Are you searching for that dream job, but aren’t sure if you’re qualified for a step up in your career? If you don’t quite yet have all the skills a recruiter is looking for, you might be tempted to think about embellishing your resume or adding a few skills you don’t actually have to your LinkedIn profile.
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Before you lie on your resume, though, don’t believe the hype that everyone does it. Not only are most people actually honest on their resumes, according to Michael Klazema at Brazen Careerist, “padding” your resume — as recruiters call it — can actually get you in serious trouble and cost you that job, plus more down the road. If that’s not enough to convince you to keep your resume clean, here are three reasons to avoid lying on your resume:
1. Employers want to hire someone they can trust.
Would you want to work with someone who lies all the time? As Klazema at Brazen points out, trustworthiness is a critical factor in the hiring process and in keeping your job. Even if you make it through the screening process, it will be pretty clear within the first few months if you lied on your resume — especially about your skills and experience. If you wrote that you managed significant budgets and marketing campaigns but have to ask your boss how to use Excel, your resume might be called into question — which may quickly put your job into jeopardy.
2. You will get fired.
If you pad your resume and get hired, don’t get too comfortable with your white lies. Former Broadcom senior vice president Vahid Manian was caught padding his resume a few years ago, and was fired as a result according to Steve Tobak at CBSnews.com. In today’s age of modern technology, Manian’s poor decisions didn’t just ruin his chance at a great job at Broadcom — a quick Google search reveals how he faked university degrees, ruining any credibility he may have a future job.
3. You could be convicted for forgery or fraud.
Usually, if your new employer discovers you lied on your resume, you’ll just get fired. However, you could face criminal charges such as forgery or fraud, according to Chris Lehman at NPR. This is really rare, but can happen if you falsified documents, such as a university degree or a publication. It’s better off here just to stick to your real qualifications. Even if you don’t have the experience, an honest cover letter and willingness to negotiate a lower salary than posted may help you get the job anyway.
Tell Us What You Think
Have you ever padded your resume? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter.
As a recruiters, we are trained to dig up information and once we find a candidate has padded their resume, they are forever blacklisted. It’s not worth it to lie. Instead, spend the time learning the skills you find so valuable and find ways of applying those skills to help you in your career growth.