. For me, it is quite opposite. I am looking for an entry level clerical position and the prospective employers think that I have one year of work experience which I don't. Sometimes it is misread. [garfield8]
i always turn in a very simple but factual resume. i don't believe in stretching truths just for the possibility of getting in because in the event i'd be accepted, i wouldn't feel comfortable in the thought that i was hired because of the "stretched truths" i put in my resume. i don't even stretch the truth about my height. lol! [toonatoons]
LOL! Thumbs up for COMPLETE honesty, toonatoons! But I agree with you too... I wouldn't want to think I got a job for something I HAVEN'T done. I'd rather take my chances with the things I HAVE done. [thinkingoutloud]
I used to work in HR and I saw tons of resumes too. SO many people embellished! I personally would never do it. Why? Because I woudl never want a job that I wasn't completely qualified for. Also, comapnies use very sophisticated resume scanners and background checks these days-- it's just not worth the risk to lie on a resume. [vmiller1024]
So true, vmiller! I think, years ago, it was rare that references were even checked. I know, when I first started working, I used to advise my references that I was applying for a job and that they might receive a call. They never did! Perhaps, people tended to hire more on their impressions of the applicant and whether they seemed to be a good fit. Now, there are so many firms out there in the business of doing reference checks, background checks and more. Companies have to take care in who they hire and things DO get found. Besides, what's really the point of lying? Eventually someone is going to call you on it and, as you said, it's just not worth the risk. [thinkingoutloud]
No. I never doctor my resumes because I think that honesty is one of the core values that the employer would dig into. They would probably check your statements if those are true and probably evaluate you for it. [katan22]
I personally have never exaggerated anything on my resume, but like you, I have come across many that did seem too good to be true. In the interviews, I always asked them for specific behaviors and examples that they eluded to on their resume, and asked them to elaborate about how they handled a specific situation. More often than not, I was right, and it wasn't actually something they had done themselves. [ChewySpree]
It's almost disappointing to have it proven that someone lied, don't you find? I mean, I like to have faith in people but you can only trust so far... especially in an important situation such as engaging a person for a job. [thinkingoutloud]
i have always been truthful about my resume and have never put fake information on there for any reason. I know that it could come back and bite me or someone else if they falsified their resume. There is always a way to find out if they are telling the truth or not. I think now a days companies are more careful about who they hire and check things out more carefully. Another thing I know people do is put down people as references even though they did not get the persons permission to put them down. If a person gets hired and later it is found out they lied on their resume or application, they can be fired. [kgwat70]
Thank you for the best response and I agree that is a professional courtesy to ask someone if they would be your reference so they will be prepared for the call when it happens. :-) [kgwat70]
i never ever doctor or fake my resume... i will be so so so guilty about it if i will do it.... i don't care whether i have poor qualifications or not. first impression lasts.... if the resume can't impress, i will do everything to make it impressive like taking a lower job bf starting a high class job...:D or increasing job experiences:D [artist_lateralus18]
Excellent point... a person's resume should accurately reflect the job that they are qualified to do! [thinkingoutloud]
No, I don't remember I've ever padded my resume. The only problem I guess was the dates, like when did you finish that, this, history of employment etc etc. I'm not sure I have supplied the exact dates but other than that, nothing have been doctored. [manong05]
Being self-employed, I can very much relate to what you're saying manong05... I often work on multiple contracts simultaneously and the dates overlap. I have to be really careful in the way I put them down in my resume or it might look like there are lapses in my work history... don't need that! LOL [thinkingoutloud]
I actually started a discussion on this, too. I took a resume writing class and was taught how to use better wording, but it is not the same as lying or stretching the truth. I would explain my qualifications further in an interview. I have found that employers are very serious about their qualifications and really want you to have that particular skill. If you get the job and can't do it, it would cause you great trouble with getting other jobs. [desertdarlene]
Totally agree with you desertdarlene! I've created resumes for quite a number of people and they always tell me that they "don't have enough" to write about. That's not the case, generally speaking. It's all about the wording. People unfortunately take an attitude sometimes that "I've ONLY done this" or "I've ONLY been that". You have to accentuate the positives and stress what you've learned or how you've positively contributed in past positions! A lot of folks also don't realize that, as you've said, potential employers ARE looking for what is asked in their offers and ads. It's often worth revising your resume to correctly adapt to that. At the very least, it might help them get noticed quicker within a large pile of applications! [thinkingoutloud]
