A critical Resume Mistake to avoid is uttering a lie on a Resume. Paradoxically, the saying ‘A lie is not a lie if everyone believes it ‘, is thus not a sensible statement.
After all, a CV or Resume should not be misused or taken lightly. Moreover, the documents have immense significance in the context of job hunting.
Therefore, a Resume lie can leave a person unemployed and disrupt their career.
Crafting a stellar resume is essential to securing coveted positions in today’s competitive job market. However, in the pursuit of presenting oneself as the perfect candidate, many individuals are tempted to fabricate information on their resumes. While this may seem necessary to stand out, the consequences of a Resume Lie can be dire and far-reaching.
Most importantly, a Resume Lie does nothing positive or beneficial. It hinders one’s chances of moving further with the interview selection process and if detected later on, it can even get you expelled from your job.
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During document verification or background checks, most employers can identify lies with their knowledge and experience, consequently, a Resume lie can incur a huge penalty. Metaphorically, it’s like digging your own grave and dousing your hopes of a good job.
#1: Unnecessary embarrassment and harassment
According to a survey among employers, 62% of them run background checks on new employees.
Nowadays, employers use search engines, social media and LinkedIn profiles to cross-check CVs. Moreover, they even contact references and use sources like job portals to learn more.
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Thus, after a Resume lie is discovered, an interview may turn into an investigation. Further, even small mismatches of details often require an explanation and apology.
Additionally, a Resume Lie leaves one liable to criticism and interrogation. As a result, many candidates turn nervous and hard-pressed for words.
To clarify more, a single Resume Lie renders your candidature invalid and liable for prosecution. The embarrassment can have a catastrophic impact and make your hopes of landing a job futile.
The CV Sections in which most Resume Lies get detected are :
- Work Experience
- Volunteer Experience
- Internships
- Educational Background
- Professional Qualifications
- Honours & Awards
- Certificates
- Trainings Conducted
- Patents
- Publications
- Technical Skills
- Associations
Thus, remember that if you get past the ATS scan, you still risk getting your Resume exposed in the interview. A far-fetched Career Summary can eliminate your consideration for other positions as well.
Therefore, remain honest with yourself and ensure it reflects on your CV.
Meanwhile, stay calm and composed to handle tough situations like cross-questioning during interviews. Similarly, acquire some new skill sets instead of lying about them. Abide by your own work experience and not someone else’s.
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#2: Impaired interview performance and impressions
Certainly, your Interview performance may speak louder than the words on your Resume. However, if your Resume is counterfeit, it is useless.
It is a heinous error to mention Skills and Experiences that you don’t possess. These false impressions may increase the expectations of the interviewer temporarily.
However, you won’t be able to justify yourself for very long once your reply fails to convince them.
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Above all, most companies look for a successful and honest employee for legal reasons. Moreover, your Interview performance and impressions are solely dependent on your Resume.
Imagine the Interviewer stumbles upon one such lie and you’re left without explanations. Moreover, it would be a nightmare to go to work and fool others about your competence.
Even if you succeed, very soon it will snatch and spoil your enjoyment or pride in getting the job. Further, maintaining this façade so as you don’t contradict it will become a challenge too.
Finally, one lie will lead to another and in this way, you’ll get entrapped in your web of lies.
So, any attempt at doctoring your skills, experience or knowledge ruins it sooner or later. Despite what you’ve been through so far, remaining honest can save you from difficulties and troubles.
Thus, only give adequate and appropriate information about your skills and experience. Moreover, show eagerness to learn new things to convince employers about yourself.
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#3: Damage to reputation and Image in the professional sphere
In an interview round, your Resume is the only document that authorizes you to proceed further. So, you should not tamper or distort any facts that may become a Resume lie.
Previously, one could get away with minor inaccuracies and inconsistencies on their resume. However, in the Internet era, your digital presence gets tracked or monitored even in job portals and agencies.
