Steven D. Levitt, coauthor of one of my favorite books, Freakonomics suggests that more than 50 percent of people lie on their resumes. We obviously agree since our statistics show year after year that over 55% of applicants lie about their job and educational history. Levitt refers to a famous W. C. Fields quote “Anything worth winning is worth cheating for.” Resume lies continue at an even higher rate in this economy, candidates have more reason to lie now, they need to work! Falsifying your resume will get you nowhere. Its rare to find a company these days that don’t conduct background checks on their applicants. If you lie, you will get caught. Employers will check your references, past employment and education, in addition to a thorough criminal background check. What do we advise? Tell the truth!
Monster.com just published a great article, “Lying on Your Resume: What Are the Consequences?” In it they surmise:
Companies are growing increasingly savvy in ferreting out resume cheaters through more comprehensive background checks conducted both pre and posthire. Why the latter? Subpar job performance can prompt a follow-up investigation into an employee’s past. If dishonesty is discovered, it is often grounds for termination and possibly legal action.
Click here for the rest of the article!
Ah, it used to be called “fluff.” But you’re right; now it’s just plain lying. I read a story involving Fed Ex cracking down on employees’ backgrounds recently – their target – catching them during internal transfers.
Anyone with good writing skills can put together a great resume. But I’m glad there are companies like yours out there to help us verify the content.