When You Lie on Your Resume

Job hunters know the weight a resume has to help land your dream job. Your resume is the first impression interviewers have of you – it can make or break your chance with a company. With increasing competition on the job market, it’s tempting to stretch the truth or lie on your resume to make your experience or skill set seem more impressive than it actually is. But is that ever ok? What happens when you lie on your resume?

Honesty is the Best Policy

Our team of career coaching experts insists honesty is ALWAYS the best policy, especially on your resume. Your resume may land you the job interview but if you fibbed about your skill set or experience, it won’t take long for the hiring manager to see the truth. Broken trust dooms the relationship from the start.

Let’s say your resume says you’re proficient in Microsoft Excel – great, that’s a skillset a prospective company really needs. You’re hired and your first assignment is to create an automated Excel sheet for reporting purposes. You don’t know where to begin because you fibbed on your resume – you are more of an Excel novice. What do you do? That’s not how you want to start a new job!

What To Do Instead of Lying On Your Resume

Exaggerating on your resume may seem attractive, especially when changing careers in a competitive job market. But it’s just not worth it. Be upfront and honest with the hiring manager about all aspects of your resume and your career goals. Aim for a strong resume that brings out your strengths and aligns with what the employer is looking for.

Leveraging A Career Coach To Showcase Your Value

At The Wilbanks Consulting Group, we work with individuals who are changing careers, have employment gaps, and other tricky situations to approach from a resume perspective. We can position your resume to bring out not only your best experiences but also the soft skills you’d like to develop further. If you need guidance on navigating the resume road, we are here to connect.