So, if you got rejected earlier because of poor conduct or bad work ethic, your Resume gap may be evident to your next employer as well.
That is to say, hiding gaps or manipulating employment dates can drag you into legal matters.
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Certainly, a prospective employer may verify the data from your previous employer and detect lies with ease. Therefore, always take time to revise and proofread your Resume before uploading it.
A Resume Lie will damage your credibility and image within the industry as HR professionals and Recruiters have connections in the corporate world.
Therefore, a negative impression about your Resume lying in their mind may soon turn into a rumour. Consequently, you will be jobless and rejected everywhere as no recruiter will have faith in you.
In such a situation, it will be very difficult for you to rebuild your image once you lose your viability.
So for a good career advancement, winning the trust of employers is integral. Similarly for job placements, avoiding Resume lies is essential.
Express confidence in your Resume with correct details about Skills, Experience and profile.
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#4: Lost Opportunities and Hopes for Reconsideration
Certainly, impressive job responsibilities may give you some preference over other candidates. Moreover, if your previous role gave some accomplishment to your career, it can spike interest among Hiring Managers.
However, lying about responsibilities makes it obvious and evident for employers. To make things worse, lying in one aspect can make the other authentic data untrustworthy.
Further, if you’re proven guilty of lying, your application will be immediately discarded. Eventually, you may get banned or detained membership in job portals (if reported).
Therefore, your CV or Resume is the first point of contact between you and a company or employer. So, one Resume lie may completely revoke and break the faith and understanding formed.
To clarify the extent, exaggerations in your ‘Work Experience‘ can put your entire career under the radar. As a result, your contract should be based on foundations of mutual trust and credibility.
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Therefore don’t rely on a Resume lie unless you want a stain in your professional life.
#5: Guilt consciousness and risks of getting fired
Finally, hard work and truth are always encouraged instead of deception or manipulation. Even the proverb, “Honesty is the best policy” states that one should reap the fruits of labor and that, there are no shortcuts to success.
In this context, a Resume Lie is a ground for termination at any time whether in the near future or years later. In no matter of time, you may find that a small resume lie can lead to more lies.
Nowadays, many offices operate with Anti-Corruption Cells for hiring and attrition of employees. Therefore, working with the ruse of a Resume lie can be detrimental and damaging to your career.
So, as an employee, you mustn’t deviate or get tempted to lie on your Resume.
Meanwhile, if you got fired, it may require you to explain the reason before continuing with another company. On the other hand, when you are terminated, your close associates and loyalists also stoop down. Later, your circle of references diminish and you’ll have to lament at your loss.
In these cases also, instead of deleting that work history, include it to prevent a resume gap.
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Apart from these consequences, the one thing that you may need to bother is your guilt consciousness. That is to say, we are all answerable to ourselves and our inner consciousness. At the end of the day, when you reflect inward, you won’t be pleased to get reduced to a sorry figure.
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So, it’s better to be honest on your Resume and to yourself than to get caught because of a Resume lie.
Conclusion:
To sum up, getting a job despite the high competition requires a lot of sincere effort and dedication. A Resume is the only credential that when presented effectively can lead you to your dream job.
So, whether you get the interview appointment or call, is also decided by the contents of your CV or Resume. As a result, your Resume or CV can be a game changer in terms of matching your eligibility with the job profile.
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In the present scenario, many job seekers go to the extent of lying on their Resume to increase their likelihood of getting a job. But, a Resume lie can invite unnecessary hardships and obstruct career progress.
Further, this attempt can ruin even the most cordial of interviews and involve legal actions.
In the end, those who try to outsmart recruiters by sneaking in with a Resume lie repent and find later that they’ve fooled themselves. To sum up, under any condition, a lie on your resume is never the solution.
Fortunately, there are many accepted ways to build your case as a true and honest applicant. For instance, use a Resume Builder like cvDragon to store your documents, and credentials and send them whenever needed.
That is to say, cvDragon can allow you to bring it to the spotlight but only if you create your Resume without lies.