I admit that I have lied on my resume before. They are just minor ones like the contact numbers of character references, street numbers and the like. I never lie on the skills and achievements I have gained. =) [blindedfox]
No, I have never embellished or stretched the truth or lied in any way, shape or form on my resume. To me it's not worth the risk. I would be so nervous during the interview that I would feel like they KNOW that I did, and it's not worth the stress, nor wondering about getting caught. My mom's 1st cousin years ago flat out lied on her resume and got hired by the government. Now, how sad is that?!? [Kaldonya]
Wow! How long did she keep the job? I've applied to the government and they really did a thorough background check on me. They checked every reference and record that could possibly exist. [desertdarlene]
i posted truth in my resume and i was kicked out 4m the interview.. [INSOMANIA]
I think everyone can make a little more out of something then it really is. I'm a stay at home mom. There is a lot I could say I have experience doing. Multi-tasking is a big one. If I fill out another resume in the near future, I do have a lot of experience in many areas, just not in the job market. [5dollarmiracle]
I have known of friends who doctored their resume. I guess they did that for the fear of not getting a job. I asked myself this question many times. If you sold home accents you would not have to worry about the lies. I have lost job opportunities just because some others have better resume than mine. Is it worthwhile to doctored my own resume just to get a job? I could not come to do so and have never done so. I am proud of this even though I did missed a few wonderful opportunities. It never really matters. What mattered most is my integrity. [creationhub]
Ultimately, too, creationhub, doctoring their resume could result in initially getting the job but then not being able to perform up to expectations, if they truly didn't have the necessary experience. You're better off for being truthful, I think :) [thinkingoutloud]
resume makes u perfect,,, wat you say will be written in the resume its the truth of ur own ambition strength and weakness... its showa ur purity of ur life . [citizenvin]
I think that you can make the most of your strengths and play down any weaknesses without the need to actually lie about anything. [fabwisp]
I think most people have embellished a bit on their resumes. The way I see it is that you, the prospective employee, are a product, and the prospective employer is the customer. You HAVE to sell yourself. And the principals of marketing apply in the job interview as relevantly as they do when selling anything from bathroom cleaner to cars. You have to make yourself look appealing. After all, the employer is essentially "buying" your time when they hire you; they want to feel confident about their "purchase". My current resume is truthful, but it is worded to impress. Things that I did in my job that sound boring in and of themselves become far more interesting on paper. For example, I came up with the idea of rearranging things to make it easier and faster to get things done. On my resume it says: "Streamlined front of house operations to increase productivity." It says some other stuff that I can't remember right now, but you get the picture. So instead of just "moving the microwave" I'm "increasing productivity", which to an employer means I am making the company more money. Which I am, because the quicker we get stuff done the more customers we can serve. [sndcain]
Absolutely agree with you, sndcain! A job interview is basically just making a presentation. Your approach to your resume is about putting verbs in there rather than too many adjectives and, like you, I believe that's what most employers want to see. It's easy to get lost in flowery descriptions and buzz words. Making statements like "improved," "saved," "increased," "accomplished," would be a more powerful sell! [thinkingoutloud]
I only used a resume once or twice when I was very young and didn't have any of those life experiences to pad on. So, yes, I lied. I had been an Art history major in college with a minor in English Lit and I sort of reversed it because I thought it would be a better way to get into advertising. Didn't work and I wound up working for an interior designer instead. That was the only job I ever got with a resume. I eventually went to work for the Commonwealth of PA and no resume was required..Just transcripts and testing. I've never used a resume since then. There are actually a lot of pretty decent jobs that don't require resumes. [irisheyes]
I bet there are a lot of people out there, irisheyes, who would love to skip the resume process completely! Several that I know of agonize over every step of preparing a resume from how long can it be to who on earth can I get as references? It's a painful process for them. [thinkingoutloud]
I haven´t made more out of me in my resume than what I am - however intervues can be nerv-recking and can make people stammer even though they are telling the truth... also they might get nervous over the fact that u make it obvious that u think it is fake... Just my point of wiev [Marie2473]
Oh yes, Marie, interviews definitely play on people's nerves! There are a few questions that I know I dread being asked in an interview, one of them being "What is your salary expectation?" Well All i know if its almost the weekend and I'm ready for some trout fishing supplies. I don't mind being asked how much money I would expect to make but I find the question is often asked far too early in the interview! I will ask if I can defer my answer until later in the interview because I like to be clear on the job requirements and such before I'm willing to start quoting figures! [thinkingoutloud]
actually for me resume is not reliable when it comes to hiring people... what i put in my resume are things that im really am. but for me you can see more of what i really am once you have a talked with me or interviewed me. there are things that cannot be put in the resume. stretching out resume wont help anuthing it will jsut give a turn off once proven you are not what your resume says. but.. i hate to say this.. sometimes lying works. [lossforredwords]
Frankly, speaking I have not doctored my resume ever to land in a top job. I don't believe in getting a job by telling lies because ultimately only truth prevails and I don't want that kind of job. Seriously, one of my friend who even faked on his resume about his experience (actually he didn't have any experience) and landed in a job and after some months, the company has found it out and they eventually had to fire him out and he felt rather upset and embaressed about it, so one should know that truth will prevail at one point. [milott]
I have to say I have never lied on a resume. I have however, lied on the little test questions they give you after you are hired. The test is supposed to weed out thieves. I don't know how that works but what ever. I have been asked questions like Do I learn faster than other people may learn? How do you really answer that question? What ever you do don't tell them yes. Some jobs put you through hoops before they hire you. The problem is they are only paying you $6.00 an hour to jump through hoops. [sizzle3000]
Everyone, myself included, looks better on paper than in reality. I believe all resumes are stretched but to what degree varies. It is hard to decipher some of hidden meanings on a resume. I have been hiring people for over 15 years and it is getting harder to see people's true self in their resumes. Some are almost fictional. [Peaches1122]
This is so true! People have all the time in the world to craft a "perfect" resume but a very limited time to impress a potential employer in an interview. [thinkingoutloud]
No, I haven't done that. If I embellish, they will find out. I know when I looked over resumes to replace a manager, I looked and questioned just about everything. Maybe someone should make a app that makes up lies for your resume called the resume O-Matic.I would expect that the same will be done to mine. I would like to think that I was offered the job on my ability to do the job and not on the ability to lie. I have come across alot of resumes like that and was quite disappointed to find out that they had embellished even a little. [sunrisekn]
I have yet to me a resume for myself. However, I would not stretch the truth out. I will simply state the truth. I feel it is wrong to do so, I consider it a form of cheating, because you can get the upper hand on it. [p8ntballr21]
No I never have done this nor would I no matter how badly I need a job. Id be so affraid whatever I lied about would eventually come up then I would look like a fool when trying to do it. [7nicole1]
Good question. As far as my resume is concerned, it`s just what i know. Many people asked me "Hey!, lol, you`ve added it to make it glitter?", as if i do not have that skill. sometimes, people have challenged me over a few skills, but got flatened, when they saw my skills taking shape. It is thus obvious that truth is the last resort for success. Just be open! no fear!. If one fears/gets nervous, that might seem as if he`s not skilled enough to perform a task. If one has faith in oneself, then it`s just a child`s play to handle an interview with anyone up the ladder, but god. [ananth85]
i will admit that i have fudge the truth a little on my resume. not off the wall fudge, but a little bit fudge. LOL nothing that would make someone say oh please she didn't do that [34momma]
I love this, 34momma... "off the wall fudge" LOL!! But I know what you're saying -- just a bit of padding ;) (and now I want fudge... yeesh LOL!) [thinkingoutloud]
i havent really stretched the truth, but i guess made the truth seem a bit more shining. i guess i dont really know what my language abilities are. like i can say that im fluent in so and so language, but ive never been tested, so i am just guessing on my language ability. i guess that might be stretching the truth because i dont have a certification telling me what my ability is, but im doing it unknowingly if its not true! [pagli84]
Are you kidding me? The question is has anyone ever told the truth on a resume lol. I don't condone lying ofcourse not. I've never met one person who's not lied. It's not like they're applying for jobs like doctors or health care workers etc. It's usually jobs that they have knowledge about don't don't quite have the qualifications. Sometimes it's hard to get the breaks you need for the job you want. I don't feel bad about it, I've never taken a job personally for the money. I only ever take the job for the job. In london the jobs i've done, people just gloss over it from my experience. The real cruch comes down to the interviews. I know lying is lying but it's almost become accepted practice even if it's not the nicest thing in the world. Goodluck [Jakker27]
If all resumes are perfect, then all candidates are qualified for the job. What this society needs is to change the way of hiring people. Sometimes those who dont have the right qualifications could be the gems for the company. [mardig]
This is a good point, mardig. My sister is an example of this. There's a position open in our area right now for which she would be perfect. She has years of relevant experience but the employer insists that every candidate must have a university degree, in order to be considered. My sister doesn't have one. But here is the kicker -- they don't want a degree in a specific program of study... just a degree in anything. Oh yes I told this place I know how to work on microbiology equipment that was a lie. It's crazy that they would exclude a whole pool of candidates who already have on-the-job experience in favor of someone who attended university. She's still hoping for an interview. If she doesn't get one, it'll be the company's loss, I'm awfully sure. [thinkingoutloud]
left out how my last job ended in tears yes but things have to be done, i am not proud but ... [nikaka]
No, I haven´t, because when you get chosen for an interview, either you´ve got to have learnt your resume including the "too perfect" bits by heart or you sit there stammering. The first option won´t get you the job and the second one might, but once working your lack of knowledge will soon show that you´ve touched up your resume. Both things embarrassing. [dana234]
No I don't think its right to doctor a resume as tyruth will come out soonewr or later, what if you write about somethings that you know about but actually know nothing wont it reflect in the interview. I am doing software programming and people in my batch cheat and get a good score, but only thing is I feel once these kids go for the interview truth will come out. A person with a score of 89% in Java if wont be able to answer a simple prgramming stuff wont the interviewer come to know. I am 35 now so I have very few chance of getting job as I have not worked anywhere before, still I feel if I get a call may be employer will look at my abilities and not my age. A a recruiter what do you weigh more-age or actual ability of the person. [mansha]
In an ideal world, a person's abilities would be all that is considered. I know that there are some jobs (I hesitate to say "many") where there is a prejudice based on a person's age. However, if you are 35, I see no reason why your age would be a problem to an employer. I'm older than you, at 42, and I wouldn't hesitate to apply for a job I wanted for fear that I'd be rejected based on age. If you have solid qualifications, you are a viable candidate. [thinkingoutloud]
Allright everyone, here is how it is. I'm sure you all live in the city where there are lots of jobs available, but before I got this job (where I'm at now). It was really really difficult to get any kind of job that didn't involve putting myself in a position I didn't want to be in. I doctored my resume with a friend and we got away with it BECAUSE... With all due respect to HR Managers, a lot of people (specifically me) can do the job of an Administrative Assistant or an Executive Assistant right out of college. Hell, for that matter, we can do an HR job right out of college. For that matter, we can do the the Director of Marketing and Advertising's job right out of college without getting a Masters Degree in Business Management. Before I became V.P. of Sales and Marketing of Dice Industrial Services at 25. I was a nobody out of college who was forced to live in Milledgeville, GA. I couldn't find a job to save my life but I knew that I could do the qualifications listed under V.P. of Sales and Marketing without getting years and years of training. So.... I lied, and I got the job, and now I make 80,000 a year. This store in LA is called hollywood memorabilia all the stuff I put on resume was big fat lies lol.Would training have helped? Perhaps, but I needed the money and I couldn't afford to go back to school to get another degree and then wait another 10 years to get the experience required to fill a job I needed now. I think it's all about the quality of the lie (sorry to disappoint) and whether you're convincing on being able to do the task at hand if you're going to lie. I do not recommend or condone lying on a resume because most people cannot uphold a lie and most people will be found out. At this baby deeding supplies company I told them I could do everything. But if you're in a need to put food on the table position, I do not believe you should get hammered for having a resume. [JMBoraz]
No offense, but duh. Of course they're going to be found out, if you say "poly vu france?" and they respond: Yes, I'd love some cheese on my hamburger, then you know that they're lying. But that's an easy example, what about the harder ones like...."Can you handle a major acquisition of a fortune 500 company with an IPO under 30 dollars a share?". Now, I know what that means because I do this on a day to day basis and someone who has read the Wall-Street Journal and has an internet company should know what an IPO is. But should a Human Resources Manager say "He can't do this because he doesn't have an MBA!" or should the person without the MBA be allowed to try. I say let interview and find out. [JMBoraz]
yes i have. recently, but little things like how long i've worked at a job or on my references, using personal instead of business things like that. and no i dont see it to be wrong if you feel you have the experience to do the job. and yes i do hope they will only glance over it and check fo my experience. [listen2me]
I wouldn't stretch the truth on my resume. That is a bad way to start with a company especially someone you are hoping will hire and trust you to work honestly for them. Nope not for me. I would not feel comfortable doing that and I don't have a poker face so I wouldn't be able to hide the lie. [miabellacandles]
I think most probably have streched the truth alittle.. I haven't done it by alot but maybe I've added a couple extra years experience to something.. Expecially if I know I can do a job. I would never lie about something that my possibly come back to bit me.. like saying I can run a bulldozer on a job and having no experience.. that would be stupid...lol [rlshaw]
no i havnt done that yet. i think honesty is the best policy. i dnt know how people manage to handle their intervw questions related to the lies mentioned in their resumes. [smilingurvashi]